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How to carry on

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

It has been so long since we traveled that I’ve forgotten how! That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but I’ve had so many “oh yeah” moments reading LaPed’s thread about HABA when traveling that I realize I could use a refresher.

When my son and I travel at the end of the month, we will have two connections each way—a short hop, the 6-8 hr flight across the ocean, and another short hop. On our outbound leg, one layover will be several hours (at Schipol, so I assume we can’t shop without going through security again). Altogether, we’ll be en route 16-20 hours each way. This is what we are planning to take:

Covid attestation form to enter the country

Negative Covid test results

Passports/visas

Hand sanitizer/disinfectant

Refillable water bottles

Phones (with reading material)

Battery packs & charging cables

Headphones/earbuds

Snacks

Allergy meds

Ibuprophin

Scarf/blanket

Lotion

Lipstick/balm

Comb/hair pick

Hair ties

Tissues

Bar Dr Bronners or glycerin soap

Chewing gum

Toothbrush/paste

clean undies & shirt, in case we get stranded.
I’m also thinking of taking a sheet mask to use on the long flight. What types have you used & would recommend using (or avoiding)?

What do you take on your flights? Do you see anything we are missing?

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34 replies

Latest reply was from cat2

RobinF

Veteran

You seem pretty prepared to me. Make sure you are wearing super comfortable clothes too, it's a long time sitting. I also enjoy audio books for flights. Sometimes I just need something that I can close my eyes and listen to.

cat2

Veteran

If your airline requires an app to sign into movies, download it on both your phones and set it up in advance. If you have a backup battery, I would also bring that. In-seat chargers can be wonky.

On electronics, if you have not flown in a while, read the instructions on what can and cannot be packed in checked baggage.

I find sheet masks really messy, and can’t imagine doing one in flight. I would bring really heavy moisturizer instead, and a really heavy hand cream.

Helena

Veteran

Not carry-on per se, but for overseas flights I usually wear a big scarf, which can double as an extra pillow or blanket as needed. And a sleep mask!

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Thanks Robin! For the flight there, I’m waffling between the tunic I’ve decided not to keep (then I’d give it to my sister) and my pinny/jumper. Either way, I’m wearing leggings, because I’m likely to stretch out and sleep on long flights. Audiobooks are a good idea.

Cat2, I never considered electronics being prohibited from checked bags—yikes! Thanks for the heads-up. Backup batteries are on the list. On the sheet masks—If I get someone’s very specific explanation of how they make it work on a plane, then I’ll do a test run at home. Iow, I’m dubious, but curious too. What kind of heavy cream can you put on your face that doesn’t feel smothering?

Thanks, Helena. I’m thinking of the pink paisley scarf in pic3. It’s not a perfect pattern mix, but I’m not sure I care—we will go straight to a hotel, then see family a few days later. I offered to let my son use this sarong to nap on the plane, but he’d rather take his favorite throw blanket from home (he’s lost that baby face in the 2.5 years since the blanket was new—sob!). As long as it fits in his backpack & he carries it, that’s fine with me.

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rachylou

Veteran

I used to have a little foldable footrest because I like to elevate my feet. I wish they had covid facemasks when I was flying weekly - people would kill me with their perfume. I also always carried pen and paper, an Emery board (that’s a big one - they had matchbooks of them - I always had some snagged nail emergency), bandaids, safety pins, and inflatable neck pillow with flat back. I’m with your son on a warm blanket (scarf never cut it for me)(also better protection from perfume).

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Rachylou, what a refreshing perspective on the face masks! I elevate my feet by sitting on them, strange but true. Your little emergency kit is smart—thanks.

