What makes for an amazing flight? One thing I know for certain is that the experience begins with you. If possession is nine-tenths of the law, perception is nine-tenths of reality! You can’t travel well and have an amazing experience without looking after your own well-being to start with, so here’s my mixed bag of tips to help you, covering frequent traveller savvy, technology and health.
Frequent Traveller Savvy
1) Carry less, worry less
Wherever possible don’t check-in hold baggage. If you fly often, chances are you are flying on business. Frequent business travel is stressful enough, don’t add lost luggage to the list.
2) Lose the booze
The Mediterranean diet with its recommendation of the occasional glass of wine with meals may be good on the ground but not at 36,000 feet. Ditching alcohol when flying has several benefits. The main one of relevance to flyers is that alcohol interferes with the quality of sleep you get and it encourages the conditions favourable to jet lag. If you really must drink, save it till the return leg of your journey after a successful business outcome.
3) Hydrate like cacti!
Sip or guzzle your way to better performance on business trips by being super hydrated. It is vitally important, as altitude disrupts the proper function of human physiology. Physical and mental performance suffers when you are dehydrated. Take a refillable bottle which can be emptied before boarding and ask cabin crew to fill it with water on the plane.
4) Light is a double-edged sword
If you have ever been woken up by the inconsiderate passenger who opened the window blind to let daylight in while you were napping, I dare say you know the value of sleep masks. Over and above that, there is the challenge of night-time ambient light disruption to contend with. This is now a problem because lights we leave on at night are robbing us of true darkness and interfering with our circadian rhythms (body clocks). Avoid this hazard by packing those sleep masks for the plane and your hotel room.
Technology
5) Mix and match devices
While wearable technology is all the rage, a mixture of high and low-tech wearables is the way to go.
Low tech tools:
- Magnetic insoles – Buy quality insoles with a good gauss rating and feel the benefits especially if you spend time on the road on your feet. Magnetic therapy is an alternative medical practice that uses static (i.e. unmoving) magnets to alleviate pain and other health concerns.
- Blue blocker eyewear – Frequent flyers are either chased by or following the sun. As such they get too much or too little daylight, neither is ideal as it, again, upsets circadian rhythms. Blue-blocking eyewear can help and they shield you from too much blue light from your gadgets too.
High tech tools:
- A quality sleep monitor- the Oura ring is recommended. It monitors sleep and gives you recommendations based on the data it collects. The Oura ring has been found to be 96 percent accurate as compared to sleep lab equipment by the Stanford Research Institute.
6) Track fitness on the road
Once upon a time, airlines had all flying crew take health checkups on a regular basis to ensure they were fit to fly. Being fit to fly is now left to the individual and it is a metric every frequent flyer should keep an eye on. Within that metric, sleep quality and quantity are ones to watch. Keeping an eye on your heart rate variability (otherwise known as HRV) is a handy tool to gauge sleep requirements, given that nights out of bed and poor-quality sleep come with frequent flying. HRV is easy to track with a variety of wearables and apps on your smartphone.
7) Get into Earthing
Earthing is the habit of connecting with the inexhaustible number of negative electrons which act as antioxidants in the human body. It is as simple as going outside and connecting bare feet to the earth. As a flyer, you are cooped up on a plane with low-quality oxygen and lots of static. The best way to discharge that static and help avoid jet lag is to connect with the earth to help drive the charge off your body. Clinical trials have been conducted to demonstrate the efficacy of earthing as a health tool, including for jet lag and there are simple accessories available to help you ground indoors if going outside is not an option.
Health
8) Start a quality supplement program
The quality of food on the road is never consistent but you can’t afford to deprive yourself of the fuel you need. As hard as you try to make good choices, it’s better to always have a backup. Supplement with dense nutrition and focus on supplements specific for flyers.
9) Leverage local knowledge on your journey
Shockingly, only 1% of business travellers would talk to fellow travellers sitting next to them. Besides the social impact that has, you never know what they might know about your destination. It could make a world of difference to your experience.
10) Roll with the punches
The more you travel the more likely you are to face disruption. How you handle disruption can colour your experience of the journey, especially when you face circumstances beyond your control. Being able to roll with the punches and be unflappable is definitely one way to maximise your travel pleasure.
Further Reading
It was Leonardo Da Vinci who said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. But in a world with so many choices at our fingertips, it can seem that this level of sophistication is unattainable. More to the point, with trends changing quicker than we can say “rose gold’, how can our wardrobe remain timelessly stylish as well as travel-proof?
