Any flight can be stressful. What is normal on the ground looks absolutely different and possibly uncomfortable up in the air.

Bright Side compiled a list of what you shouldn’t do on a plane to make your trip easy and pleasant.

10. Wear contact lenses

Contacts usually make your eyes drier. Combined with the dry air inside the plane, this can make for rather uncomfortable results. That’s why you’d better wear glasses or one-day lenses if you have a long flight. You will also need eye drops.

9. Stop clogged ears

Your ears become clogged while taking off and landing because of the pressure difference. The first impulse of any person is to unclog his or her ears. This method doesn’t work, but you can minimize the uncomfortable sensation in the following ways:

• Make sucking and swallowing movements. Grown-ups can use candy or chewing gum, while a bottle of water is helpful for kids.
• Close and open your mouth once in a while.
• "Blow off" your ears: you should breathe in, then pinch your nose with your fingers and breathe out, like you are pushing the air through your ears. This method should be used carefully if you have allergic sniffles or a runny nose.

If your ears are still clogged, you need to visit a doctor.

8. Take a flight with a stuffy nose

A stuffy nose adds much pressure to your ears, and it can lead to a trauma. Of course, no one is asking you to stay home because you have a cold, but in such cases, you need to have some vasoconstrictive drops to use before taking off and landing.

However, sinusitis and maxillitis are too serious for air trips. If you can’t cancel the flight, you should surely consult a doctor.

7. Sit motionless

During a flight, your blood circulation is slower, and sitting without any movement increases the risk of thrombosis. Follow some simple rules to avoid this:

• Stand up, and take short walks around the cabin.
• Wear clothing that doesn’t constrict your movement.
• Take your shoes off during the flight.
• In case you have blood circulation troubles, take compression socks or tights with you.
• Once in a while, do some exercise. It is enough to just lift and drop your toes and heels.

6. Drink carbonated drinks

5. Take the rear seats if you have motion sickness.

Everybody knows the rule: if you have motion sickness, you shouldn’t sit in the back seat. This rule works on a plane as well. In order to avoid uncomfortable feelings, it is better to choose the front seats or places near the wings. A day before the flight, it is also a good idea to take care of what you eat: don’t eat anything fried or fatty and don’t drink any alcohol.

4. Touch surrounding objects without any reason

A plane is a "hometown" for loads of bacteria. Former passengers could leave anything in the seatback pockets and on the tray tables. Sanitation does not take place after every single flight, so all the bacteria can migrate to your hands. Don’t touch anything excessively, and take alcohol wipes with you.

3. Use phone devices onboard

Don’t try to post pics while you are in the air. It is too dangerous! As you know, takeoff and landing are the most difficult stages of the flight. The signal of your gadget can cause interference in the radio communication and the navigation system, and the pilot might not hear information transmitted by the traffic controller. Remember that when a smartphone is simply locked and you’re not using it, it is still searching for a network, and its frequency may overlap with the frequency of aircraft devices.

2. Use airplane headphones

The headphones you’re given on the plane are not new, despite the fact they are always in a little plastic bag. Between flights, used headphones get cleaned and repacked. But it is hard to clean headphones properly. Even after treatment, they are not as safe and clean as a new set. So it’s better to use your own headphones.

1. Go barefoot

It might be tempting to slip off your shoes during a long flight to get comfortable, but this is definitely not a good idea. Not only is it unsanitary to expose your feet to the well-worn floors and potentially spread germs yourself but it is also just plain rude.

Please note: This article was updated in September 2022 to correct source material and factual inaccuracies.

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