The Do’s And Don’ts For Your Next Flight

No matter where you’re flying out of, there’s bound to be some stress to travel. Even if you’re flying on a private G6 jet, there’s going to be a little bit of inconvenience. How much more for us who fly commercial? When it comes to the whole experience, there is admittedly a good amount of details one has to think of in order to do it correctly. And even then, some things fall through the cracks. But there are ways around the usual blunders of travel. Most of it has to do with being prepared and conscious of your surroundings. But some have to do with a miscommunication between different cultures. Whatever the case, there’s always a way around some common faux pas.

Here’s a list of the do’s and don’ts for your next flight.

Do

—double check your bag before leaving. Yes, you may think you're the best packer in the world. You’ve seen all the Pinterest pictures and have made absolutely sure that you have formed the most aesthetic and social media worthy pack job on your side of the world. In fact, you probably took pictures of it. But none of that is worth anything if you leave your passport. You can stick with the bags that you’ve got, sure. Most people use the same backpack they use for hiking or for work that they use for travel. Often, they consist of a hollow pouch or two and not much else. But if you check out backpacks for your next flight, you will be pleasantly surprised with the travel-specific features. There’s a place for your passport. There’s a place for your gadgets. There’s even more room for your shoes.

Don’t

—stuff everything into a single compartment. If you’re not using a travel bag made specifically for that purpose, you’re most likely forced to just stuff things into the main compartment. Yes, it may be aesthetic now, but after a few tosses in the luggage compartment, your perfect pack job will be just another jumble of unorganized stuff.

Do

—read the airport and airline guidelines before going to the airport. It’s important to know what you can and cannot bring right from the jump. It’s the responsibility of the person traveling to know exactly what they’re getting into. There’s the obvious, like guns and knives, but there are some other ones that are not so clear. Nail cutters are banned in most places. You’re not supposed to carry more than $10,000 in cash. And, of course, keep your liquids in small containers compliant with that of the international aviation law and limit it to one liter.

Don’t

—be the kind of person that would hold up the line if you bring something on that you didn’t expect to be a prohibited item, that’s your own fault. Sure, your mother’s famous soup is in an airtight thermos. Sure, your water is actually from an ancient lake and contains rare minerals. It doesn’t matter. Nobody else in the line waiting to get past customs are privy to the origins of your prohibited item. They do not care.

Don’t

—be the kind of person that would hold up the line, arguing with people who have no say in letting you through with an item that you should have known better than to bring.

Do

—be a person that sits calmly and stays polite throughout the entire trip. If you’re sitting in between two people, you can go ahead and ask which arm rest to use. It’s a bit of common courtesy that you can extend to someone else and, at the same time, cuts through that awkward silent stiffness we often have when sitting next to strangers. Just be friendly and extend any concern regarding space in a calm manner. It’s only a few hours after all. You'll most likely either be asleep or listening to a podcast the whole time.

Don’t

—be the kind of person who can’t stop talking. Flights may be a great way to meet someone. And a friendly chat could lead to some pretty interesting situations. But not knowing how to be quiet when you’ve gotten hints is incredibly annoying. A lot of people on flights want to relax and stay quiet, especially after the rush in customs. They finally made it on the plane and it’s their time to not think about anything. Busting that bubble with chatter may not be the best move at that time.

There are more do’s and don’t than can fit on this list. But the above may be the most concise and to-the-point compilation on the internet. It addresses the main concerns of flying: be ready, don’t forget your passport, and be a decent person. If you’ve got those down, your next flight will be as easy as can be.

This is a contribution from one of our contributing writers.