You’ve booked your flight, the hotel is set, you’re ready to go, and the least of your worries is keeping healthy while you’re on vacation in some tropical paradise. But sneezing and coughing as you sunbathe under palm trees isn’t exactly your idea of a dream vacation.
Whether it’s Bora-Bora, Paris, or Tokyo you plan to visit, make your vacation more enjoyable by doing the following do’s and dont’s recommended by flight attendants. This list will help keep those bacteria and viruses at bay when you’re high in the sky.
- Have your own munchies
Not just any food too. It would help to bring that’s healthy to amp up your immune system, says flight attendant Kelly B. this is especially true, she says “if you have a dietary need”. Need to bring your ginger shot? Just make sure it’s below 3 ounces so you won’t be encountering any problems at the security.
- Don’t use the bathrooms (unless you really, really need to)
You’ll be stuck with at least a hundred other people on a plane with just two to three bathrooms for everybody to use. Think about the bacteria harboring in it. Yes it’s true that “the bathrooms are cleaned between every flight,” says Kelly B. but try to limit your use. Go to the toilet before or after the flight instead. If you’re stuck in a 15-hour flight from Tokyo to Chicago, make sure to bring disinfectant wipes along to sanitize the surfaces.
- Always keep your shoes on
The security check is the only place you should be taking your shoes off, but otherwise keep them on, says flight attendant Nguvu Tsare. “[Don’t] walk barefoot on airplanes,” she advises. Invest in some comfortable yet chic slides that you can easily take off.
- Don’t forget to wash your hands
The simplest and most effective way to stay healthy is actually a bit of scrub-a-dub-dub. “Wash your hands after using the bathroom,” Tsare says. Hand sanitizers will come in handy too when hand washing isn’t an option.