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If only all flights had this much room to spread out!

This part of Wikivoyage's guide to flying focuses upon perhaps the most critical part of your journey - sitting in a chair for a number of hours. Whilst this may seem to be a comparatively tame exploit, the fact that said chair is hurtling through the air at hundreds of miles an hour adds a welcome frisson to proceedings. So, with that in mind, this article seeks to make your chair-bound experience as safe and comfortable as possible. This begins as you enter your airplane.

Help the cabin crew

Flight attendants on a Germanwings flight

While you'll receive especially attentive service in first- and business-class, flight attendants are not waiters. Their duties require many tasks as they try to make you and all others safe and comfortable while boarding. They ensure that all food and supplies are properly delivered and stowed. But they also scan and help passengers who may be distressed, ill, unable to find seats, find their seats already occupied, are inebriated or misbehaving, or perhaps on the wrong flight. They do all this as they appear to be just standing around. You can and should help at least in these ways...

  • Use storage near your seat(s). (1) Using space farther forward adds little convenience for you, but can create great inconvenience for others seated forward. Because you've helped fill storage in their locale, they may have to store bags near or behind you and go against the flow of others boarding to return to be seated. When disembarking, they again must go "against the flow" to get to their belongings...likely after everyone else has departed. And (2), if you store anything out of sight anywhere, it can be pilfered in-flight (yes, it happens, often because thieves watch to ensure no one near your things knows who they belong to).
  • Don't ask crew to put your carry-ons in overhead bins...too many folks pack them heavily. Carefully close any nearby overhead bin once completely full if you're not already seated. Crew will often close others once finally and fully filled because you/most folks are already seated...and they're masters at (re)packing them for people arriving late.
  • Put your items in bins or under the seat in front of yours so they take minimum space, e.g. wheeled luggage wheels-in or out, not sideways if possible (good pieces are designed to fit perfectly in standard overhead bins).
  • Take your seat promptly after you've stored your carry-ons.
  • Don't block aisles as others try to reach their seats, nor with any item while in-flight.
  • Use the call-button only if you need assistance only crew can provide.
  • Take care with food and liquids as you enter and get seated; eat and drink (after airborne at cruise altitude) to avoid unpredictable spills or (embarrassing) bloating.
  • Make your fastened seat belt visible to crew, e.g., fasten it over your blanket/jacket/coat, especially if you plan to sleep while airborne. Otherwise they'll wake you to check it.
  • Keep your seat belt fastened at all times, but especially when the seat belt sign is lit.
  • Use the lavatory facilities in your own cabin, and only when the seat belt sign is not illuminated.
  • Follow crew instructions promptly and immediately.

Flying with children

Children can get restless and irritable while flying and in airports. There are strategies you can follow to ensure your children enjoy the trip.

  • Arrange entertainment. The best way is to bring a portable media player, books, or anything else they can use to stay occupied with themselves. Be creative. Phones, iPods and PSPs also play video these days, and are much easier to carry than a DVD player and DVDs. Kids don't seem to mind the fact that the screen is 1" square, and the batteries last far longer than a DVD player for a longer flights.
  • Have something for them to suck on while ascending and descending. Don't give it to the child when you get onto the plane - wait until you leave the runway, or it will be finished before you take off. Similarly, wait until well into the descent.
  • Bring favorite snacks for fussy eaters. If children don't like the airplane food and get hungry, irritability can increase. If flying to another country, ensure snacks not consumed won't violate its regulations.
  • Aim for a window seat for the child, and sit by the window at the airport. Airports are a hive of activity, usually enough to keep any child occupied for a little while.
  • Get an airport book. There are many picture books for young children that name the many things at the airport. For older children at a large airport, an airplane identification chart can pass some time.

Consider safety. If you are traveling with a child who is less than three, have them sit on an approved child carrier, not on your lap. (Approved or airline carriers may have special seat belts that improve their protection.) In the unlikely event of an emergency, a lap child may impede your ability to brace. Be aware of whether there is an oxygen mask for infants on the aircraft/row.

And generally, anticipate delays. Even the shortest flights can be delayed, involving additional time both in the terminal and on the aircraft. Ensure you have sufficient food, clothes, nappies, entertainment to avoid turning a couple of hours delay into a nightmare. This will free them to do truly essential flight tasks.

