Monday, 23 March 2009

• Things I Learned About Airports On My Way to Thailand

  

  Flying to Thailand was the first time I'd ever flown in my life and it took 30 hours of air travel not including layovers. This is a brief list of what I learned.

  1. Never put your ticket down anywhere. Not even in the bathroom. Hold it in your teeth if you must.

  2. Take your carry-on privledges seriously. Always include (solid) deoderant, drugs to make you sleepy, electronic chargers and batteries, music player, change of clothes or at least underwear, snacks, tampons, a deck of cards, hand sanitizer, pen and paper.

  3. Just because you're allowed to carry on a backpack AND a purse AND a pillow AND a coat doesn't mean you should. Carry as little in your hands as possible.

  4. Take an empty water bottle and fill it up after you pass through security.

  5. For all flights less than 6 hours, aisle seat > window seat (easy exit and bathroom access). For all flights more than 6 hours, aisle seat jeans. t-shirt. flip flops or sandals (so you can take them off easily). Bra with no underwire. No belts or snaps or zippers or anything metal. Strip searches DO exist!!

  6. Turbulance will not make you fall out of the sky.

  7. Don't be too proud to sleep on the floor or in unused massage chairs.

  8. When the nice men with AK-47s ask you for your passport, give it to them without question. (Singapore)

  9. Don't chew gum. take gummy snacks or something if you need them for your ears to pop.

  10. You can make your ears pop by yawning.

  11. When traveling with a group, try to hang out with the person you're sitting next to on the flight before you get on the plane so that you're already on good terms and there's not that awkward moment when you wake up to realize that you've been snoring on their shoulder for 4 hours.

  12. Don't try to dress up. Wear simple comfortable clothes. Sweat pants > jeans. t-shirt. flip flops or sandals (so you can take them off easily). Bra with no underwire. No belts or snaps or zippers or anything metal. Strip searches DO exist!!

  13. People who work in international airports, no matter what country, speak English. It may be limited, but they can help you get where you need to go. Don't worry about getting lost in Beijing or something. Besides, all the signs are so simple even AMERICANS can navigate the terminals.

  14. Don't buy things in airports ever if you can avoid it.

  15. Don't forget to save money for travelling fees.

  16. Answer all immigration questions how you think they want you to answer them. Don't over think it. If you freak out about the possibility of accidentally having come in contact with some form of livestock in the past 30 days, they will think you're a carrier of mad cow disease.

  17. Go before you get on the plane. The bathroom is not much bigger than the chair you're sitting in.

  18. Prepare to not see or speak to anyone except those sitting on either side of you until you land.

  19. Everyone smells funny. Figure you smell funny to them and go on with life.

  20. On flights over 6 hours, get up and move around. At least move your feet and bend the joints around as much as possible. If you don't, all the blood will pool in your lower extremities and you won't be able to wear tennis shoes for 3 days because your feet and ankles will be 3-4 times their normal size.

  What other tips can you share about airports?

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