7 Tips for Flying Internationally
Most of my students who go on tour with me are first-time fliers and it’s my job as a group leader to introduce them to the joys of flying. Flying internationally is one of the most important topics I cover at my pre-departure meetings. At one of my pre-departure meetings in March, I arranged the chairs in our meeting room similar to the layout of our plane. I went online to find out what kind of plane we were going to be in. I even used a measuring stick to get the correct amount of space between the rows. I had to caution the students about the fact that our chairs were actually wider than our airline seats. At the beginning of the meeting, I pretended to be a flight attendant and made some of those standard announcements you hear on the flights. (When I was in grade school, I wanted to be a “stewardess.”) Here are some tips I share with my students to ensure that flying internationally is one of the highlights of their tour.
1. Dress appropriately, but comfortably for the flights. No student of mine will ever be cited for a “dress-code” violation by a flight attendant. I do not allow them to wear those flannel pajama bottoms or anything else that looks sloppy or too revealing. However, they still need to be comfortable and I advise them to dress in layers. First-time fliers do not realize how cold an international flight can be and those thin airline blankets are simply not warm enough. On my first EF tour, we had a direct international flight with British Airways from Charlotte to London. One of my students, now a successful attorney, took the BA blanket with him after we landed. It was a good thing, too, since he left his coat behind at the American Express office in London and ended up using that blanket to keep himself warm for the rest of the tour. On our return flight home, we had the same flight crew. One of the flight attendants yelled, “They’re back,” when we boarded and I made that young man return the blanket to her. That gesture earned my group lots of extra attention (all good!) on that flight.
2. Mind your manners and be polite to everyone, especially the flight attendants. Flying internationally would be a far more pleasant experience if everyone followed “the Golden Rule.” Check with the person behind you before you recline your seat and never recline during the meals because no one wants to have a tray table in the face. I was stuck in the middle seat on a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles and the seat in front of me was fully reclined during the entire flight. Since I am vertically challenged, I just hunkered down in my cramped seat, but my poor friend, who is nearly six feet tall, suffered from the “space hog” in front of her. I find that some flight attendants enjoy interacting with the students, especially the ones who are going abroad for their first time. I direct my students to “mind their p’s and q’s” (I love idioms!) during the flights. Occasionally, we will witness “grownups behaving badly” during the flights. If anyone is going to misbehave, it will certainly not be one of my students.
Bring books, magazines and cards
3. Pack your own entertainment. That will help pass the time when you are waiting in the airports or if you don’t want to use the airline’s entertainment system. Along with their electronic gadgets, I encourage my students to bring paperback books, magazines, and even cards. There are times during the flights when you can’t have anything turned on. I was more than prepared to keep myself entertained during a direct flight from New Delhi to Chicago. Unfortunately, the lights and the entertainment system on my side of the plane did not work during the entire flight. I had a difficult time even during the dinner service because it was so dark. If only I had packed a flashlight in my carry-on bag! I managed to keep my sanity by willing myself into a coma. No matter what you bring on board the plane to entertain yourself, keep up with your stuff. How many of us have left behind personal items in the planes? Be neat, too, about the tiny personal space you have on a plane. Pack everything you will need during the flight in your bag or backpack that is stored under the seat in front of you. I get pretty annoyed at passengers who open the overhead bins frequently during the flights.
4. Try to get some sleep during the flight. Sometimes my parents ask me if their children can take something to help them to sleep during the flight. Absolutely not! As a group leader, I do not want to be responsible for leading around a pack of “zombie” students on our arrival day. If your students don’t sleep during the international flight, it’s not that big of a deal. It’s far more important for the group leaders to get their rest and sleep. I love long flights because that is the only time I can truly relax on a tour. I encourage my students to get some sleep with these suggestions. Change your watch to the time of your destination. Don’t do a movie marathon. Take off your shoes. Bring a travel pillow. Limit your caffeine intake. Depending on your assigned seat, get creative about your sleeping positions. I have learned to sleep in any seat.
5. Bring your own snacks and drinks. My students and I often sit in the back of the planes so we end up being the last ones to be served. I find that I never can get enough to drink on some international flights. I advise my students to pack an empty water bottle to fill at the water fountain before we board or purchase a big bottle of water at the airport. Granola bars and small bags of almonds are good snacks. Avoid anything too sweet or salty. Eat what is being served or order a special meal with the airlines before you depart. When my twin sister travels with me, our Japanese mother will make seaweed (nori) wrapped rice balls for us. I made the mistake of offering a rice ball to one of my students and he ended up asking for more. So if you pack something really good to eat, you might not want to offer it to any of your hungry students.