Before take-off

  • Buckle up and strap any children, in safety seats as needed, then yourself.
  • Count the number of seat backs between your seat and the emergency exits, keeping in mind that your nearest exit may be behind you. If you ever need to evacuate an aircraft in an emergency you may need to do it in a darkened cabin that could be full of thick black smoke. If the aisle is full of people you will at least know the number of seats you need to climb over to get out in that one in a million emergency.
  • Switch off your mobile phone, preferably before you board the plane. Using a phone on board after the doors are closed (especially while the aircraft is taxiing, climbing or descending) is a violation of some air travel safety regulations; in some countries, switching the phone off is mandatory during the passenger's entire stay in the aircraft. Switching the phones off facilitates clear, effective and essential communication between pilots and the air traffic controllers. The crew will instruct everyone to turn off phones at least before the plane's doors close; if you refuse to comply you will be escorted off the plane.
    • If you need to make a call while at altitude, your aircraft's telephone carrier partner may provide in-flight service. Consult your in-flight magazine, especially for details on charges...normally no less than $5/minute (plus connection charges) even if you are directly above the place you are calling. SMS on these in-seat handsets may also be available.
  • Read the emergency instructions and watch the safety briefing even if you have ridden on the airline before as safety features may vary per aircraft and airline. It may be boring but if an emergency happens you will remember what to do, rather than having to read the safety card then and thereby saving precious time.
  • Place anything containing items you'll use in-flight under the seat in front of you to eliminate obstructing the aisle...if they are small, in the seat pocket facing you. This will minimize disturbance caused to those sitting in aisle seats. If you later need the leg/foot room, and overhead space is available, you can then move there what you no longer need.
  • Keep within sight anything you put in overhead bins that contains valuables. As above, thieves operate on flights. As necessary, put valuables under the seat at your feet.
  • As a good neighbor, check in-advance with the folks behind you if you may/must tilt your seat-back backwards...and just before you do so. The pitch of many economy seats has gotten so small that tilting seat-backs can greatly intrude into space they really need.
  • Once seated, and if you have them, use sanitizer/sanitizing wipes to clean your hands, seat-tray, arm rests and (when convenient) the handles on overhead bins.

