Travel tips: Stay healthy in airports and on planes, and get through TSA quickly

Here are a few things you can do to protect yourself from germs and other health issues while traveling on planes and through airports, as well as some tips to help speed you through the airport process

ALWAYS have hand-sanitizer with you – airports and airplanes are notoriously germ-ridden as they are rarely cleaned well.

First step: Healthy check-in, TSA processing, and waiting

An airport is a very dirty place.  Studies have shown the dirtiest things, i.e., the things everyone touches, rarely get cleaned: check-in kiosks, water fountain buttons, armrests, etc.  So, if you can, check in online, if you can’t, then make sure to clean your hands after using the check-in kiosk.

Bring an empty water bottle to refill after security.  This save you money and can help keep hydrated while on the plane.

When going through security, know that the bins are rarely cleaned. Wear socks so you don’t expose your feet to a floor that is rarely cleaned and has thousands of barefoot and socked people walking across it.

I tend to get jackets with zippered pockets so I can put my phone, passport, wallet, etc in there so I don’t lose them and they stay cleaner by not touching the bins.

At the gate, clean the armrests where you sit, and the table if you plan to use it.

If you have time take a walk and stretch before getting on a long flight.

Second step: Healthy flight

Make sure to clean the armrests at your seat, the seat belt (particularly the latch), and the tray table in front of you. If there is a personal entertainment system in the seat in front of you that you plan to use, wipe that as well.

If you want to use the seat pocket, I recommend putting anything in a bag or wrapping it in a napkin or piece of paper you can throw away as these often hold tissues, food wrappers, and worse.

Planes are very dry: Drink water to stay hydrated, use a moisturizer on your hands and use lip balm.

… and noisy:  If possible, particularly on long flights, keep your eyes shut to keep them from getting very dry (e.g., listen to a book or a podcast rather than watching a movie). I highly recommend these noise-canceling headphones.  They are not expensive and charge via USB, and the batteries do last for at least a dozen hours in my experience.

Keep your circulation going. If you can, get up and walk around a bit, do some stretches.  Another good thing to do is to wear compression socks. When you are on a long flight, whatever your age, compression socks are great for keeping your circulation going. I can’t stand the ones that cover my toes, so I buy these: Open Toe Compression Socks. This is a wonderful set, so I gave 4 pairs away, that way I have a clean pair going and coming back even if I don’t have time to do the wash.

And here are a few of my best tips for quickly getting through check-in and security checks quickly

• Ensure your liquids are under 3oz and all fit in one quart-sized ziplock bag.  (You can now get shampoo and conditioner in solid bar form if needed)
• If you have bags to check, try to make them distinctive – mine have been bright pink and turquoise recently – no one can take my bag without me being able to see them from a long distance.
• Have your boarding pass and ID ready when you get to the entrance to the line and keep them in your hands until you get to the formal screening area.
• Avoid being after families for the baggage scans, try to be in line after people who seem to be traveling on business or who appear to be frequent travelers as that line normally goes faster
• Bring a nearly empty bottle to the airport, so you won’t get thirsty, but can easily drink what’s left while in the TSA line.

If you are going to sleep on a plane – check this out.