Well, thank your stars for Alex Longmore, the celebrity stylist sharing her secrets with us! Gone are the days of packing a separate outfit for every eventuality. Welcome to the world of mix-and-match minimalism- your wardrobe and suitcase hope you stay here forever.
Secret 1: Have a purge of your wardrobe and then acquire these staple items.
Alex says:
“I always suggest to my clients to avoid patterns and go for separates. Items that can be dressed up or down depending on day meetings or socialising at night are really useful. A plain coloured silk shirt is a must as is a really good pair of tailored black trousers. Tailored jackets are an excellent component and I recommend wearing shawls instead of jumpers or cardigans. The latter can just be annoying in heating and air-con and isn’t fluid or flattering to an outfit.”
Secret 2: The possibilities are endless.
Alex says:
“Everything should be like a uniform in your working wardrobe so you can mix and match everything together. The golden rule is ‘nothing is surplus and everything has a function’- stick to this and you can’t go wrong. It is always much better to buy in bulk, so do one shopping trip per season, that way when you are trying everything on at once you know that everything can be mix and matched and go together to make complete outfits. Less is most definitely more when it comes to a working wardrobe. I suggest sticking to block colours and buy your foundation pieces in dark navy, grey or black, by these I mean trousers or skirts. Reserve colour for around the face and wear in soft silks or wools.”
Secret 3: Get rid of these pieces…
Alex says:
“I’m not a fan of the pencil skirt- it’s not practical or flattering to wear. I also don’t think it is right to look too much like a clothes horse in the workplace and adopt the major catwalk trends. I like my clients to look super chic and stylish but with their personality shining through first and foremost, not the personality of the designers they are wearing. I think dressing in a statement piece at work is a bit too OTT unless of course, you work at Vogue where it is de regeur!”
If you need a little help, here are some ensembles to get you started. All you need inside one suitcase!
Scenario 1: Airport/flying
“Long-haul – something smart but very wearable. I advise going to the airport in trousers and a comfortable jumper and changing on the plane into cashmere tracksuit bottoms and always taking your own socks and travel blanket. Always take a top and underwear to change into as it will make you feel fresh on arrival. Take Gwyneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham as your style gurus when it comes to looking good at the airport. A Louis Vuitton ‘never full’ carry-on bag and a pair of big shades is a life saver. I never leave home or travel without mine.”
Scenario 2: A business meeting/The office
“A fitted blazer jacket, black trousers that don’t necessarily have to match the jacket, a silk shirt and some flat pointed shoes. If you want to accessorise, a scarf or an over the body bag but never statement jewellery. I discourage it in the workplace – its distracting.”
Get the look: Tailored black blazer by OASIS.
Scenario 3: Meal with clients
“I would wear either a fitted or slimline dress- this is when you can wear a statement piece of jewellery and heels. If you’re on your feet from day to evening, have a shirt hanging in the office and an evening clutch bag. I would go for black silk to work with what you are already wearing and change your heels.”
Get the look: Stuart Weitzman classic pumps. Add them to your collection here.
Scenario 4: The hotel gym
There is such a huge trend for sportswear luxe right now- you are spoilt for choice! A lot of people think it doesn’t matter what you wear to the gym and pound the treadmill in an old oversized t-shirt. Let me tell you it really does matter! Get yourself to Sweaty Betty pronto for workout kit that is stylish and supportive. I believe women should be stylish whatever activity they are partaking in during their day-to-day. There are no ‘off’ days when it comes to looking good. It’s amazing what a difference it makes mentally when you look good in every area of your dressed life. It does huge amounts to build confidence and help with efficiency for example.”
Get the look: Tight Stuff Tight II by Lululemon
Scenario 5: Leisure-time on a business trip
“This is your time so whether it’s lounging in your hotel room, being by the pool or taking in the local sites, it’s best to look great in something familiar and that reminds you of home. When you pack to go on your business trip, be mega-organised and really think of it as a military operation! You don’t want to have surplus items as they just cause confusion- so make sure you lay everything out in outfits before you leave including outfits for days off and chill time. In your leisure time, you can up the ante a bit and also wear more fashionable clothes expressing your personal style and taste.”
Get the look: The Loren maxi-dress by Pampelone is suitcase-friendly, lightweight, and suitable for the beach, poolside, or exploring the city.