During flight

File:Inflight tracking.JPG
Some airlines now offer seatback entertainment consoles, offering movies, music, tv shows, and information on the current location of the airplane.(seen here in a Delta Airlines Boeing 767 between Atlanta and Paris)
  • In cases of an open flight in economy class when nobody is beside you, feel free to put-up the armrests (except in exit rows where the armrests can't be lifted) to claim the extra space to yourself. On wide-body aircraft, you can sometimes get a middle block to yourself and turn this into a flat bed of sorts.
  • Wear your seat belt at all times while seated. Though it doesn't happen often, more people are injured (a few even killed) by failing to use "belts" than from all other causes of flying injuries. Severe air turbulence can occur without warning even in clear air, and can violently throw you and others about. When the seat belt sign is off, it only indicates that you'll be reasonably safe to move about the cabin briefly.
  • When getting up from other than the aisle seat, first ask seatmates to let you out, and try not to disturb people behind or in front of you.
  • On medium-to-long flights, drink lots of liquids without caffeine or alcohol because the latter will dehydrate you at an even faster pace than the airplane's very-low humidity. That can worsen jet lag and may induce headaches. Don't hesitate to ask the cabin crew for water, or walk up to the galley to get it. Some airlines (e.g., Emirates, Qantas, Cathay Pacific) offer self-service water fountains (and more) at each galley for passengers to fill their own water bottles. If sanitation is an unknown, ask for bottled water.
  • Don't sit still for the duration of a multi-hour flight...your body isn't designed to stay that way for hours.
    • Adjust your body position occasionally (you do this in your sleep anyway). On long flights especially...
    • Stretch, flex knees, move your feet in circles...anything you can do in your seat. Some airlines now periodically show video programs showing how to exercise in your seat. Follow them, or do your own thing (or both). By changing position, and moving around a little, you make sure every part of your body gets the circulation it needs, e.g., to avoid deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Consider walking around the aircraft occasionally during long flights.
    • You might remove your shoes if convenient. On very long flights, better airlines offer slippers, but you'll likely also need warm socks.
  • With the exception of some private charters, smoking (even electronic cigarettes) is not allowed on any commercial flight worldwide. Do not smoke at your seat, in the lavatories or tamper with the smoke detectors in the lavatories to avoid be caught - at minimum you'll be in trouble with the airline and in some jurisdictions subject to prosecution. In U.S. "flagged" aircraft (and many others), federal law prohibits tampering with, disabling, or destroying smoke detectors in aircraft lavatories...it's a felony and violation can lead to fines of thousands of dollars, even a prison sentence.
  • Stow any loose items before landing. Put magazines and books in the seat pocket. Don't leave anything lying on an empty seat or loose under your feet. Under heavy braking on landing, even light articles can slide/roll quite far forward. They can be difficult to find, and before you find them they may be accidentally damaged by exiting passengers.
  • Always follow the instructions of flight attendants, as well as lighted and posted signs...they there for your safety and for that of all passengers.
    • Flight attendants are trained to be responsible for your safety. Do not argue with them. Resolve any conflict you may have with their orders later on the ground.
    • If an "unruly passenger" becomes a serious problem, the captain of the plane may make an unscheduled landing, and the passenger will be taken off the airplane under arrest.
    • Flight attendant instructions are often backed by law, e.g., in the US, disobeying a flight attendant is a felony. Short of that, you still face severe fines and costs.
  • Most airlines (including all US flagged carriers due to local civil aviation law) prohibit the use of mobile phones in flight, unless placed into "flight safe mode" or "aircraft mode" before departure. A few carriers (e.g. Emirates and Virgin Atlantic on some aircraft types) are now permitting the use of mobile data and even voice calls while airborne. Keep in mind that you'll need an international roaming contract with your carrier and rates tend to be very high ($3-$5 per minute or kilobyte is fairly standard). If voice calls are permitted, be courteous to your fellow passengers and keep conversations brief.
  • Other electronic devices are usually permitted once the aircraft is at cruise and the seat belt sign is switched off. Rules regarding when and which devices can be used vary by country and airline:
    • In Australia and the United States, airlines typically list categories of devices that cannot be used on the safety card (cell phones, TV's, remote controlled toys, etc...) in their magazines.
    • In Canada, however, aviation law requires a more precautionary approach. No electronic devices are permitted unless a crew member individually checks and authorizes their use.
      • Laptops are the only devices that are explicitly stated in safety briefings as being allowed - as long as you check with a flight attendant and any mobile data capabilities are disabled before use. In the past, Air Canada used to state that the use of external laptop accessories (such as hard drives, mice, printers, etc...) was prohibited. The current safety video doesn't mention this, but always check first.
      • Other devices such as tablets, iPods, and game systems are at the crew's discretion but are almost always permitted if you ask.

Meals onboard

Scheduled meals (if any) will often be timed and typed to complement the time zone of the flight's destination. As a result, first or early servings may not match your departure time. For flights that promise no food during meal hours, consider buying something at the airport (in the secure area); most lines will allow you to carry it on-board. The selection at some airports may be poor.

On-board meals for some airlines may be brought in from one of its base or hub airports rather than from a local source. This takes considerable time. Meals kept too long for any reason may have to be discarded due to safety. Scheduled meals may then be limited to packaged snacks/cookies and drinks...not the fault of the crew or airline.

Health

Deep vein thrombosis

Caution Note: The following discussion should not be taken as medical advice. Consult a doctor if you think you might have or be at risk for DVT during planned travel.

Passengers on long flights may be prone to deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which is essentially blood clots forming in the veins, most often in the legs. It actually affects anyone who remains seated for long periods, e.g., train or car passengers. The elderly tend to have greater risk than the young. You can take precautions to avoid it:

  • Stretch and/or walk at least every 2 hours or so. Even a trip to the washroom and back is better than nothing.
  • Do in-seat exercises, e.g., flexing legs and torso, rotating/flexing feet.
  • When booking the flight, ask for an aisle seat...to let you more easily get up and move around.
  • Stay hydrated by drinking water, or other non-alcoholic, caffeine-free beverages.
  • Consult your doctor to see if certain preventative measures are needed for you. They may include compression hose (ask about the right kinds and compression rates), perhaps taking a blood-thinner (e.g., low-dose aspirin) shortly before your flight.

Be aware of the early symptoms (e.g., pain or swelling in the legs) which you may notice during flight or later. If suspected, seek medical treatment promptly. If neglected, the condition can become serious, even fatal.

See a more comprehensive article at Deep vein thrombosis.

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