Travel Guide: 7 mistakes you should avoid making on a plane

Asides the usual inconveniences, there are several mistakes we can make which can make an already potentially stressful journey more uncomfortable.

Air travel is nothing if not adventurous but stressful especially when going on a long trip.

Between the check-in process, possible air turbulence and everything in between, its not for nothing that some folks clap when a plane successfully lands at its destination.

But asides the usual inconveniences, there are several mistakes we can make which can make an already potentially stressful journey more uncomfortable.

That said, here are 7 mistakes everyone should avoid making on a plane.

 

1. Sleeping through take-off and landing: While its tempting to snooze through it all, during take-off and landing, the air pressure around you changes faster than the air inside your ears and this can lead to an uncomfortable feeling. To avoid this, stay up and chew gum during take off and landing or open your mouth really wide and close repeatedly.

2. Sit in one place from the beginning to the end: This is most unhealthy as low air pressure in the cabin can slow your circulation and set you up for blood clots, particularly in the legs. It is therefore advisable to walk at interval round the airplane. Alternatively, you can raise your heels while your toes are on the floor; raise your toes while your heels on the floor; and clench and release your leg muscles. Repeat each move several times before moving on to the next, and repeat the entire series periodically throughout your flight.

3. Sleeping when its daylight at your final destination: This is a sure fire way of off-setting jetlag. Rather,  change your watch to reflect the time zone of wherever you're going as soon as you board the plane, and then adjust your activities accordingly. So, when your watch says its time to sleep, do so and vice versa.

4. Not drinking beverages: Cabin air is very dry, and because your body loses moisture every time you exhale, simply breathing at high altitudes can dehydrate you. It is therefore very advisable to stay hydrated by constantly drinking something.

5. Ordering tea or coffee: Let's face it, airplane water is not the cleanest in the world as it could contain coliform, bacteria found in 12% of commercial airplanes. So, do yourself a favour and stick with bottled water or juice.

6. Drinking fizzy drinks aka anything with bubbles: According to an Aerospace Medical Association report, changes in air pressure can cause gas in the body to expand as much as 25%, and fizzy drinks can have the same effect. So skip them to feel less bloated when you land.

7. Eating food that lands on your tray: Trays are arguably the dirtiest spot on a plane as cabin crew have attested to parents often using it to change diapers and more. What's more they're not cleaned regularly between trips so stay away from food that's fallen on a tray.