flying – A Sassy Lifestyle Blog

How to not get sick on a germ infested airplane.

I just flew back from Vancouver on Friday and I’m packing for a trip to London on Wednesday.

As I was walking through the Vancouver airport, I couldn’t help but think and worry about the coronavirus that seems to be spreading; especially since Vancouver has so many Chinese and Canadians flying in between both countries.

I’m always worried about getting the flu while traveling, and realistically, the flu will affect more flyers than the coronavirus will; but it still seems a bit scary.

My mom, who never really worries about me traveling; told me yesterday that I should get a mask to wear on the plane. And then this morning, my friend Shary posted a video on how to protect yourself while flying.

So I am sharing a few tips from that video and a few others that I regularly practice.

Pre-flight

– Vitamine Boost: I load up on vitamines leading up to any important trip. Traveling is exhausting and you’re more likely to get sick if you’re run down and tired; so I try to be proactive.

– Hydrate: I try to drink as much water as possible, not just when flying; I do feel it just helps your overall health. If you aren’t a regular heavy water drinker; I suggest you try to drink a more leading up to your flight.

In- Flight Tips

Tip # 1 – Disinfect! Disinfect! Disinfect!!

I’ve always known that the inside of an airplane is basically a giant petri dish. I used to try not to dwell on it, but I’ve just added disinfectant wipes to my travel bag. Moving forward, before sitting my butt down in my seat, I’ll be wiping down all surfaces; from my seat and headrest to my seatbelt buckle and window.

Tip # 2 – Rubber Glove It!

I think there is a fine line between being careful and being paranoid. I can’t see myself wearing gloves the whole flight, but I am packing a few pairs of latex gloves that I’ll put on if I need to go to the restroom. I suggest wearing them if you need to go and then pop them in a plastic baggy; the same one that you will put your used wipes in after your wipe down.

I try my best to avoid having to go to the rest room on flights. I load up on water the day before my flight, but I don’t drink a lot on the actual flight.

Tip # 3 – Drinks? No thank you!

This is going to be a hard one for some of you, but I suggest not drinking anything from the stewardess or steward in flight. For sure say no to the water they serve, it’s from a huge tank. Guess who else, besides me, don’t drink that water? Most flight crews!! They bring their own bottled water.

I also suggest that you say no to anything served in one is those plastic cups. The air on planes is recycled, so don’t put your mouth on anything that is out in the open or that others are touching.

Ask for the can of pop and bring your own straw if you must? I bring my own water bottle that I sip during the flight.

Tip #4 – Have mask, will travel.

There were lots of travelers in Vancouver wearing masks in the airport and a few on my flight. I’ve never worn one before, but I just added a few to my travel bag. Coronavirus or not, there is nothing worse than boarding a long flight and hearing that one passenger cough that horrible cough, you know that super gross wet cough.

I think if you’re the one coughing, you should be the one wearing the mask; I wish the airline would hand them out to anyone who looks sick, mmmm what a great idea!

I will be putting a mask on if I get stuck sitting near anyone who looks or sounds sick; better safe than sorry.

Tip #5 – DO NOT USE RESTROOMS AIR DRYERS!!!

This tip is not just when you travel or fly, this needs to be a new lifestyle rule! And here’s why; a few years ago I was visiting casinos with my coworker, I’ll call her Mary, because that’s her name, lol. Anyway Mary and I were on the road in Vancouver actually, going from casino to casino, drinking lots of water and coffee along the way.

I’m pretty sure we visited a dozen casino restrooms (bathrooms for my US readers) that week and each one had those had air dryers.

The night before we left YVR, Mary said her throat was starting to tickle; and by the next morning she was full on sick with a fever.

We were on different flights; I kept checking in on her to see how she was doing. I felt so bad for her, traveling when you feel like shit is the worst!

I felt fine until that evening when I got home. Like Mary, my throat started to tickle and by the time I was ready for bed, I had a high fever.

