Safety tips to know before your next flight
Though flying is the safest it has ever been, following some safety tips is still necessary. According to the report by the International Air Transport Association in 2015, the probability of an air accident is about one in every 4.5 million flights. According to statistics, you are more likely to have an accident in your car, or while simply walking than having one on a plane.
Airline emergencies are quite rare, but they are still a possibility, and being prepared could mean the difference between life and death. Moreover, the plane crashing or an emergency landing isn’t the only thing you need to be careful about.
Flying involves a lot of other things, like moving around the airport, and many things needed to protect yourself and your belongings from in such a crowded place. Furthermore, several tips can help you make your flight comfortable and less challenging.
Today I am going to explore you about four crucial safety tips that you need to know before your next flight. So, keep reading to learn more.
#1. Practice situational awareness
Situational awareness is an essential skill that could help you protect yourself and your loved ones, not just at the airport and on the plane, but everywhere you go. The critical concept of situational awareness is that you should acknowledge your surroundings and be aware of them.
Whenever you enter a place, you should scan it for potential threats and potential escape routes, believe me, this habit can save your life. If you keep practicing it, it will become elementary, and you will be able to do it subconsciously.
In the specific case of an airplane, you should know exactly where your seat is on the plane, and where the nearest exits are. According to statistics, in the case of an emergency, most people will run towards the point they entered the plane, and in the confined space of a plane cabin, that can cause a lot of chaos. You should look and the seat map with the marked exits, it is quite likely that the nearest exit is behind you.
If you get a seat in the economy plus with the extra legroom, you will also be sitting at an emergency exit door. During the effect of an emergency expulsion, it is your responsibility to open this door so that others can escape through it as well.
When you are at the airport, keep an eye on the people around you, crowded areas like airports are one of the favorite business places of pickpockets and con artists, so take care of your belongings as well.
Suggested Read: List of Busiest And International Airports in India [2020]
#2. Make sure that you have everything needed for a comfortable and safe flight
Safety and comfort should be your top priorities when you are planning a trip. Regrettably, I had to study this tutoring the hard way. Once, when I was traveling, I had to take a long flight, and I didn’t have any earplugs.
Coincidentally, I also had the flu on that day, and I was already feeling some sinuses pressure. To make matters worse, when the plane took off, my ears got blocked, and the cabin pressure combined with the sinuses pressure made one of the most painful and uncomfortable flights in my life. Moreover, my ears didn’t pop open for the entire plane, which made matters worse.
If you have ever experienced sinuses pain, you know how bad it can be; however, you can avoid a similar situation by taking some earplugs with you. Earplugs can keep you safe from the effects of cabin pressure on your sinuses, and they can also make your flight comfortable, by filtering the continuous humming of the engine and the noise of the people around you. Check out Doctor for the best hearing aid dryer, earplugs, and many other auditory-health products.
You should also ensure that you are appropriately dressed, and most importantly you should wear comfortable shoes because you will have to walk a lot around the airport and in the event of an emergency evacuation, you don’t want to be wearing something like heels, that are difficult to walk in.
#3. Pack a runaway bag
If there is ever an emergency on the plane or at the airport, you won’t have time to take your luggage with you. Your life is what matters the most. However, there are some things that you would rather not lose because they might be a big hassle to replace.
Moreover, losing your documents in another country can be very problematic. Therefore, you should have a small runaway kit, in which you should keep all the essential items. You should keep your passport, wallet, credit cards, cash, necessary medications, and a mobile phone in your emergency bag.
This way, if you do have to evacuate in a hurry, you can safely leave everything else behind.
The ideal runaway bag should be something that you always have on you, for instance, a travel wallet, fanny pack, or small handbag.
Apart from evacuation emergencies, you should also be careful about losing your luggage, because it can happen quite frequently. One thing that most people can’t afford to lose is their laptops, especially the people who are traveling for important business meetings. These people should back up all of their essential data on the cloud or in a separate hard drive that they can keep in their runaway bag.
#4. Avoid drinking on a flight
In my opinion, drinking while flying is the worst idea; not only does it lead to problems during the flight, you aren’t going to be in your best senses in case of an emergency, which can cost you your life. Alcohol can have more substantial effects in the thinner air, and it can make you more susceptible to jet lag as well.
Therefore, make an effort to stay hydrated and avoid drinking any alcoholic beverages; it will help you have a more comfortable and safer flight.
To sum it all up, even though airplane accidents and malfunctions are quite rare, being prepared can be quite beneficial. It can help you stay safe in case of an emergency, and it can save you from a lot of traveling problems other than an airplane malfunction. So, follow the four tips I have mentioned above, and you will be able to fly comfortably without any worries.
Author Bio: Katherine Joseph writes this article. She has been wearing hearing aids for over twenty years and still is a veteran of the audiology industry. She gives a holistic view of the hearing aid industry and the equipment available at https://doctear.com/.
