Sky
© Steven Campbell (Flickr)
Flying dirt cheap is rarely cheerful as budget airlines herd you aboard their planes, then serve up lukewarm and foul smelling food from the Devil’s own dining table. If bargain basement flights send your blood pressure soaring to an uncomfortable altitude, follow these tips to bring it back down so you can journey through the skies in peace and contentment.
Grab an emergency exit seat
Unless you are a leprechaun you have no way of getting comfortable in the cramped seating but emergency exit seats provide ample room for you to stretch out. Beg, bribe, show some leg even, do whatever you can to secure these prized spots.
Block out your environment
Load up your laptop or portable entertainment unit with a good film and a batch of cool tunes. Put on your headphones and you’ll be oblivious to the person next to you who appears to have eaten all the pieces and the children who look like they might decorate the seats in front with the contents of their stomachs. This is also a terrific way of avoiding the incessant talker who just won’t shut up. Alternatively, bury yourself in a book and hardly look up.
Prepare your own food
Why pay sky-high prices when you can prepare nutritious nibbles beforehand. Your nose, taste buds, wallet and digestive system will thank you. Ideal plane snacks include salads, baps and sandwiches. Some airport shops offer fantastic meal deals, where you can pick up a sandwich, a piece of fruit, a slice of cake and a soft drink for only a few pounds. Or treat yourself to a slap up meal before you board.
Grit your teeth
As you are on a no-frills airline you will not be enjoying a high level of personal attention. Be grateful that your flight is not costing the Earth and that you can jet off to hundreds of interesting places at a moment’s notice, something that was not available to previous generations. Just grit your teeth and think about the destination not the journey.
