BC Cook
LAST week we discussed some travel tips to help you prepare for your flight and get you set up at the gate. Let’s continue with some tips that get you on your way.
Don’t use all of your phone battery at the airport. It is tempting because there often is nothing else to do when waiting to board, but you want to save as much battery life on your electronic devices for the flight itself. Locate a charging station or outlet in the airport and top everything off.
Never connect to airport wifi. Criminals infest airports like cockroaches because it is a target-rich environment. If you access the wifi provided by the airport, thieves can hack into your devices and steal passwords, account numbers, read your email, and worse. 60 Minutes did a piece where a data thief showed how easy it was for them. In a few seconds, the man had everyone in the terminal pulled up on his computer and effortlessly jumped from emails to bank accounts. Don’t make yourself an easy target. If you must use the internet at the airport, use your own VPN, but better to stay off it entirely.
Use the bathroom before boarding the plane. Do not count on using the restroom on the plane once you are airborne. Turbulence may keep you confined to your seat, other passengers may have had the same idea you had, or you may have an inside seat and getting to the isle is harder than anticipated. Use the facilities in the airport before you board whether you feel like it or not, and please empty your body of as much gas as you can beforehand. Every passenger on the plane will thank you.
Once on the plane, locate the plug-ins quickly. Wide body planes, such as are common over the Pacific, often provide power outlets. Locate them before everyone takes their seat. You don’t want to be feeling around the legs of a stranger who is asleep and bundled up.
If not needed, unplug from outlet so others can use it. Use it if you need it but don’t get greedy. Many planes provide one outlet for every two seats, so others may be waiting to charge their devices too. Get in and get out is the rule for outlets. I often bring a splitter that allows for multiple devices to charge at the same time and plug it in before takeoff. Problem solved.
Keep toiletries and a change of clothes on you. Make sure that your carry-on bag contains at least one full change of clothes, your prescription meds, and toiletries. That way you can make do if the rest of your luggage is misplaced. Many times I have enjoyed a fresh shirt or brushing teeth on very long flights.
Dr. BC Cook taught history for thirty years and is a director and Pacific historian at Sealark Exploration (sealarkexploration.org). He currently lives in Hawaii.
