For most savvy jetsetters, airplane travel can almost be boiled down to a science. You hurl your suitcase in the overhead storage bin, enjoy a mid-flight snack, and deplane a few short (or long) hours later. It doesn’t matter if it’s your fifth or 50th trip in the air, the entire process can feel predictable.
However, just when you thought you knew the ins and outs of airport protocol, a few flight attendants are revealing their insider hacks they’ve learned throughout their careers. From smart tricks for selecting your seat to balancing your inflight meal on your tray table, the pro advice below is poised to take your time in the air to new heights.
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1. Bring Strategy to Your Seat Selection
Anyone who wants to kick back and relax during their flight needs to think beyond the difference between aisle, window, and middle seats. “Don’t get stuck with non-reclining seats,” warns flight attendant Henry M.* While you might think that landing a totally upright seat is bad luck, there are some areas you should always aim to avoid. “Rows that have exit rows behind them do not recline generally for safety,” he shares. “Also some last rows also do not recline.”
If you want to score even more room? Henry recommends booking an aisle seat. “Most aisle seats have a button to raise the arm rest,” he explains. “It’s at the back by the hinge on the underside.” All you need to do, Henry says, is simply push and lift your armrest up—but just remember to lower it when ascending and descending.
2. Practice Precise Packing
“I think one of the biggest hang ups of boarding is people getting to their row and then standing there digging in their bag before sitting down,” explains Christa Treat, flight attendant and creator of A Traveling Treat. “As an avid traveler I get it, but one of the biggest things I try and stress is just stepping into your row allowing others to pass behind you.”
To help speed up the process, Treat is a major proponent of storing your in-flight essentials close to each other. “Pack your charger, [lip balm], headphones, and anything you need at the seat in the same compartment so it’s easy to access before tossing your bag up top,” Treat recommends. That way, you can grab everything you need and get seated, stat.
On the flipside, Treat begs you to pack your personal item as soon as your plane reaches the gate. In fact, not doing so is one of her pet peeves. “So many people just sit there and it makes for the longest deplaning process ever,” she explains. “It always amazes me that the last people on the plane are still packing their backpack in row 31 when it gets to their turn.”
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3. Opt for a Closer Overhead Bin
Make no mistake, overhead bins are communal spaces for all passengers. But just because the compartment directly above your row isn’t necessarily reserved for you doesn’t mean you should settle for an inconvenient storage situation. In fact, Treat says she doesn’t subscribe to the “first come, first serve.” “You’ll have a higher chance of leaving or forgetting your bag or it getting taken by mistake,” she shares. Instead, Treat encourages you to look for a spot either a few rows in front or behind your seat for easy access.
4. Long Flight? Create an in-Flight Schedule
Look, being cooped up in a plane for hours on end isn’t exactly the most exhilarating way to spend your time. However, Treat swears by creating a schedule upfront—and sticking with it. “When you have a plan, it makes time go by quicker and you’re not sitting there bored out of your mind,” she explains.
Let’s say you’re about to board a 10-hour flight. Instead of trying to sleep for the entire duration, allocate two hours to watching a movie, an hour for reading to unwind, and then the remainder of the time for some well-deserved rest. Speaking of getting some sleep, Treat says an eye mask and neck pillow are packing non-negotiables.
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5. Know How to Access the Bathroom in Emergencies
When you gotta go, you gotta go… well, except when your plane is climbing to 30,000 feet. “Lavatories are locked for takeoff and landing per most airlines’ rules,” Henry explains. However, if you’re on the brink of a bathroom emergency, there is a workaround. “Lift the lavatory sign above the red or green symbol or ‘occupied’ slash ‘vacant’ sign, and slide it left to unlock,” he says. “Enter at your own risk if the seat belt sign is still on!”
Of course, Henry doesn’t share this information to be an insubordinate passenger: Only use this hack if you’ve received permission from your flight crew. Psst… this could also be a handy tip if you need to help a travel buddy who is sick in the lavatory.
6. Stretch in Seclusion
While you’re in the bathroom, Treat says you might as well get your stretch on. “In the bathroom, not in the galley,” she stresses. You might not have enough room for sun salutations or a downward-facing dog, but Treat says small, intentional movements can make a big difference. “I just do some calf raises to get my blood flowing,” she recommends.
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7. Next-Level Napkins
Anyone who has experienced a bout of turbulence will tell you how easy it is for food and drinks to slide all over the place. “Tray tables on 787 planes are notorious for being slanted,” Henry explains. If you want to keep your meal in place—yes, even during a patch of rough air—enlists your napkins. Yes, really. “Consider putting napkins under your food tray to prevent it from sliding off,” he shares. “People think of this for drinks, but not food trays.”
When placed on your table tray, napkins can create some extra friction that will keep your meal from budging. Want to copy this trick with your beverages? It’s simple: Put your beverage can in the designated drinks holder and put your cup on top of a napkin. Ta da! A smooth, spill-free snack.
*names have been changed
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