How to Disinfect Your Airplane Seats

Tips on how to clean your surroundings on an airplane.

It is always good to be aware while your travels and to clean your surroundings, especially in a time of pandemic right now. Airborne illness is a concern for many travelers today. Most airlines are taking the precautions and stating that they clean their planes for each flight. But no one can be too careful. Here are some tips for cleaning your area on a plane.

Pack disinfecting wipes.

Get your hands on some good disinfecting wipes before you even get to the airport. Everyone knows how good and trusty Clorox wipes are, but some other brands to consider are Purcell, Mrs. Meyers, Wet Wipes, and Germ-X wipes. These are all good and will get the job done!

Keep your hands clean, and do not touch your face.

Have hand sanitizer near you at all times. Before starting to wipe down your seats and area, take care of your hands first. You never know what you have touched and handled, especially if you rushing to board your flight. After wiping down your area, sanitize those hands again, you will need it. The worst thing that could happen is that you touch a surface then start rubbing your face. Those germs, then, would transmit on your face and increases the chances of you getting ill. Most people touch their faces more often than they think. Try to retain yourself from doing so.

Wipe your area down correctly.

Have your wipes ready as soon as you board the plane. You might get some wondering eyes, but after you get over the fact that people are staring, you will be fine. Just remember you are taking care of yourself and are preventing yourself from being sick. Try and have gloves on when disinfecting your surroundings. If not, remember to wash your hands thoroughly or sanitize them instead.

When wiping down your area, don't forget these areas:

·      Armrest

·      Recliner button

·      Headrest

·      Seat-belt buckle

·      Remote

·      Television screen

·      Seatback pocket

·      Shades and walls (if you are sitting at the window)

·      Tray table

·      Seat (if it is nonporous or leather)

·      Any other buttons or screws that surround you

After wiping down your areas, it would be smart to disinfect your phones, headphones, and other electronics you plan on using on the plane. Doing this, you would prevent transmitting any germs you might have had before boarding.

Let your wipes dry naturally.

Allow the surface that you have wiped to be wet and dry entirely naturally. Doing this, the wipes will work. Read the packaging on your disinfecting wipes to see how long the surface needs to be wet for them to function correctly.

Focus on your tray table.

The most germs lie on that one small rectangle of a table. It is also one of the most used surfaces on a plane. Wipe the tray table first before moving on to the rest of your area. After each use, it would be best to wipe it down again. Food particles never die, so get a good wipe down on the surface. No one can be too careful.

Do not wipe down your seat if it is made of cloth.

Wiping your nonporous or leather seats is achievable. However, you would be creating another problem if you took a wet wipe to seats that are made of cloth. It will not work and will make the seat wet. If you are concerned about the germs on your fabric seats, pack a washable, reusable seat covers.

Choose a window seat if you can.

Researchers say that a window seat is the safest place you could be sitting in during the flu season. People sitting in a window seat comes in less contact with people and decreases their chances of getting ill. However, if you were to get up and move around often, you would be defeating this purpose. It is recommended to stay in your seats as long as you can. 

You can never be too careful when trying to prevent yourself from getting ill, especially when traveling during this new outbreak. You can't control your fellow passengers, but you can take matters into your own hands and take care of yourself. Don't be a fool and use these tips on your next flight. Safe travels, but stay home if you can.

Written by Nhi Nguyen

10 Tips to Overcome the Fear of Flying

Many of us enjoy the idea of travelling in order to experience new cultures. However, there’s one part of travel that isn’t so fun for a lot of people: that is flying. For some, flying is simply a hassle due to high fares, potential flight delays, as well as lost luggage. For others, flying is simply terrifying.

It is important to know the reason for your fear of flying. In addition, there are certain steps you can take to help alleviate your fears. For those of you who are determined not to let this fear stop you from seeing the World, below are a few tips to help you overcome your fear of flying.

1. Familiarise yourself with the plane

Getting to know what your plane looks like can make it seem a little less scary. Research what type of aircraft it is. Is it an Airbus or a Boeing plane? Research how many passengers it carries, as well as the on-board benefits such as a café for those travelling on long flights.