6. Be sure to get up at least a couple of times or more on the international flights. However, I warn my students not to congregate near the toilets or to stand up in a small group around their seats. The flight attendants will ask passengers not to do this. Before we depart, I share with my students an article about airline toilet etiquette. I am the type of passenger who will tidy up the toilet before I exit. Try to read the crowd when timing your trips to the toilet. You don’t want to join a long line and risk irritating your fellow passengers and you certainly don’t want to get stranded by the cart service. Encourage your students to watch the airline videos about exercising in their seats. It helps if you stretch your arms and legs, and rotate your neck and ankles.
7. Don’t be in the dark about the paperwork—customs declarations forms and landing cards. I make copies of these forms and distribute them at our final pre-departure meeting. You can find sample forms online. I go over what information needs to be filled in and on the sample forms, I add the information we would all need like flight numbers and hotel addresses. Students feel less anxious when they know what information to complete on these forms. Keep a blue or black ink pen in your carry-on bag that is stowed in front of you and store your passport in that bag as well. At the end of your tour, remind family members in your tour group to complete only one US customs declaration form and stay together when they clear customs at your first US airport.
I always look forward to my international flights. Traveling on these flights with groups of students is always an experience. You easily earn the respect (and sometimes sympathy) of the independent travelers. Build up some excitement about the international flights with your students. They make up two days of your tour itinerary so you might as well make the most of them.
Readers, what are your own tips for flying internationally?
18 Comments
Darren
July 19, 2012Two tips:
1, I always wear cargo type shorts with big leg pockets, preferably ones that zip or velcro closed. They are great for storing passports, itineraries, cash, ipod’s etc without having to sit on them!! Everything is easily accessible to you, and safely stored.
2. I always take a light jacket on the plane for two reasons, the obvious, but the most important reason is this: before we go into security I zip everything, change, watch, ipod etc into the coat pocket so when I get to the xray, all i have to put into the bucket are my shoes and my coat. Not a huge deal going into the xray, but coming out all you have to do is grab your coat and head off!
Scott Morris
July 20, 2012Excellent tips, Gail. Covering airport and flight details help insure your trip starts off on the right foot. In addition to your excellent tips, I also cover the following:
1. When discussing our flight, I share an approximate time frame with my travelers. Be sure to include layover times and stress that everything is subject to change at any time. When traveling, students will mirror the attitudes of the adults traveling with them. When facing delays, look at it as an opportunity to visit an airport store, play a great card game, or snap several unique photos with the group. Sunny attitude equals a great trip!
2. For the parents who are not traveling, I share with them a flight tracker website so they can follow the group as we fly across the pond and return.
3. I design shirts for most of our trips and encourage the group to wear them on our first travel day. Having common shirts helps to locate travelers both in the airports and on the flights. We have also found that wearing the shirts creates great conversation with other travelers as well as the flight attendants!
4. I always have two chaperones “sweep” the plane as we exit at the destination. While they may not find everything, often the sweepers will rejoin our group with headphones, books, or some other important item that was accidentally left on the plane. Students, and adults, are normally eager to depart the plane and easily forget things. What do you do with the group while you wait on the sweepers? Waiting on the sweepers gives the travelers a chance to visit a WC and gives me a chance to locate a connecting flight or passport control.
Setting expectations for the first and last days of your trip will lead you to a smooth adventure your travelers will always remember.
Alyssa Jenkins
July 20, 2012Four other things:
1. Pack light — Rick Steves is the master of this, so if you’re struggling with bringing less, read his website (www.ricksteves.com). He has a million tips/tricks about leaving stuff at home.
2. If you do check your suitcase, make sure you have a spare pair of socks, underwear, and a shirt. You can wear the same jeans for days until your bag catches up with you.
3. Wear your bulkiest clothing/shoes — instead of wearing sandals and packing your tennis shoes, wear the tennis shoes. This frees up space in your suitcase. It might be a pain to carry your jacket around on the plane, but it’s worse to have to take up 1/3 of your suitcase with one garment.
4. Bring an empty duffel bag that folds up small and pack it in your suitcase. It stinks to have to buy a bag or suitcase when you find cool souvenirs that you can’t fit in your suitcase. Keep the duffel bag carry-on size yet durable enough to check with your baggage so that you have options when it’s time to go home.