ETA: German bandaids are weak—we are bringing back boxes from the USA

kkards

Veteran

Masks, I don’t know what the policy is on overseas flights, but they are now required on flights in the US and I’d want extras/clean ones. To that point, I’d also bring a sealable bag for my used masks to keep them segregated from the rest of my stuff.
Socks, i like the fuzzy ones with grippies on the bottoms, that way i can feel comfortable when i stand up and my feet stay warm. I put them on after take off and pull them off as we are start landing

unfrumped

Veteran

Since you can only carry on small amounts of hand sanitizer ( though if there’s room in your 3- in-1 bag, can have more than one container), you might also want to carry some alcohol hand wipes, which I assume don’t count as liquids. ( More experienced recent travelers , please correct me if I’m wrong. ) Though between the 2 of you, you may have enough, and now that hand sanitizer shortage seems over( in U.S. anyway) you could probably buy travel size in airport , though at their prices.

I would normally say you can do a lot of regular soap and water handwashing, but I have found myself speeding out of public restrooms due to prevalence of unmasked ladies at the sink, doing their hair, makeup, whatever, and so I was relying on hand sanitizer more than I expected.
I would freeze on airplane in a dress and leggings ( unless some kind of major thermal type), but I run cold.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

List looks good.

Sanitizing wipes. Very important to wipe everything down around you on the plane.

Masks. And plenty of them in case you can't do laundry and don't wear disposable.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

There is a shortage of hand sanitizer? I hadn’t heard that. I’m already taking a stash of KN95/FFP2 masks & filters for my family, because it’s apparently hard to find anything beyond basic pleated surgical masks. My sister (the one who tested positive) says that she has seen KN95 masks for sale once in the state where my family lives—they wear theirs selectively, and simple fabric ones the rest of the time. There are several styles of KN95s widely available here, so I’m taking them for everybody. I am planning for my son and I to each have our own little bottle of hand sanitizer in our carryons. It sounds like I should stick a full-sized bottle in our checked luggage as well.

Kkards, my mom is going to bring me these grippy socks Angie recommended from Free People, but maybe I should stick a pair of hospital socks in my bag for the way over. https://www.freepeople.com/sho.....rc8_BgvzKg

Unfrumped, thanks for your comment about public restroom behavior. It’s familiar, but I hadn’t thought of it at all. I’m taking a cardi with me, should move it from the checked bag to the carryon.

Angie, you’re probably right about wiping everything down. Ugh. Thank you for pointing it out.

rachylou

Veteran

Oh that’s a good point, Angie, about wiping down your whole seat area(!)

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

RL, if nothing else, it will give us something to do!

rachylou

Veteran

Lol. I have a shared desk at work and do that, but I don’t know if I’d have remembered for a plane. Hit all the touch points! Remember the window shade and overhead light!

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

On second thought, I chose these flights because of their Covid safety procedures. These sites were helpful in choosing our flights.
https://skytraxratings.com/airlines?covid=4,5
The only criteria on these ratings our route doesn’t meet is giving passengers disinfectant kits. The big ones like fogging the plane between flights and safe boarding procedures are all met, and some seats are blocked off. https://www.airlineratings.com/safety-rating-tool/ So maybe we can relax a bit on wiping things down. We will pull down the trays and do other spots the fog might not hit, but will also expect that people are following these procedures.

unfrumped

Veteran

Fashiontern, I meant that we had a shortage for awhile last summer-coukd not reliably find any new stock for some weeks. And no stocks of medical external use alcohol ( isopropyl etc) , because people emptied the shelves to make their own sanitizer.
But now, there’s plenty everywhere.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Unfrumped, thanks for the clarification.
To think I used to roll my eyes at all the playground mommies with their little bottles of hand sanitizer!

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

I'm not sure what the mask policy is on international flights, but if you'll be wearing masks the entire flight, that would make using a sheet mask difficult-impossible.

Echoing the call for having extra face masks at hand so you can change several times during the journey. Nothing more uncomfortable than a damp, sweaty mask.

Minaminu

Veteran

I would also take a pashmina that could double as a blanket or neck rest.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Lol, Jenn—slapping my forehead here! You are obviously right that the sheet mask + face mask duo wouldn’t work. Duh. Thank you for pointing that out. And yes, we’ll change masks if the first ones get damp.

