Top Tips for Post Pandemic Air Travel

The sooner someone invents teleportation the better! Until that happens, when we want to travel somewhere from our little corner of the world, it involves a long arduous flight, or series of flights to get to the other hemisphere.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, travel has certainly become more complicated. There are more rules and regulations, less flights, staff shortages and ticket and insurance prices have risen a lot. Some of these issues are settling down to a new normal, and in 2023 more people are feeling confident enough to use their airline credits to book a trip overseas.

With close family in Scotland we are now on our second trip to the UK since the pandemic, so are becoming seasoned travellers. If you are about to embark on your first post-pandemic sojourn, here are some top tips to help make the flights a little more bearable.

Seat selection

If you can afford to be in Business Class or beyond – go for it. You are paying for and should expect a reasonable experience.

If you are flying economy it is worth choosing your seats. If there are two of you travelling, choose two seats nearest the aisle; that way, when one of you needs to go to the loo, you only have to climb over your companion and not a stranger! Getting a seat by the bulkhead means more leg room, but it is also where babies bassinets are secured, so might be a mixed blessing!

Packing your bags

One of the biggest travel issues hitting the headlines is lost bags. We have all seen the TV coverage of hundreds of bags piled up in airports, or know someone whose bag did not arrive when they did. Purchasing a tracker is one option. At least if your bag doesn’t turn up you should be able to find out where it is.

Another idea is to spread your clothes over two or more bags – so pack at least one change of clothes for each person in each bag. You would have to be very unlucky to lose more than one bag, so this option means you will have fresh clothes to change into when you finally get to have a shower - even if one of your bags has not arrived!

Be prepared to wait

Waiting has always been one of the less glamorous aspects of travelling. These days you are expected to be at the airport several hours early and you may well need to wait longer in line as there are staff shortages in many airports. You just have to be prepared, so get organised before you go. Here are some ideas to prepare for waiting for several hours without going crazy with boredom:

• download several good books onto a kindle or similar
• download lots of music onto your phone
• download lots of interesting podcast episodes onto your phone
• download puzzle apps or even buy a puzzle book.

Along with all of this technology you will need some decent headphones. Noise cancelling ones are worth every cent in this situation – both while in waiting mode, and when you are filling in time while you fly. Even if there are babies crying or someone snoring, these headphones can make all the difference to how you enjoy your flight.

Another top tip is to ensure you have a charger for your phone/device in your hand luggage so you can charge it at an airport or while flying.

Comfort

If you are in economy you will not be 100% comfortable, but some things you can do include:

• Wear layers. Plane cabins can be very warm or very cold, so be prepared for either. You do get a blanket and a pillow, so those help.
• Wear a soft and stretchy outfit you can sleep in. Although no one ever looks glamorous on a long haul flight, at least you should wake up looking and feeling OK.
• Take a neck pillow if you find that is better for your neck and back.
• To avoid the risk of deep vein thrombosis, get up regularly to stretch and exercise your legs and feet. Put some funky music on your headphones and let your feet do some ankle circles and heel raisers under the seat in front of you in time to the beat. These little activities make a boring situation a little more fun!

Sleep

Sleep can be very elusive on flights, so you might opt to purchase some medication of some kind to help. You can buy some very mild sedatives over the counter which help tip you into sleep but don’t leave you feeling groggy.

Keep hydrated

Drinking plenty of water is important on long flights, as inside the cabin the air is dry and you can easily become dehydrated. Although a glass of wine is lovely with your dinner, you will be offered water regularly, so take advantage of this as it will help avoid headaches and feeling nauseous. Drinking lots of water also means you have to get up to go to the loo – getting you out of your seat and moving.

The longer your flight the more important water is. Experts suggest a cup of water per hour spent on a plane.

Finally you will get to your destination, with or without your bag – but hopefully, if you have been well prepared it hasn’t been too bad, and the journey can be forgotten – until the next time!