4 Travel habits to fly in comfort

Flying used to be a rare thing for me. I loved sitting in the window seat, watching with awe during takeoffs and landings. Fast forward a bit and I’m now flying at least 6 domestic trips a year for work, plus any personal travel. While I’m nowhere near being a true frequent flyer, I’ve figured out enough of a routine and preferences to make the most of my plane trips in comfort.

Virgin Australia Business ClassTravel habits I stick to

Dress comfortably, dress warm
If you’ve heard of deep vein thrombosis, then you already know all that sitting and cabin pressurisation isn’t great on the legs. Loose clothing is a must for me when travelling. My preference is for skirts or dresses (usually cotton/jersey), a casual jacket and/or shawl for warmth, finished with sandals or flats.

Pack light: under-seat bag only
The Longchamp Le Pilage tote is my must-bring for travel. I’ll pack everything into my check-in bag and only bring the absolute necessities on board. I’ve managed to narrow it down to:
✔ Wallet and phone
✔ ID/passport and boarding documents
✔ Bottled water (domestic flights) or an empty bottle to fill up (for international flights)
✔ Snacks (ie. muesli bar, nuts and dried fruit, biscuits, etc)
✔ Phone charger with a 2m cord and a power bank (for longer flights)
✔ Pen and small notepad
✔ Toiletries + spare underwear (you never know!)
✔ No-rinse mask or a heavy moisturiser for longer flights
✔ Book or magazine for reading (save the phone batteries!). At a pinch (or for very short haul), just browse through the in-flight magazine or catch some zzz’s

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Front of plane, aisle seat. Always.
Unless you’re flying business or first class, economy (cattle class) tends to be restrictive and uncomfortable. I like to easily get out of my chair to go to the bathroom, grab things from overhead compartments, or just be one of the first off the plane. The only downside is having to get out of my seat for others in the aisle, but that’s not a dealbreaker. Plus, if I’m lucky, the middle seat is left vacant because no one likes to squish between two strangers.

Remember to use online check-in to grab a good seat early (or request for a move at the airport counter). I fly Virgin Airlines the most and they tend to board forward rows (business class and rows 1-15) first. You also don’t need to go down stairs or walk the tarmac, and almost guaranteed to get overhead bin space for hand luggage (or bring a large tote as mentioned above and skip it altogether).

Final call…
Lastly, I always go to the bathroom just before boarding. Plane toilets are not only small, there’s usually a long wait time, plus the hassle of getting in and out of the seat to navigate down a narrow aisle.

Do you have the same travel habits?
What are your flying routines?
Comment below to let me know!

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