Minaminu I see you’re on my son’s side, with RachyLou about the blankie. Thanks for commenting

RainB

I would also carry a sanitizing spray for the toilet seat, handles at the restrooms etc. Everything just feels much more ugh nowadays! I have one in my purse all the time now. I'm not sure what the latest country wise rules are but until recently for flights to and fro from and within India, people sitting in the middle seat were requited to wear a full ppe suit provided by the airline. Might be worth finding out about. I can't wait to travel again!

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Thanks RainB! I was just thinking that a lot of people probably take masks off in the bathroom, so best not to do that. (Then again, sometimes the bathroom is where you reach for a gas mask, lol). I know flights in India were shut down hard—had a friend in the US who worked very long before she could finally get her parents to come from India to stay with her. The airlines we’ll be on aren’t seating people next to each other. Hope you are doing well—haven’t seen you in a while

Anonymous

Keep those water bottles filled and keep hydrated. I would not travel by plane without a set of EarPlanes, like ear plugs but really help to equalize air pressure in your ears. Saves lots of ear aches. Wear something with good pockets. Have some German and some US money so you do not have to depend on money changers at the airport.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

What is this “money” you speak of?
Covid has turned even the Germans to users of plastic!
I’ll look into those earplugs—we both have allergies, so constantly plugged noses, so takeoffs and landings get bad.

JAileen

Veteran

I read something about the cleanliness (or lack) of water on airplanes. Be sure to fill your bottles at the airport. I would be inclined to buy additional bottled water at the airport, or bring extra empty bottles to fill at the airport. We had a long flight from LA to Istanbul and I drank a lot of water. In fact, the flight attendant stopped filling up my bottle.

Noise cancelling headphones, not regular ones. I still can’t believe how much of a difference they make.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

JAileen, I just learned that noise-cancelling headphones are a lot more than just really tight, noise-blocking earbuds last fall, when my son requested some for Christmas. Such a difference!
Water bottles are on the list, and I hope we can refill them in airports—Germany has ridiculously few drinking fountains!

cat2

Veteran

I think I may have finally deciphered the face mask comment. There are products called Overnight Masks that are extra calming and moisturizing. Check out the Kiehl’s Hibiscus one. I think someone likely suggested using something like that, not a sheet mask!

shiny

Veteran

It's been a year since my last flight!

Your list looks good. I see you have "snacks"-- I always carry a supply of Power Bars in my travel bag, ever since the time years ago we got stuck on the runway for 9 hours trying to get out of Boston to fly to Miami during a snowstorm. They are my emergency food supply!

Also Bill and I always travel with hospital socks, the kind that have little grippies. We saved them over the years from hospital stays. We take off our shoes and slip these on over our socks. And yes then wear them around the plane including into the bathroom. So they are like our plane shoes -- as our feet swell a lot on flights. They are machine washable and all that, but if they get super gross (like on the flight when the kid threw up all over the aisle) we don't think twice about discarding them.

I agree with Rachy about the masks and smells. Pre-COVID, I always liked having a scarf I could wrap numerous times around my mouth and nose when things smelled or people near me were sick, or even when I was sick and didn't want to expel my cough germs all over everyone.

I like using my iPad to read/watch movies but it also helps to have a real book to read, in the event the internet's not working.

If it's a long haul flight, ear buds will bother my ears after awhile, so I take my Sleep Phones instead, they're good to keep the hair off your face too. That said, I think if I resume the business travel again I'm going to invest in proper noise-cancelling headphones. With this past year I've gotten used to the quiet!

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Shiny, good to see you! Thanks for chiming in with all your travel experience. I have a couple pairs of those hospital socks, will have to dig them out. Your Powerbar story reminds me of the time I got stuck on the tarmac flying home after Christmas with the fam. Wound up giving nearly all my cookies to the kids behind me. My poor mom didn’t know what to say—that’s not who she made them for, lol.

Cat2, you’re doing more research into this than I am! Thanks. That looks good and it’s available at a chain here. One of the reviews I read said it works like the “blur” tool on photo editing software. That’s what my face needs!

nemosmom

Veteran

Your list looks good. Only thing I might add for that long of a flight is compression stockings. Safe travels!

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