Several months ago a friend whose work requires him to fly overseas regularly and logs hundreds(?) of thousands of miles offered this in response to my post about how much I am beginning to hate air travel. Tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m. we fly to Syracuse, New York from New Orleans. I am not looking forward terribly to the flight(s).
Security. This is much more difficult for the ocassional traveler. It might be that after a specific number of times getting searched that your mind just goes to autodrive to get through it as quickly as possible. What irritates me the most is the fellow passenger who wants to express indignation during the inspection issue. I don’t care if the TSA dude/dudette is a power drunk or just having a bad day. You can’t win and all you do is delay those of us behind you. If you have a really bad experience, there is always the possibility of recourse after the fact.
Delays. I second your experience. The combination of a stone age ATC system in the US, conjestion at airports, delays, no food on planes makes domestic travel a pain. So…I always have 4-5 protein and at least one good book in my carry-on (sometimes it helps to have good DVD or video game on your laptop). 2-3 of these bars are for sharing with a hungry stranger (in the spirit of full dislosure this is more pragmatism than good naturedness).
Turbulence can be tough. The absolute best advice that I have is to make sure that you are either drinking water or a diet drink. There is nothing quite like having turbulence cause you to spill your drink on your lap and having to spend 3 or 15 hours with an increasingly sticky lower body. The best way to avoid nausea (or, at least, to lower the quantity of result) is to make wise pre-flight eating/drinking choices. Avoid high sugar food/drink and stick to quickly digestable fats and proteins. And, always, drink a lot of water.
Some good tips:
- Get an intense workout in before your flight and you will have a great chance to be both relaxed and mentally alert during the trip. (Plus, being beefier than the average pax is a plus…just kidding.)
- Consider a membership to a airline lounge. If you travel 3-4 times per year, it might be worth the annual fee. Aside from having a comfortable and quiet place to hang out during a delay, the lounge desk is the best place to get airline assistance…and these employees actually want to help you.
- Travel like a Spartan: wear loose clothing that can easily be removed/changes, pack the right supplies in your carry-on, and focus like a laser on your goal.
Good stuff. And thanks.