One last tip from the guru herself:
“Be organised – put time and effort into your wardrobe. Get rid of anything and everything that doesn’t fit, or that you haven’t worn for six months or so. Everything should be streamlined and like a uniform. You should be able to open your doors and know exactly what goes with what. Everything should match together, keep your uniforms separate – work, off duty, weekend, social and even travel.”
Alex’s Favourite Brands:
Chloe for black trousers
Tracksuits from H&M, LuluLemon or Sweaty Betty.
Jimmy Choo for flats
Louboutin for heels
Alex Longmore is a celebrity stylist based in London who has dressed celebrities and leading businesswomen around the world.
With over sixteen years of experience, Alex has become a key player in the British fashion industry. Her career in fashion began in London. In the early years, she worked for Tatler and Company Magazine before moving on to The Daily Mail where she became Style Editor. In 2003 Alex embarked on a freelance career. Due to Alex’s vast knowledge and experience in her chosen field, she has become Brand Ambassador for clients including L’Oreal, Unilever and Phillips. Follow Alex @alexlongmore
Further Reading
We all know that time is our most valuable commodity, but once you factor in airport transfers, travel-time, layovers, and pre-flight waits, time becomes increasingly scarce. Our guest blogger, Pravina, is here to help you claim back your valuable time and say ‘no’ to any more travel-related inconveniences!
Before You Go
1. When you’re away most of the week, weekends should be spent basking in home comforts, not faffing with packing and unpacking.
Always keep a compartment of your suitcase packed with items you need (toiletries, chargers, international SIM, passport, etc.) and don’t remove them. When you return from a trip, replenish consumable items which need replacing. If you travel less often, keep these bits in a bag under your bed, ready to throw into your travel bag next time you go away
2. Ever pulled panties out of your bag instead of your hairbands?
Use bags like these to divide your clothes or these to divide items in your handbag to lessen time rifling through your bag. They also mean you don’t have to unpack on arrival at your hotel room if you’re only there for a night or two – you know your skirts are in the orange bag, so no need to keep them in the drawer
3. Buy yourself a portable charger. You can find a variety of chargers to suit your needs – some which can charge multiple devices (laptop, phone, tablet), which fit into your handbag, and some you can wear. Airports often don’t have accessible charging ports. No excuses for missing that important call, then!
4. Don’t search for hotels by city. Instead, search by the address of where you’ll be during the day. This allows you to maximise proximity and beauty sleep while minimising stress and time when navigating the morning rush hour in a new city.
At the Airport.
5. When checking in, ask the attendant to stick a “fragile” sticker on your hold luggage. Your luggage is more likely to be kept on top and will be one of the first bags off the plane. It’s not totally dishonest either – lacy underwear could be described as “fragile” – if not by most airlines’ definitions…
6. Use the tedious pre-flight time to make the most of the facilities you’d never usually use. You can enjoy a spa treatment, exfoliate away that dead skin and paint those neglected nails. Or go to a tanning salon so your friends believe your stories about spending days in Sao Paolo out on the sun loungers (rather than the truth of spending them inside sun-deprived boardrooms).
7. Internet access is the Second Coming of business travel – it’s promised, but we’ve yet to get it – at least to the standard required. Make sure you have reliable Wi-Fi on planes and in airports throughout the world. Subscribe to services like Boingo or Tep – they connect you in a million places across the world. You can also sign up to a global Wi-fi Pass (e.g. WorldSim)
8. If internet access is impossible or unnecessary, make the most of a rare moment without internet and interruptions. Read a book (pre-downloaded to your Kindle, of course, to save room in your bag), or improve your memory and concentration with brain games like Sudoku which require your undivided attention!
At your destination.
9. Huge queue for the taxis on arrival? Make for the cabs dropping people off at departures – you can pick up the cabs newly unloaded of passengers, without any competition. Yes, it’s less thrill than elbowing past your fellow passengers to be first in line for the taxis, but unless departures are miles away from arrivals (e.g. at a different terminal), you should get to your hotel faster.
10. Use travel-time to sort through your over-filled handbag. Filter through the important receipts you want to keep and discard the ones that only act as evidence of your coffee addiction. You’d be amazed at what you’ll find! By the time you disembark, your bag will be noticeably lighter, easier to organise, and you might have rediscovered that lipstick you thought you’d lost.
So there we have it! Which tips will you be implementing first? And more importantly, how will you fill the time you have saved? Let us know on Twitter @maiden_voyage