Don't forget in your hand luggage
Are you going on holiday to Thailand soon by plane? Then there are a number of things that you should not forget to take with you in your hand luggage. Welkekoffer.nl has selected six items for your hand luggage that ensure that you can fly to Bangkok with peace of mind.
1. Chewing gum
You know that strange feeling in your ears when you're on a plane that's descending? You can prevent that 'popping', or at least reduce it by chewing gum or a candy. Another tip is to yawn regularly, you will immediately feel your ears pop open. Perhaps the most important recommendation, ask your neighbor to wake you up before the fall has started. Do you only wake up when the plane has already touched the ground? Then, in all probability, you can no longer hear your neighbor. Nice and quiet, also an advantage.
2. Phone charger
Besides chewing gum, your phone charger is also an essential item not to forget in your hand luggage. What if your large suitcase gets lost or left behind? Then you can at least continue to use your main means of communication (mobile phone). That gives, under circumstances, a little more a sense of peace.
3. Music
Nothing is as nice as closing off all the noise in an airplane. Choose that tasty playlist that will help you through the hours on the plane. Have you ever considered an audiobook? Also a nice option, listen to a fascinating story and hang back with your eyes closed in your airplane seat.
4. Reading material
Are you a student? Then make sure you bring a study book, but only a study book. This almost forces you to do something useful with the available time on the plane to the Land of Smiles. Done with the study yet? Then at least provide reading material to kill time. Think of a good book or e-reader, interesting magazine or simply the newspaper.
5. Tablet/Phone
When you have thought about your phone charger, but not your phone, it becomes difficult, logical. But you may underestimate the usefulness of the mobile phone. Put emergency telephone numbers, such as the telephone number to block your debit card, on your Gmail. You can access this from anywhere in the world. A tablet mainly provides entertainment on the road with games and series. Netflix is the magic word here.
6. Medicines
It sounds obvious, but many people forget to take medicines with them in their hand luggage. It may also be that the risk is simply taken that you can get back to the medication in time. But why take this risk? You are allowed to take medicines with you in your hand luggage, so do this! And even if you don't use any medication, it can be useful to take some paracetamol with you, because of the flying at high altitudes and the dry air in the plane, some people get a headache, so it's nice to have a painkiller with you.
Don't underestimate the preparation for your trip. When you do this well, it gives a nice feeling of peace.
I myself would also bring a toothbrush with paste (I bought a nice set in a box here in Thailand). An extra shirt is not a bad thing and some deodorant. If you sit with your arms next to your body for ten hours and had already been on the road for a few hours before that, the bacterial colony under your arms will have grown considerably.
Also your valuable documents in your hand luggage!!
Do you have a laptop, DO NOT put it in your suitcase. In your hand luggage.
Chewing gum hardly helps. You simply have to close your mouth during a landing, pinch your nose and gently try to breathe out through the nose. This fills the Eustachian tubes and creates counter pressure. You will notice yourself when you feel better. Especially don't blow too hard, because otherwise you will have a great earache. It is also the reason why you should never fly with a (nasal) cold. You can then exert no counter-pressure.
There are two things you should put in your hand luggage: things you can use during the flight and things you absolutely mustn't lose.
A suitcase can be lost sooner than hand luggage. Fortunately I have never lost anything, but I did not get my suitcase on time three or four times. Suitcases can get lost (although the chances are minimal - even less than your plane crashing).
And suitcases get stolen. Where you stand. There are known tricks where, for example, someone with a large suitcase steals your suitcase. This is simply placed over your own suitcase and then it is taken away.
When landing I always use the caps that divers put in their ears when diving. Works perfectly….for me anyway. And as for suitcases and or hand luggage, there are entire tribes that never learn, I amuse myself watching people who are so terribly inattentive and leave their luggage unattended. Have already been able to prevent a theft once, how fast that man could run when I shouted that he was the thief. He dropped everything and disappeared into the crowd.
This solution was offered to me by the cabin crew and it helps.
2 empty plastic cups with cotton wool soaked in water on both ears keep problem solved. Tip bring your own wimps.
Chewing gum is more useful to prevent an unpleasant odor from the mouth, provided you have not brought a toothbrush and toothpaste. You can buy a small package (at Schiphol or at the drugstore), because a large tube is unfortunately not allowed on the plane. My transfers in Dubai are always gratefully used by me to refresh myself, including brushing my teeth!
Phone charger is possible, but a "power bank" seems even better to me; A device the size of at most a pack of cigarettes with 5000 mAh (or more) of power. Enough to charge your phone (approximately 2500 mah) and possibly also provide your tablet with some reserve power.
Please note that many airlines are very careful with extra batteries in luggage these days! Lithium Ion batteries can sometimes catch fire (rare, but Martijn Krabbe and KLM can relate).
I always have a bottle of nasal spray with me, spray 5 to 10 minutes before take-off or landing and no problem.
Batteries and power banks are allowed in hand luggage, but not in the suitcase.
Also remember, for example, to take nail clippers from the hand luggage and in the suitcase, on the outward flight via Dubai it was no problem, but on the return journey it was a problem in Dubai and it was taken. They pointed to a large placard that would have it on it, but it only had scissors on it (perhaps the security guard wanted it himself.
