Saturday, March 31, 2012

CARRY-ON MUSTS FOR FLIGHT SURVIVAL

I fly a lot and have my carry-on down to a science these days. First, airlines are germ-ridden places, so I put in a travel size pack of antibacterial wipes to wipe down my armrest, seat-back-tray and the viewing screen in the back of the seat in front of me. I also have a travel size hand gel because as soon as I saw a study about the bacteria in the water onboard planes I stopped accepting any water that was not seal in a bottle and I don’t wash my hands in the restroom sink. I’ve run across some fliers who even carry a lightweight seat cover that engulfs the whole chair, but that’s a little too much for me. If you use the seat-back-pocket then bring a plastic grocery bag to insert into it so your items don't connect with the bed of germs laying in wait for your book, iPod or other items you wish to keep handy.

Now that the germs are handled I concern myself with my entertainment. Charge all your electronics the night before and do carry-on your plugs because some planes now offer outlets. I still pack a good old fashioned book to read or a magazine just incase technology fails me for some reason or other. The earphones for my iPhone/iPod fit most airlines and I prefer mine to theirs and it saves a few bucks.

For my creature comforts I carry some soft warm socks, a pashmina (guys get navy or black and no one will think it’s anything but a blanket) and sometimes two for my in-flight blanket and for a wrap once I hit my destination. I’ve recently found the best ever neck pillow, but will do a little blurb on it at another time. I also dress in layers for flying as the temperatures vary so much from starting point to final destination.

Eating: bring your credit card because in-flight purchases can no longer be made with cash. But if you’re mindful of the TSA regulations you can bring your own food from home as long as it’s not a thermos of soup or some other suspect liquid. I usually pack those single serving tuna & crackers or just the tuna pouch & baggie my own crackers and string cheese. I’ve also had success with the hummus/cracker packs, apples as long as you eat it before your destination if the destination is outside the USA borders (no fresh fruits or meats). A few times I’ve had nuts taken from me as well when going into Mexico, but it was only a couple of times out of the dozens a time a year I go there, so not sure if they just wanted those raw almonds or they thought they were hiding some pest that would set off a national disease control alert. If you make your food from home I bring it in containers I can toss to lighten my load and on my return flight I stop at a market or worse case I purchase at the airport once I’ve gone through security. Before security all liquids must be tossed, but I’ve never been asked to give up my bottled water I just bought at the airport newsstand and I see plenty of Starbucks coming onboard; one man even spilled his on my beige skirt because he couldn’t handle all his carry-on so that’s my next tip… be thoughtful of other travelers and don’t bring food with strong or possibly offensive smells and if your hands are already full don’t add a beverage with a lid that comes off if you’re not holding it upright every moment.

My 1-quart ziplock bag varies depending on if I’m flying carry-on only or I have a checked bag. With a checked bag it is limited to a 3.4 or less moisturizer, hand cream and Chapstick and I add shampoo, conditioner, face wash if I have no checked luggage. I also carry the small travel toothbrush/picks with the tiny drop of tooth gel in the center.

I have one large-ish carry-all or tote that I can fit my laptop, a small purse and all my other goodies into that way they are separate so I can find what I need quickly yet in one bag to make the airline happy that I comply with the one carry-on and one personal item.

The other thing I like to carry-on is a smile. Flying has always been stressful for people who don’t feel at ease with their feet off the ground and since 9/11 even those who loved to fly are finding the lines for security and all the hoops we jump through to make it in and out of the airports a stressor. So, a smile goes a long way in helping those around you feel a little better and if my smile can inspire another smile maybe it’ll be a delightful flight.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT ALL THE FUN WAS GONE FROM FLYING

A friend sent me the following info on a South African Airline called Kulula that not only put a smile on my face but had me laughing out loud. Flying has become such a serious and often negative experience that it is refreshing to see a company put some humor and fun back into it.


Their planes are even painted with humor: I love how the pilot is "the big cheese" and "flying 101"... this marketing team is brilliant!


WHAT A PITY KULULA DOESN'T FLY INTERNATIONALLY - WE SHOULD SUPPORT THEM IF ONLY FOR THEIR HUMOUR - SO TYPICALLY SOUTH AFRICAN.
 
