When I moved out from the East Coast to the Seattle area, nothing could have prepared me for the horrible long-haul domestic air travel. I fly back home twice per year: once for our annual family reunions and another time for Christmas, but this year, I also spent Thanksgiving there, too (yay, another 5-hour flight there and back). It was wonderful spending time with my family, but it’s also shocking how terrible domestic air travel is these days. Here are my best airplane hacks to make air travel suck a lot less.
My top airplane hacks for the frustrated flier
How to clear security quickly
Enrolling in TSA PreCheck or Global Entry is an easy way to get through security quickly. If you’re already in line at the checkpoint, prepare as much as possible as you get close to the front of the line. Take your shoes off, get your electronics out of your bag, and move everything along so that all you have to do is place things in buckets and walk through the detector.
How to score an airplane row all to yourself
Scoring an entire airplane row to yourself is like a blessing from above, particularly on a long-haul flight. But it’s always a game of chance, even on half-empty flights. Your best bet is to start by flying off-season and off-peak routes. If you’re working with a travel agent, they can direct you toward less-crowded alternative flights.
Beyond that, veteran travelers know that it’s all about last-minute timing. If you notice a row isn’t filled just before boarding is set to begin, swap your seat using your airline’s dedicated app or talk to the gate agent to secure the change. As a last resort, once every passenger is on board, you can usually move to any open seat within your same class of travel if you ask the flight attendant nicely. If you can hold out until the very end, you might also be able to score a dirt-cheap upgrade to business class or first class.
How to get a better airplane meal
Airline food has slightly — we stress slightly — improved since the last century, but unless you’re flying first class, it still leaves something to be desired. Your best alternative is to splurge on a proper meal just before your flight. This is, of course, the most expensive option, but the food will certainly be better than anything served mid-flight. Plus, you’ll be able to skip the meal service and start catching some z’s as soon as the boarding door closes.
The next best option is to upgrade your meal on the plane. Some airlines, especially international carriers like Air France, allow even economy passengers to upgrade their meals for a fee. We’ve found that these meals can be even better than, for example, standard business class eats.
If you’re flexible, opting for a vegetarian, vegan, or allergy-friendly meal means you’ll often be served first ahead of all other passengers. This also means you’re guaranteed to get the meal you want before they run out. Just remember you may need to request these at least 24 hours in advance.
Embrace the rear, near-bathroom seat
Conventional wisdom leads many folks to angle for a seat closer to the front of the plane. These seats disembark first, and they’re the first to see the drink cart. Plus, sitting here also means you’re more likely to score your first choice of meal. But flight attendants we’ve spoken with confirm they’re less likely to treat passengers in these seats with comps on the sly. The reason is that they don’t want other passengers to see such preferential treatment and demand the same.
Passengers seated in the rear are more likely to score little freebies like an extra bottle of wine or a few free bourbon nips. Just remember to thank the flight crew and not to make a show of it.
Aisle seat armrest tip
If it seems airplane seats are getting smaller and smaller … and smaller, it’s not your imagination. Particularly for taller or (ahem) portly gentlemen, seats can be downright impossible to get comfortable in. Thankfully, air travelers with an aisle seat can find a bit of reprieve via a “secret” button. To find it, place your hand on the underside of the outermost armrest and run your fingers to the backside near the hinge. There, you’ll find an obvious button that you probably never knew was there. Push it, and you’re free to position the armrest vertically, flush with your seatback. Voilà!
Much to the consternation of your fellow passengers, the entire aisle is now your own personal leg space. Positioning the armrest vertically also makes it easier to get in and out of your seat during bathroom breaks and upon touchdown.
Unwind with a drink before you board
Are you a nervous flier? You’ll be happy to know that the TSA allows air passengers to pack alcohol in their carry-on bags. Since they are liquids, the bottles must follow the 3-3-1 rule. However, there’s a caveat. Flight crews will require you to keep those bottles packed away once you’ve boarded the flight. This is because you’re not allowed to drink alcohol on the flight that’s not served by the attendants. That said, nothing is stopping you from popping the cork before you board.
If lugging your glug through TSA doesn’t sound appealing, you can also patron an airport bar for your favorite alcoholic beverage. Just be aware that drinking can increase your chances of jetlag.
Airplane hacks for beating jetlag
Stay hydrated
Ultimately, the time zone change is one of the worst aspects of taking a long-haul flight. I’ve lost a whole night’s sleep before traveling from Seattle to Boston and then taking the bus up to Maine. Some people suggest changing your clocks to your destination’s time zone a few days before the trip, but that might not be feasible if you’re a busy bee. I’ve never been able to force myself to sleep early, but the thing that has worked the most is to stay hydrated.
It might seem unappealing to constantly be sipping water, especially when you might have to risk asking your elbow buddy to move while you go to the bathroom. However, staying hydrated is crucial for your airplane cabin comfort. Dehydration can actually intensify the symptoms of jet lag, which include fatigue, headaches, and difficulty concentrating. Airplane cabins also have humidity levels of about 10% to 20%, which is a lot lower compared to the 40% to 60% of most environments.
Light exposure is key
According to Dr. Abhinav Singh from the Sleep Foundation, light exposure is key when adjusting your body’s circadian rhythm. If you arrive in the morning, get as much sunlight exposure as possible, exercise a bit, and do your best to stay awake until what you would consider to be an early bedtime in your new time zone. When it starts to get dark out, avoid light exposure by dimming the lights and take a dose of melatonin.
