How to Fly in Comfort

Many people have a fear of flying. For me, the fear of being 30,000 feet up in the air, defying gravity and putting all of my trust in an occupation reputed to have problems with sobriety is a bit unsettling. But, even more, my hesitation to board a plane comes from an intense fear that I will be sitting in a window seat, with the two people between me and the aisle sleeping soundly, and I will have an uncontrollable urge to pee. In sum, I fear my flight will be uncomfortable.\r

\r Flying, as a way to travel, isn\'t necessarily the most comfortable, but it\'s the fastest. It\'s like ripping the band-aid quickly off, taking a few hairs in the process, instead of removing the adhesive a small portion at a time. Though sitting on a plane for hours at a time with a hundred and fifty strangers (and perhaps some screaming babies) isn\'t the epitome of comfort, there are a few things that can be done to make your flight more comfortable.\r

\r Fly First Class: Obviously, this is the quickest way to gain flying comfort. I\'ve never been lucky - or rich -enough to fly first class but I\'ve heard of the things it involves. Some amenities include more leg room, warm rags to wash your hands and face, champagne, edible (yes, edible) airline food, personal TV sets, and fully reclining seats. I imagine they also feed you grapes and fan you with giant leaves.\r

\r Wear Comfortable Clothes: Unless it\'s required for business, leave the suit and tie and the evening gown in your suitcase, or at home. Instead, wear clothes that are easy to relax in - sweats, jeans, and anything that contains elastic. I typically dress to fly like I dress for bed, minus the head gear. \r

\r Bring Something to Pass the Time: The concept of an in-flight movie is a great idea. But, prepare for the flight with the notion that the movie being aired may be one you dislike, or do not care to see, and bring something else to keep you entertained. The simplest thing to do is to bring a book: nothing makes the time \"fly\" faster than being engrossed in a novel. In fact, for those who fly frequently, many airports have a book exchange program where you can buy a book from an airport gift shop and, upon completing it, exchange it for a new novel at a reduced price.\r

\r Chew Gum and Take Motion Sickness Pills: The only thing worse than being in pain or being nauseous is being in pain or being nauseous at 30,000 feet. Either of these can make any semblance of comfort rapidly descend. If you are prone to ear popping with altitude changes, chew gum for the duration of the flight. If you are prone to motion sickness, don\'t board a plane without taking a motion sickness pill; they don\'t put barf bags in plane seat pockets for nothing.\r

\r Stay Hydrated But Don\'t Drink Too Many Fluids: No one wants to spend the duration of a flight in the airplane\'s bathroom. The bathrooms are always uncomfortable; they are small enough to make anyone claustrophobic and there is never an attendant offering you a paper towel or a mint. Plus, unless you are sitting on the aisle, you will have to crawl over people in order to get to the lavatory. This inconveniences passengers, leaving people to stare at you like you have the bladder of an ant.\r

\r Sit in the Emergency Row: When you check-in, most airlines will give you a choice of any available seating. The Emergency Row is often the most comfortable row on the plane, with a noticeable amount of extra leg room. But keep in mind if sitting in this row, in the event of an emergency, you will be expected to get up out of your comfortable seat, and help with the evacuation. \r

\r Jet Lag: The Discomfort Continues\r

\r As if the flight wasn\'t uncomfortable enough, the madness continues in the form of jet lag. Jet lag is marked when a traveler flies to a new time zone, with their internal clock set on the original time zone. Frequent fliers with frequent jet lag try everything to cope. Some take sleeping pills, some take melatonin, some buy homeopathic jet lag formulas, but according to research, some of the best ways to avoid jet lag may be the ones that make the most common sense. While on the plane, try the following tasks:\r
\r Drink water or juice but stay away from coffee and alcohol (don\'t let the pressure (cabin or peer) get to you)\r
\r Don\'t skip up and down the aisles, but get up from time to time and stretch your legs\r
\r Prepare for the time change a few days ahead, this will make the change more gradual, by going to bed earlier or staying up later\r
\r Relax on the flight and sleep if you can\r

\r Once your trip is over and you are back at home, eating right, exercising, and sleeping on a comfortable mattress will all play a roll in ridding yourself of jet lag and reaching a comfortable destination.

Jennifer Jordan is a senior editor for http://www.foamsource.com. When she isn\'t sleeping on a FoamSource mattress, she concentrates on living as comfortably as possible.

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