Kulula is an Airline with their head office situated in Johannesburg . Kulula airline attendants make 
an effort to make the in-flight "safety lecture" 
and announcements a bit more entertaining.
Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported:
On a Kulula flight, (there is no assigned seating, you just sit where you want) passengers were apparently having a hard time choosing, when a flight attendant announced,
"People, people we're not picking out furniture here, find a seat and get in it!"
                  ---o0o---
On another flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants."
                  ----o0o---
On landing, the stewardess said, "Please be sure to take all of your belongings.. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's something we'd like to have."
                  ----o0o---


"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane." 
                  ---o0o---
"Thank you for flying Kulula. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."
                  ---o0o---
As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Durban Airport , a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"
                  ---o0o--
After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in the Karoo, a flight attendant 

on a flight announced, "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as hell everything has shifted."
                  ---o0o---
From a Kulula employee: "Welcome aboard Kulula 271 to Port Elizabeth . To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised."
                  ---o0o---
"In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face. If you have a small child travelling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you are travelling with more than one small child, pick your favorite."
                  ---o0o---
"Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you, or your money, more than Kulula Airlines."
                  ----o0o---
"Your seats cushions can be used for flotation; and in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments."
                  ---o0o---
"As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all 

of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses.."
                  ---o0o---
And from the pilot during his welcome message:
"Kulula Airlines is pleased to announce that we have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!"
                  ---o0o
Heard on Kulula 255 just after a very hard 
landing in Cape Town : The flight attendant 
came on the intercom and said, "That was quite a bump and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight  attendant's fault, it was the asphalt."
                  ---o0o
Overheard on a Kulula flight into Cape Town, 
on a particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain really had to fight it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said,"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to The Mother City. Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!"
                  ---o0o
Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."
                  ---o0o
An airline pilot wrote that on this particular 

flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the first officer to stand at the door 
while the passengers exited, smile, and give 
them a "Thanks for flying our airline". He said that, in light of his bad landing, he had a hard 
time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment. Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a cane. She said, "Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?" "Why, no Ma'am," said the pilot. "What is it?" The little old lady said, "Did we land, or were we shot down?"
                  ---o0o
After a real crusher of a landing in Johannesburg , the attendant came on with,"Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Captain Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against 
the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we will open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal.."
                  ---o0o
Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement:
"We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today.. And, the next time you get the insane 

urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of Kulula Airways."
                  ---o0o
Heard on a Kulula flight: "Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, 
the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing....If you can light 'em, you can smoke 'em."
             

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Oops! More Lunch on My Shirt Than in My Mouth



What to do when you’re traveling and you spill mayonnaise from your sandwich, or drip butter from your lobster tail on your clothing; carry a small baggie of white flour and mix it into a paste with water, apply to the stain, let dry and scrape off. Now no one is going to pack bleach so what about stains that need a little lift? Lemons are easy to come by when traveling, order an ice tea with lemon on the side and pull out one of your extra plastic bags you always pack to transport it back to your hotel. Squeeze a little lemon jouice on the spot and if possible let it dry in the sun then hand wash. I also never leave home without my Tide To-Go pen, but Shout is just as good. I also just learned about Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover which comes in 2 ounce bottles and can be bought at Walgreens or most craft stores and is said to work on all types of stains, which could save you from the baggie of flour being mistaken for something else by TSA. 

Always pack a travel wardrobe that hand washes, no time for dry cleaners when you're city hopping. Also, I try to keep my color palate on the darker side, even tan is better than white. 

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

SKI INTO A BETTER PERSON


I was taken by an article in The Wall Street Journal on March 3, 2012 on page D8 entitled Mind Over Mountain. It talks about a former U.S. ski team member, Kristen Ulmer, who teaches ordinary people to be better skiers through Zen, a western psychological technique called “voice dialogue,” yoga and Ms. Ulmer’s own experience. I don’t ski. In fact many years ago I was dating a man who loved to ski, as did his close friends who decided they should take me to Big Bear, CA to teach me how to ski. Let’s just say if reality TV had been invented at that time I would have been my own show and provided you all with many laughs. I tried the knees together to stop, but after gliding through and dragging with me a rope of flags to section off the children’s area hurling myself into the snow to stop seemed the lesser embarrassment. Anyway, it’s not the skiing that caused me to read this article but the whole Zen-Mind aspect. I do believe it all starts in our mind and our belief. The dialog we tell ourselves, the day dreams we see in our imagination become the reality of our living lives. Just some food for thought. I know all my ski-loving friends are looking for places to go right now, and if you’re up for something different you may want to read Mind Over Mountain or check out www.kristenulmer.com for her $525 pp ski camp.