Nick
July 20, 2012If you are to take your shoes off for a very long flight, be sure to at least wear socks, and to take your shoes off in the beginning of the flight as to not take them off in the middle when they could be sweaty and odoodoriferous
riferous.
Elizabeth W
July 20, 2012don’t be afraid to talk to the stranger next to you. It’s going to be a long flight, make a friend while you’re there. Otherwise your electronics and the movies they show may become borning to you and then you have nothing else to do.
Linda N.
July 20, 2012Fly first class!!! I know when traveling with a group you really can’t; but, I hate being all cramped up. Absolutely follow all airline procedures and protocols….especially about security. Never, never go anywhere by yourself–always take a companion to two. Lastly, enjoy the trip because many young people may never have the opportunity to do this!
Noah
July 22, 2012I have spent much of my childhood traveling the world with my family. My only peice of advise would be that you should always have your documents ready. Nothing bothers me more than watching someone search through their bags to try and find a passport. It is such an important document you should have it somewhere where you can’t lose it but it is quIckly available.
Elizabeth Sluder
July 23, 2012Gail had some great points! You definitely have to keep warm on international flights. I always say socks, light soft jacket, and if you want to pack your own blanket and travel pillow do so. A lot of times flights will run out of the blankets and pillows. When we’re going through the process of the flight, I give a lot of small briefings along the way. Sometimes, I have another responsible students be in charge of double checking for passports and handing them back and forth so we don’t lose them. I used to be an international flight attendant and know exactly what the do’s and don’ts are. Gail already mentioned a lot of them especially not getting trapped in the isle during the meal service. As long as you’re polite, most flight attendants will go out of their way to get want you need. I had a student who asked for seconds for desert and all the extra amenities for souvenirs. I explained that the flight attendents don’t get meals on the plane and have to divy it up on the flights if there are leftovers.
gj
August 13, 2012I had no idea attendants did not get meals. I think they should.
Charles Daniels
July 23, 2012There are great tips and travel ideas here. Personally, i like to talk alot and think that a person can add even more fun to their journey when meeting new people during the flight. I would encourage anyone to practise speaking other languages while traveling.
Misty Mowrey
July 24, 2012These tips are so great! Even though I’ve flown internationally, I did not prepare my students for some of these things. These lists need to become part of EF’s group leader training and be posted in the “ready for departure” portion of the webpage.
Chuck Holmn
July 24, 2012These are all great tips — one thing I always stress with my travelers is to be at the airport early! I had a traveler almost not make the flight because they did not leave for the airport early enough. Granted, GRR security is fast, but the pair ran into a traffic jam on the way to the airport. They barely made it in time to catch our flight. I think I have quite a few grey hairs from that episode……
Bob Topping
July 28, 2012When traveling with students, we meet somewhere and either go together to the airport on a chartered bus or caravan there. That way if a student is running late, we can track them down before the crazyness of the airport.
Terri
July 28, 2012I’m not traveling til next March but I enjoyed and learned some things from reading these postings
Beth Watson
July 28, 2012Thanks to all for the great tips that I can use for upcoming trips!!! Before departure I give each student three pieces of yarn to tie somewhere on the suitcase so we can easily spot our luggage. I also have them fill out practice customs forms so when we enter the US it is not so confusing. I am always surprised how many kids are not familiar with the word surname. For the kids who plan to buy posters, I have them pack empty paper towel rolls to help the posters come back in good shape. Some items on my packing list seem odd until the explanation is given at the meeting with the parents. I suggest that two students put two outfits in each others suitcases just in case a suitcase gets lost. Not all of them do this, but those that have close friends travelling feel comfortable.
Kathryn Southwick-Hess
July 30, 2012Wear appropriate shoes that will stay on your feet & provide “foot safety” in an emergency. You can’t run well in flip flops, high heels or unsupportive sandels. You can’t get through debris in case of an accident in your bare feet.
My father always insisted we be prepared for an emergency & that meant taking care of your feet & being able to get to safety quickly.
Sandy Norman
August 6, 2012Thanks Gail for this information. One of the things I always include in my airplane etiquette for the girls I travel with is to use their own seat for getting up and down. I can’t tell you how many times I have been startled awake by the person behind me using my seat to help them get out of their seat.
Beth Curfman
January 23, 2013Great tips… especially for the travel documents! That always seems to be a stressful part of traveling for students– and adults!
I’m having a hard time finding a sample declaration form for traveling to EU countries (we’re flying into Amsterdam and then to Paris). Any help would be appreciated!