Long story short, we were both sick with some funky antibiotic resistant strain of, I am not sure what? We both had several trips to the clinic and both of us needed several different types of meds before we got better.

I’ve never been that sick in my life; and in case you’re wondering, yes I do get my flu shot every year.

While I was bed bound, I saw this report on how restroom air dryers are the perfect distributors for bacterias and germs. I will spare you the gory details, but I am convinced that’s how Mary and I got sick. And I’ve not use one of those air dryers since and I never ever willI again! I suggest you do the same.

Wish me luck on my next trip, I am going to do my best to stay healthy! Fly safe to all the snowbirds getting ready to head south.

It’s also a great to update your suitcase emergency stash every once in awhile. I’ve just bought new supplies for mine.

AF9D281B-2B1B-4C72-8F60-83CBC2086ABE — Since I travel a lot, I have things that I don’t unpack. In addition to my emergency pack, I also have a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, a razor and a lint brush that stay in my suitcase. It makes packing a lot quicker!

Oh and I have some cool, super cute, oui-liette travel stuff coming up shortly!!

Thanks for reading, be well!! Like, share or leave a comment!

muah!

Liette

Facebook: @oui-liette

Flying High – What to Carry in Your Carry On Bag.

capture — I picked this as my main image because I think it gives off a cool Flight Attendant vibe. lol

Since I fly the “friendly” skies…a lot; I thought I would share some of the things I have discovered over the years that make flying a bit more enjoyable. I am also friends with a lot of frequent flyers and have added some of their helpful hints in this post too.

Full disclosure, I usually check my suitcase because I hate lugging too many things around. And my #1 traveling pet peeve are those people who try to shove their too big carry on suitcases in the overhead compartment….you know who you are!! But I did recently go to Paris for a week with just a carry on. I will share my carry on suitcase packing tips in a future post.

Here’s what I pack in my bag.

The Bag

I have spent a small fortune so far in search of the perfect carry on bag. Some come close, but none are perfect; I feel that I could probably design the perfect carry on bag at this point.

The most important thing I look for are enough pockets and dividers…oh and it needs to have a zipper! You don’t want to lose your stuff under the seat in front of you, trust me.

This is my latest bag, it’s stylish and pretty functional. One thing that is missing is a slit on the back that you can slide over the handle of your suitcase. I have found bags with such a slit, but they didn’t have all the compartments and zippers I like. So it’s not perfect, but it comes pretty close…for now.

Oh fun fact, I bought a super duper expensive red designer leather tote bag that I thought would be so chic for flying; it turned out to be the worst!! This red canvas bag above was $49; so the cost of the bag doesn’t always reflect its level of functionality.

My secret weapon

It’s super important that your bag is organized. Unless you fly first class, you will find that there is zero room for error in the limited leg room space available to you. My secret to keeping my bag organized is Ziploc bags!!

I use the bigger freezer bags and sandwich sized bags; you can buy fancy bags, but really why would you? Lol

Baby It’s Cold On Board!

I dress in layers, because I guarantee that you will be hot and then cold at some point during your flight.

I keep a pair of fuzzy socks and a wrap in my bag.

990f8bf6-33eb-42a6-bce4-cf7b06d88a61 — Added a cute sleep mask for red eye flights.

Here is a helpful hint; don’t wear flip flops on a plane, even in the summer! Your feet will freeze once you get in the air, especially if you have the window seat. Having cold feet is the worst, that’s why I keep a pair of comfy socks in my bag.

For really long flights, I take my shoes off and put my extra pair of socks on. The floors in airplanes are filthy BTW, so if you do put your socks on during the flight. Zip them back up in your baggie and wash them when you get home.

And if you go to the washroom, put your shoes back on!! One of my flight attendant friends shared, that if the floor is wet it isn’t water!!!!

Here is another helpful hint from another flight attendant friend; if you would wear an outfit to a club, then it’s not a good flying outfit!! I now live in Las Vegas and I see so many people boarding flights to Vegas in shorts and tank tops. It gets cold at 42,000 feet in the air, put some clothes on!!

