What do you always do when flying, without fail?

I am always nice to all the airline staff – checking in, boarding and while on the plane. They can make my trip a joy or not so joyful.

I always pack my Kindle. I take it and my reading glasses out of my bag before I get to my seat so I can drop my bag in the overhead locker quickly and take my seat.

I make a point of not reclining my seat unless I am on a long flight. There is nothing worse than the person in front taking up seat behind them by reclining on a one or two hour flight. It might not seem like it takes up much space but I hate when people do it to me so I don’t do it to others.

I wait patiently to access the overhead locker to retrieve my bag and don’t shove and push people to get off the plane.

I always do relaxation breathing during take off. I always get off last, because I’m so slow it annoys other people.

Cry on takeoff and during any turbulence. I’m terrified of flying, but make myself do it anyway. I take Xanax prior to take-off, so I can cry silently instead of the usual big, heaving sobs.

And I’m nice to everyone, of course.

I fly over 80 flights per year.

I always check where the nearest emergency exit is and I always make sure that the pocket in front of me is empty when I leave. (I will do that two, three times, it makes no sense.)

Flap my wings & preen my tail feathers, essential for good quality flight control.

I always bring my own water on the plane because they never give you enough to drink and getting dehydrated is no fun.

I always make sure to pee about half an hour before landing. One time I didn’t, and my bladder damn near burst before we got to the gate and I could get up.

I try to have only what I need for the flight at my feet, so that I have as much space as possible.

Before the flight I stress about what to pack.

I smile and say hello and thank you to the airline employees and TSA like I do in almost any situation where I interact with people. Restaurants, retail stores, flights, all the same to me.

I won’t do the xray, I always ask for a pat down.

I wear primarily cotton and comfortable shoes. Synthetic fabrics flame up fast and melt to your skin if God forbid there is an emergency. I purposely wear thickish trousers, usually jeans, because I always ask for a pat down in security. Comfortable shoes both for emergencies and for practicality walking through airports while carrying things.

I always bring a cardigan or sweat jacket for warmth.

I used to always try to get an emergency exit before they started charging extra for them.

I always wear my seat belt while seated.

I try to move around every hour and a half or so, even if it is just lifting my butt off the seat and shuffling my legs while still in the seat. Long flights I take some aspirin before the flight.

If I have a large carry-on that is heavy I ask a man near me to help me put it in the overhead compartment if he has not offered already. This happens less often now that they have become so strict with liquids.

I check where the nearest emergency exit is and pay attention to whether my floating device is my seat cushion or somewhere else if ai am flying near or over water, although I don’t listen attentively to the entire safety speech since I know most of it verbatim.

I get on the plane.

And – so far, anyway – later I get off the plane.

Being courteous and trying to find the humor in any situation, hell, I do that all the time.

Tell myself I am going to read so many books on the flight, but I inevitably fall asleep about 20 minutes in.
Wake up and order a scotch when the drinks cart comes round.
Check my blood sugar obsessively, and make sure I don’t leave any supplies behind.
Thank the crew when I get off.

I flew into the Dominican Republic while I was in college. They all applauded the crew on a successful landing.

I always send up a thank you when the wheels touch down. Though I’ve never been much on praying, I’ve been doing this little for years—ever since a pair of exceptionally scary flights I still shudder when recalling.

I always do continuing education. On a 2hour flight I can get 4 hours of credits done

I always thank the lfight crew for the flight.

I always bring a large bottle of water on board because flying is so dehydrating.

I always take Emergen-C right before takeoff and immediately after landing becuase my immune system has been bombarded by germs in an enclosed breathing system for hours.

The one thing I ALWAYS do is land. Take off is optional but landing is manditory.
My husband is usually the pilot so I usually open the book and find the airport identifier and set the GPS. When the controller gives is a transponder code I set it and when we change radio frequencies I change the radios. I also make sure that the dogs stay in the back seat and don’t disrupt the pilot.

@Judi We always land. Wether it’s good or bad is another story.

I eat gum during take-off. I don’t/barely use bathrooms on the plane. I read and listen to music.

That should be flight crew not lfight.

@Adirondackwannabe That’s common in Miami and other Latin American countries. It’s also common for a lot of people to make the sign of the cross before take off in those places—Catholics.

I always come back to earth

Fly into skyscrapers.

I always look at the other passengers, and how fat they are. Then I think about how heavy the suitcases were. Then, I think how they are going to try and make all that fly, and I panic, and begin drinking bloody marys. Every time.

I was going to say almost exactly what @CWOTUS said.

* gives @CWOTUS the stink eye *

@filmfann When my husband flew a few months ago (domestic in America) he was seated next to an Asian couple (who seemed to be touring in America). When he took his seat they audibly gave a sigh of relief and said they were glad he wasn’t big and used their arms to indicate being fat.

I frantically get my son situated and then proceed to stress the entire trip about how much of a fit he will throw about things and how much stink-eye and ‘you-are-such-a-bad-parent’ look I am going to get from other passengers (including hubby if he is trying to sleep in the seat next to me). I guess those days are now over and I won’t have to worry about flying anywhere.

Listen to music. Undoubtedly that is the one thing I do when flying in an airplane. I don’t think I’d be able to handle the hundreds of hushed conversations and babies crying all the time. I also shiver and shift my legs around a lot.

I always try for a window seat, and if possible a seat at the exit. No matter how many times I fly I always watch the safety demo.

Years ago i flew into Moscow with Areoflot. We’d stop started all the way from Melb. small fuel tank I think. Up and down like a yoyo. The plane was pretty empty so I was sleeping over 4 seats. The attendants or should I say inattendants didn’t really keep an eye on us so I was still sleeping across all 4 seats when we landed one time and all the four chairbacks came crashing down on top of me!!!! I was a sandwich. Yes its was an old plane and I still can’t believe I was brave enough to travel on it. On a bright note as i disembarked a steward who I’d not seen throughout the flight came up to me and gave me a bunch of bananas as a gift… that was so sweet as it was pre-berlin wall coming down and fresh fruit was a real treat and a delicacy :)

I always try to make everyone’s (TSA, ticket counter, flight attendants) life a little easier. They have enough irate passengers to contend with. I always commend the pilot if we have an especially gentle landing.

I always try to get a window seat to prevent air sickness. I always try to see and hear the wing flaps operate – it gives me a sense of the health of the hydraulic systems.

I always bring noise-canceling headphones in case I want to sleep.

And on take off and landing, I always wonder if this is the time I am actually going to die!