Easy Travel Tips from Inflight Experts

Where no one catches a cold, gets hobbled by jet lag or is served inedible food. Note these flight attendants’ easy travel tips and prepare to fly the healthy skies.

- Jessica Migala

KIARA JENKINS

Turn off the TV

Rather than zombie-watching Friends reruns, do stuff you usually put off (cleaning out your email inbox, writing thank-you cards). Kiara makes her shopping list for the week and plans her social schedule, things she procrastinates doing at home.

Time your snacking right

“The pressure changes on flights make me nauseous and bloated if I eat close to takeoff or landing,” says Kiara. The sciencebacked reason: gas expands in your gut when you ascend, causing a puffed-out belly and potential pain. To sidestep sickness, eat mid-flight or nibble on crystallised ginger pieces.

Cut the carbs

Processed grains leave Kiara feeling sluggish, so her go-to picks are her airline’s fruit-andcheese platter and banh mi sandwich; with the latter, she ditches the white roll and eats the vegetables and chicken inside like a salad. Do this with any vegie-packed sandwich for energising protein and produce sans refined carbs.

Zen out for

Zs Kiara highly recommends full-body meditation to nab elusive in-flight sleep. Starting with your toes, visualise each part of your body (eg, feet, ankles) relaxing. “I’m usually zonked out by the time I reach my hips,” she says.

HEATHER SANCHEZ

Hydrate pre-boarding