I always, always travel with a stylish wrap that I use as a blanket. And guess what, if you get cold in your short shorts, I’m not sharing my blanket!! Sorry…not sorry.

c92408a5-572b-44b7-96a7-311e254f61b9 — These all fit in a freezer size bag.

Let me entertain you!

Don’t count on the airlines to keep you entertained, I have been on flights where the entertainment systems are down. Here are my go to items:

iPad or tablet and make certain to download your new fav Netflix shows or e-books
charger, for long flights you may need to juice up your phone or tablet. Some flights don’t have charging plugs on board…Air Canada Rouge I am talking to you; so I bring my own charger (not to self, make sure your charger is charged!)
headphones, I keep a pair in my bag at all times. I once spent $38 at the airport for ear buds because I forgot mine.
Book or magazine, sometimes it’s good to kick it old school. You never know if you are going to be delayed or stuck on the runway for hours. Having a low tech options is a smart idea.

627550c0-379f-4520-a69c-9bbe720b63d5 — I upgraded from my plastic bag to this mess bag for my charger and cords.

In case of emergencies

My emergency stash is kept in a surprise, surprise, plastic baggie, lol. Having things in clear bags helps when you need to find something.

You really don’t want to have to buy stuff at the airport, it’s so expensive. Customize your items accordingly. I keep my emergency baggie in my travel bag at all times, I don’t unpack it; just remember to re-stock after each trip if needed.

c4f3c039-4e17-4480-ad5b-b1ff96108a34 — It’s amazing what you can fit into a sandwich size bag. Take your pills out of the boxes, you will be able to fit more stuff.

band aids: I keep a variety of different sizes
lady things: tampons & pads
hand wipes
pills, pills, pills: Ibuprofen, something for cold and flu, a decongestant, Imodium and Benadryl are part of my stash.

Don’t get me hangry!

I always bring my own snacks, not that those buttery mini pretzels aren’t amazing! lol. Here is what I normally carry:

Water, I buy a bottle once through security. I don’t drink the water on the plane if I can help it. On bigger planes the water comes from a big holding tank. I actually don’t drink anything once on board except for my bottled water.
Something sweet and something salty is a must.
My new thing is brie, grapes and crackers, so yummy.

You’re So Vain

My vanity in a baggie includes a lip gloss, lipstick, hand cream and pressed powder. Keep in mind that the air on airplanes is very dry, so lotion up! Pack these in an easy access pocket so you can whip them out quickly when you go through security. Anything in a liquid form needs to fit in a small see through bag and be taken out of your carry on when you go through security…still.

ac3b8bdf-5313-47a8-96f9-5e2c47bb9747 — Added floss, nail files and hair ties just in case.

Your Papers

I saved the most important for last. Don’t forget your Passport/ID! You won’t get far without them. You need a cute holder that can hold your passport and your travel loyalty cards. Keep your passport holder in it’s very own special zipper pocket!!

I make certain to zip them back up as soon as I am done flashing them. You don’t want them free balling around in your bag. And trust me, there is nothing that will make you freak out faster than not being able to find your passport in your bag.

1970f218-4cb1-4426-9454-f587e3b6bf12 — Having things bagged and not roaming lose in your bag will help keep you on schedule!!

My #1 Fav Thing!

This is my #1 favorite find that I don’t leave home without; it’s a 10’ charger cord. Why? Because when your phone is charging at night and you are in bed and want to be on your phone surfing, you can, even if the plug is like 8′ away! Hey small things make me happy, what can I say? Oh and it’s rose gold; functional and pretty.

Next!

I am working on a funny post called Airport Chic or Airport Shock; I will have pictures of cute airport outfits and not so cute get ups. Stay tuned for that one.

Thanks!

Thanks for reading all the way to the end. Is there anything that you always travel with that I didn’t mention? Do you have any personal pet traveling peeves? Please share!

Bon voyage! Muah!

Liette

Tag: flying

How to not get sick on a germ infested airplane.

Flying High – What to Carry in Your Carry On.