In Dubai I often have problems and transfer many things from my toiletry bag in the hand luggage to the suitcase.
Hello editors,
Just 3 very important additions.
– Ladies with a “spacious” avoid an extra bra in hand luggage, because those twin caps you see here
can buy is a hoot.
Plus a change of clothes.
– So also with a bathing suit is the same story, and maybe a pareo is also easy.
– For example, one has 2 suitcases.
Put half man/partner and half woman/partner luggage in both suitcases.
One always has something when one suitcase arrives or disappears later.
LOUISE
Louise, your last comment about those two suitcases is the best and most genius comment I've read. I have been on the road myself for more than 30 years and have already received my suitcase late on holidays three times. If I had done it that way, I would never have had to buy extra stuff.
Only: your partner must of course also want to cooperate. Then if a suitcase is missing, it is guaranteed to be the suitcase with the most valuable things – the wife's… my ex would have been whining and complaining until the suitcase arrived, even though she had half to get through those days .
With her the glass was never half full, but already half empty... 🙂
You can take medicines with you, but make sure you always have a medicine passport with you (English) which you can get from your GP/pharmacy. It prevents problems if people check your belongings and do not know what medication you actually have with you.
What I actually think is one of the most important things is, suppose your suitcase is gone… so always take 1 spare underpants and 1 t-shirt with you in your hand luggage (that's just handy and doesn't take up any space)
Seen a few people getting food on their clothes from clumsy neighbours/FA or their own fumbling. Then it's nice that you can change clothes for a while. I have colleagues who never provide hand luggage with clothing. Luggage always arrives. Until you've experienced it once. Then make sure you have something with you. but also not such a big suitcase that needs the entire luggage compartment to hide. I listened to an audiobook last time and it was quite fun. I had a bit of a preconception that it would have a high Dikkiedik content, but it was nice and exciting.
“I would also bring a toothbrush with paste”
Are there any airlines that don't offer this on long-haul flights?
“Are there still companies”….. on the contrary. You used to get that kind of thing, but some leave this kind of thing out of the range to save weight and thus costs.
You don't get that with my old employer. Long ago maybe. I've never flown with Etihad or any other Arab airline, so I can't speak for that.
Do you let everything depend on others?
I'm a pretty easygoing passenger: I bring my own entertainment, drink little or no alcohol and really just want to be left alone.
In all the years that I worked as a steward, I was always amazed at people who really didn't take anything with them.
By the way, I have some good advice for flights in general and especially to Bangkok!
BRING A PEN. You have to fill in the landing cards. And while there are pens on board, there are never enough. This small writing utensil is very handy. You'll probably have to share it because if you follow my advice, you'll be the only one in your line carrying one!
Take light summer clothes with you in your hand luggage and change your winter clothes with those summer clothes on the way. Otherwise you will fall over from the heat upon arrival in Thailand. Especially if you come here in the winter and keep your winter clothes on. With summer clothes on you feel really comfortable on arrival. Bringing earplugs is also a must, so you won't be bothered by your ears during take-off and landing. Some toilet supplies are also recommended to refresh yourself in the morning.
What you should also not forget… .. If you are used to carrying a pocket knife with you. Never put it in your pocket or hand luggage. You are guaranteed to lose it. Always take it with you in your main luggage.
Read very interesting tips above!
The same goes for the t-shirt.
Pants quickly take up some space, don't do that.
But have such an oversized thin summer shirt with buttons.
Very light in your hand luggage, does not wrinkle, and if you wear it standing loose from the trousers, it will still come over your crotch. Why that is useful?
For some reason, spill a few drops of red wine or coffee while sitting. On your beautiful trousers. Then such a shirt is the salvation!
A plastic bottle is also useful in your hand luggage. After boarding you can fill it at the toilets. Even though you get plenty to drink on the plane, if you fly at night they don't walk around as much.
Yvon,
On the longer flights there are always cups with drinks and a small snack in the pantry. You can just grab it. So you are not only dependent on the behavior of the cabin crew.
Niek
Do you trust the taps in the toilet areas on board to provide drinking water? I don't – and it is often indicated………….
Yvon, good advice, but not all companies have a drinking water supply at the toilets. I wouldn't drink the water that comes out of the tap of the toilets. Unless, of course, it is specified. There is such a facility on the Airbus 360 (at LH). It will be different for every company.
But you can ask the cabin crew to refill your bottle before and during the service.
As a steward, I never had a problem with that. Sometimes people asked me if I could mix that with a splash of apple juice. That also works.
I always put everything in my hand luggage and I really like that.
Please DO NOT take toiletries with you in your hand luggage. Because the toilet in the plane is a toilet! And no bathroom. By using it as a bathroom, a traffic jam is created for people who have to go to the toilet.
If you bring contact lens fluid, for example, also think of the transparent 1 liter bag for liquids for boarding control (it is indicated there, but I don't know if they are still very strict about that). I didn't have it with me the last time and put it in a standard opaque bag, this didn't cause any problems.