5 Travel Hacks to Improve your In-flight Experience

Travel is a magnificent thing, however the experience of flying to your destination can be very tedious. Standing in line at TSA for what seems like forever, overbooked flights, a sick neighbor or a crying baby are unfortunately out of our control, but there are things you can take control of. Check out our five hacks for making your next trip feel more enjoyable:

1. If you are a frequent traveler, you probably have packing your bag down to a science, but what are your master packing skills good for when your neighbors took all the overhead space and you have nowhere to store your bag? SeatGuruoffers a guide to airplane boarding procedures, take 5 minutes to find out what order your airlines boards their planes and choose your seat accordingly, this way, not only will you be one of the first to board, but you’ll also have first dibs at the overhead compartment.
2. Think of your seat as your home for the duration of your flight – what are your necessities? Wear lightweight, comfortable pants, as well as a light sweater, preferably wrinkle free. Keep in mind that your feet tend to swell up, so wear loose shoes that are easy to slip in and out of. Pack a small bag with your necessities: electronics, socks, book, charger, or anything else you might need. This way you won’t leave anything you store underneath the tray table behind, and you won’t be thatperson getting up every 5 minutes to get something out of their bag.
3. Business Insider reportsthat the dirtiest place on a plane is not the bathroom; in fact, surprisingly, the most unhygienic part of a plane is the tray table. On average, the lavatory flush button has 265 colony-forming units per square inch, while the tray table has an astounding 2,155 colony-forming units per square inch. If that doesn’t inspire you to invest in some disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer, we’re not sure what will.
4. Unsurprisingly, airplanes can act as bacteria incubators resulting in people getting sick after traveling. Blow away airborne microbes by using the vent above your head. Turn it on low or medium, and make sure the air is blowing directly down onto your lap. This creates a barrier between you and the air around you, blowing away any potential sickness.
5. Ask for an upgrade. This is a simple thing that many people forget to do due to the unlikeliness of it happening. Make sure you are well dressed and most importantly polite when you ask to be upgraded to a better seat. You never know, you might just get that upgrade, but even if you don’t, if you ask nicely enough you might be moved to a better seat with more legroom at no extra charge. Worst case scenario: you end up right back where you started. Bankrate has 5 helpful tipsto get upgraded.