Nothing beats that excitement of stepping onto a plane ready to fly away on vacation to a foreign land. The first thing you usually do when you get on is look for your seat, however, aside from sitting in the right place there are a number of other things that you should do before take-off to ensure your comfort and safety throughout the flight. So here I’m sharing 8 useful tips to help you remember the pre-departure to-do’s…
8 Things You Should Do Inside The Plane Before Take-Off
Follow this guide for 8 essential things you do should before take-off to ensure your safety and comfort throughout the flight…
1. Clean and sanitize your area
The first thing you should do inside the plane is clean and sanitize your area.
According to Microbiologists, airplane tray tables contain over 2,000 colony-forming units of bacteria per square inch. While a study from Auburn University found that bacteria like E.coli and staphylococcus aureus can survive on different airplane surfaces for days, including the armrests and window shades…
That’s how dirty your plane seat can be so always bring some sanitizing wipes and clean your area to get rid of germs that may put your health at risk during the flight.
2. Position your air vent
The second thing to do inside the plane is position your air vent.
That air vent above your head is not only a simple delivery system of air inside the plane. It can also be used as a barrier against the germs around you. Yes, that’s right!
Positioning the air vent in the right spot and at the right speed will sway nasty air particles away from you. This will help you dodge that dreaded cold or virus that other passengers around you might have.
Position the vent above your head by setting it to low or medium and letting it blow straight down.
3. Check for the nearest emergency exit near your seat
The next thing you should do inside the plane is check where your nearest emergency exit is.
No one wishes to be involved in a plane accident but in the very unlikely case it happens, it’s a good idea to know where you need to exit the plane.
Count the seats between you and the nearest exit. When you know how many rows are between you and the exit, you can make your way out by hand even in a complete black-out.
4. Check for a life vest
One of the most important things to do inside the plane before take-off is check if the life vest dedicated for your seat is really there. This is because some passengers actually take these life jackets as flight souvenirs!
Though airline attendants check the seats before and after every trip it is best to be sure and check by yourself as well.
5. Gather your flight essentials and keep them with you
After ensuring your health and safety, it’s almost time for you to sit back and relax in your seat. But before that, it’s a good idea to gather your flight essentials and keep them with you at your seat. You can even keep a smaller bag underneath the seat in front of you.
This is to avoid constantly standing up and reaching to the overhead compartment to get the things you need during the flight, especially if the seat belt sign is on.
6. Put your headphones on
If you want to enjoy some time to yourself and don’t particularly want to entertain any chitchatting with your seatmate, put your headphones on as a sign of “no conversation please”.
Even if you are not listening to anything this helps if you don’t want any distractions during the flight.
7. Chew some gum
The changes in air pressure during takeoff and landing can be painful to the ear. One effective way to avoid this painful airplane experience is to chew gum before getting airborne.
Chewing gum not only helps you to adjust with the air pressure changes but also gives you fresher breath once you land!
8. Check if the seat back TV works
Good entertainment during a long flight can ease boredom so be sure to check if your seat back TV works. In case it isn’t working you can always ask for assistance from the attendant who can either fix it for you or transfer you to a seat with a working TV.
Conclusion
These are just some of the essential things you do should before take-off to ensure your safety and comfort throughout the flight. After all, we don’t just travel for fun and adventures. We travel to collect memories and make our life more meaningful so little things that can be a threat to destroy our long awaited journey is a no no! Wipe them out then sit back and enjoy your flight!
