I’ve been flying for a while now and feel that I have my routine down! Flying can be so tough on your body and needs a little extra looking after than if you were on terra firma. So I’ve decided to put together top tips to help any cabin crew or travellers for that matter who are struggling with flying.

1) WATER, WATER, WATER!!

I can’t stress enough how important it is to drink water on a flight, and I don’t just mean a bottle from the shop you bought before! The first thing I do when I get on the plane is write my name on a 1.5L bottle and have a drink before I do my security checks. Flying is so drying and it dehydrates you enough that it can exagerate jetlag and trust me you don’t want that!

If you find water boring, add some juice to it to give it a flavour. I’ve seen crew add teabags such as peppermint, lemongrass and camomile just to add some flavour, personally I like to add some orange squash to it which especially on night flights encourages me to drink the whole bottle and more. As crew we do a lot of drinks service on flights including a juice and water service so even if you don’t feel thirsty take a drink because you will need it!

2) Skincare

Ever notice in the winter when you go from cold air to warm houses that your skin feels dry etc? Well being on a plane again is much worse. Looking after my skin is so important to me and I always carry a hydrating spray that I can spritz on my face throughout the flight (especially after I’ve been in the bunks as it helps me wake up too). My go to spray has to be the Body Shop Vitamin E, I can instantly feel a difference as soon as I’ve sprayed it on my face and it leaves me feeling refreshed. You can find it here  go check it out! (also you can find more about my skin care in another blog post My flying skincare ) .

3) Sleep!

A cabin crew’s favourite thing to do. We can be on our feet for most of the day with a few hours in the crew rest area if we’re lucky! So I try to get a good night’s sleep before a flight (granted this doesn’t always happen as yes my brain is alive sometimes at night!). As soon as I land at our destination and get to the hotel depending on what time it is I try to get straight out if I sit on the bed that’s it I’m stuck!! Everyone is different when it comes to jetlag however I don’t seem to do too bad (my fiance is always shocked at how well I deal with it). I listen to my body and will try to stick to the time zone I’m on, however if I need sleep obviously that’s what I get.

4) Loneliness

Yes it happens, especially being long haul crew but when it does happen, grab it by both hands and shake it off, easier said than done sometimes I know. There are times when I actually enjoy being on my own and doing my own thing I’m more than happy to explore somewhere on my own and this job has definitely given me the confidence to do this because who wants to stay in hotel room for your entire trip. Plus there are so many ways to stay contacted with loved ones at home, 3 have a great feel at home contract where you can use your phone how you would at home including data (winning!!). If I am feeling lonely, I go out and take a walk and remember how lucky I am to be in the position I am, also don’t forget there will always be someone on your crew that is probably feeling the same so drop them a message see if you want to grab some food chances are they will (I know I do!).

5) Food

Yes you get a meal on your flight but let’s be honest airplane food is not the greatest (tasty but unhealthy) so on the flight out I always take food with me whether it’s homemade or an M&S ready meal I’ll take that to keep me from eating all the food on the plane. I also take snacks with me this includes fruit, cooked chicken, cereal bars and I’ll grab a yoghurt from the airport. I also grab food for the flight home as although it’s usually a night flight I have to keep my energy levels up so I’ll visit a supermarket to grab some food. On a night flight my favourite thing to eat is fruit, yoghurt and some cereal after I’ve had my break this way I also get back on UK time as my body knows it’s breakfast time.

Not going to lie sometimes there are days where I just want to eat everything going on the plane especially the desserts from Upper Class but you know I don’t beat myself up about it, obviously I don’t do it all the time so a treat is fine!

6) Hands and Lip care

Again this is sort of related to skincare and drinking water but hands and lips get so dry! Washing your hands all the time makes my hands ridiculously dry (sometimes they look like snakes!!) I try to look after my hands as this is what a lot of people see, whether it be just handing a drink or even when pointing out the exits. I like to use a hand cream that doesn’t feel too greasy so my choice again is The Body Shop, I can’t say I use the same one as the smells are just too good to not change it up. My current one is a christmassy one Frosted Plum, everytime I use this I get crew asking me what that is as it smells amazing. Another one I love though is the Almond Milk and Honey it’s pretty new but the smell is divine and it’s great for sensitive skin which I have. You can find both of these creams and more here

I suffer with really dry lips when I fly, partly because of the amount of lipstick I keep applying which dries them out so much and added with the dry air on a plane is definietly a no no! I’ve now tried so many lipbalms etc but I’ve finally found my favourite lip balm ever it has an SPF in it which is great for the summer months and have bought enough to have one in every bag and not have to panic that I don’t have one with me. My two go to lip balms are from The Body Shop (I swear I’m not affiliated with them but the products are so good with my skin that everything I now use is from there haha!) my first choice is the Vitamin E Lip Care it has an SPF 15 with it and is great for adding to my lipstick. My second choice is the Hemp Heavy Duty Lip Care I use this when my lips are particulary bad and need all the help they can get as it protects from the elements.

7) Keeping warm

On a plane especially at night I feel the cold so bad. This is mainly due to me being tired and it always makes you feel cold. The air con on a plane especially an A330 can be so cold so extra layers are a must. I like to take a small hot water bottle with me which I fill up for my rest or if I’m a passenger I’ll ask the crew to fill it up for me. My must have onboard is my blanket, it’s quite a large blanket and it’s so soft. I actually got it from Bath and Body works it’s a little reminder of home but also keeps me snuggled if it’s a bit chilly in crew rest. I will take this on long haul flights that I’m a passenger on as some blankets just don’t cut it for me.

8) Packing

I like to pack for my next trip pretty much on my first day off so it’s all done and I don’t have to worry about it. I’ll check the weather in the destination that I’m going so I can work out what I need, however I always pack an outfit for say warm weather if it’s going to be cold and vice versa. This is just incase I get changed to a different destination or the weather changes which I have known to happen, another thing when it comes to packing is pack extra! I couldn’t deal with the thought of packing for one night and I unexpectadly get stuck downroute and don’t have another pair of socks or spare underwear it’s better to have more than less. I’m very much an organised packer and like to put certain things into little bags ie a bag for cables and plugs, a laundry bag etc. It’s so much easier when it comes to looking for things you need!

9) Friends and Family!

This is a huge one for me as I love my family and friends. You can be away from them for a good few days and so staying in touch is a must but also on days off I’ll make the effort to meet up with friends and spend time with my family. With my other half working shifts too we can go weeks without seeing each other, this can be super hard work sometimes so any time we get together is so precious. Even if it’s just sitting infront of the tv etc it’s special and a good time to have a proper catch up rather than being on the phone or facetiming which although is nice it’s not the same.

10)

My last tip is to have a bag that you put all your essentials in ie passports, boarding passes, any currency you need. I like to have this in my bag at all times, I’ll always keep a few notes in my bag so if I need to buy anything straight away I know I’ve got something to pay with. In my bag I have not only my passport but also a card with emergency numbers should I need it. When I’m flying as a passenger I also like to take some comfy pjs which I’ll change into even if it’s not a night flight as there’s nothing worse than sitting there in smart clothes for 7+hours. Finally don’t forget a pair of socks, I use the same pair of socks when I fly (obviously washed) and put them on as soon as we have taken off, it means not only do my feet stay warm but if I want to take a walk around the cabin and only have sandals on I don’t have to worry about putting them back on all the time.

I hope you’ve found this post useful and enjoyed reading it. If you have any useful tips yourself leave them in a comments for others to see!

Thanks again for visiting my site!

Lindzze x