2. Choose an aisle seat

Most airlines and booking engines allow you to request a seat assignment when you book your flight. Request an aisle seat, particularly if you’re prone to claustrophobia as you’ll feel less surrounded by other people. You will also be able to get up and move around the cabin more easily allowing you to avoid looking out the window if those sky-high views make you nervous.

Check out Seat Guru. This site enables you to view the position of your seat so you can make an informed decision on booking your seat online.

3. Avoid watching or reading anything plane/flight related

Avoid airplane disaster movies, news coverage of plane crashes, or other scary media images. Remember that the vast majority of flights arrive safely, but only the problem flights make the news. Don’t let that make you have a negative outlook on flying.

4. Don’t rush at the airport

Allow yourself plenty of time to get to the airport before your flight is scheduled to depart. Racing to the gate and worrying about missing your plane will only add to your fear and anxiety. Make sure to have everything prepared the night before including your passport and your boarding pass; so that it will be smooth sailing on the actual day.

5. Stay Entertained

Make sure your phone or tablet is stocked with relaxing music to help get you into a peaceful frame of mind. Remember to pack a magazine or a good book to take your mind off what is happening. Select a comedy on your plane’s in-flight entertainment system, or pre-load a few of your favourite movies and documentaries onto your laptop.

6. Avoid caffeine

This and other stimulants can make you even more jittery, adding to your anxiety. Opt for water as it contains no sugar, which could tamper with your nerves.

7. Breathe

Breathing is by far the best way to calm yourself down if you feel yourself starting to panic or become anxious on a flight. There are various techniques you can use, but the main goal is to slow your breathing down and focus on the exhale rather than inhale, because as you panic, your breathing gets shallow and fast, making the state of panic even worse. One trick is to breathe out fully first before inhaling. Then breathe in deeply, hold it for a couple of seconds and breathe out completely. Keep doing this until the panic passes.

8. Use earplugs and eye masks

Some nervous fliers find overnight flights very daunting, but if you can try to get some rest it’s the best way to make the time fly by. Bring an eye mask and a pair of earplugs with you to help you sleep. The earplugs are especially useful as they block out the loud noise of the plane. The eye mask will also signal to the flight attendants not to disturb you while you nap.

9. Tell a flight attendant

Flight attendants deal with nervous fliers on a daily basis. Next time you’re boarding a plane, tell your nearest steward that you’re feeling anxious. There is no need to be embarrassed; their job is to help you and make you feel comfortable. They can check in that you’re doing okay. They also might have some tips to share with you from their experience.

10. Take a Fear of Flying course

If your fear of flying is preventing you from traveling or making you so anxious it’s impacting your health or enjoyment of your time away, consider seeking professional help. Some airlines, including British Airways, Virgin and EasyJet, as well as some airports, offer fear of flying courses. These courses are led by pilots, crew, and psychologists with intent to address all aspects of flying fears and how to overcome them. Trained professionals will answer all your questions and give you pointers for addressing your fears.

Nicole Fernandez Medina

The One Website You Need for Cheap Flights

Hope you guys are having a wonderful summer. :-)

This World Cup has been super epic. Even though it is super sad that England didn’t make it to the finals. We are still proud of the team. They did a great job :-)

We know that a lot of you will be going on holidays this summer (and later on in the year). So we wanted to help save you guys some money. We recently came across this website called Jacks Flight Club. It is actually the most amazing thing ever. The website is great for getting really super cheap flights to anywhere in the world.

How it works is they basically look throughout the Internet to find the cheapest flights. It can be to any destination in the World. This is especially good if you are spontaneous and open to exploring any destination. After using the platform ourselves, we found that a majority of the deal emails are for fares in about 1 to 12 months time. So it gives you plenty of time to prepare for your trip once you have booked your ticket. To get the deals from Jack's Flight Club, all you have to do is head to jacksflightclub.co.uk, sign up with your email address and you will get flight deals to any destination sent directly to your email.

We love to share tips, hacks and High Spirit updates and we could not stay quiet about this one. We just had to share it with you guys. Hope you guys find it useful. :-)