Enjoy Your Flight by Being Prepared

As I sit at the airport and wait and wait for a flight that has been delayed three hours, I look around and wonder how prepared these people really are for flying nightmares. We have all heard the reports of delayed and canceled flights, thousands some days. We have unfortunately heard of plane crashes and near misses and know air travel is still the safest form of travel but are we ready if something goes wrong?

During the pandemic, travel was down 70 percent. Airlines were worried about surviving. This resulted in laying off staff, shedding pilots, selling and retiring aircraft.

Delta let go 30 percent of their employees, almost 30,000 people. Other airlines did the same. Airlines were trying to reduce expenses with the anticipation that income would go down with fewer people flying.

Becoming a pilot is not an entry-level job. It takes years of training. There is also a mandatory retirement age for pilots. If a pilot becomes ill there are no “extra” pilots to take their place.

TSA is woefully understaffed. It is difficult to find workers for loading and unloading planes when easier jobs pay more. If a TSA worker becomes ill, there are no others to replace them, thus loading and unloading planes takes longer.

And, then there is the weather.

A few years ago, the Denver airport was closed for four days due to an overwhelming blizzard. The experience of a friend who was in the Denver airport during that December blizzard should help you change your mind about traveling bare-bones light.

Wednesday afternoon, December 20th. I had just picked up my son at the airport and we were driving home when he got a frantic text message from his friend who left BYU-Idaho two days before, telling him she was stranded at the Denver airport and didn’t know if she could get home to St. Louis before Friday. Thus began a harrowing week for his friend, and her family and friends.

Let me see if I can help you understand the chaos that ensued: First the friend was talking to her dad trying to get some help and comfort when her cell phone went dead. There she was, along with nearly 5000 other passengers all trying to contact family through overloaded cellular systems, and very long lines for very few working pay phones, at least there were pay phones. Passengers have just been told they will be at the airport for at least two more days.

Everyone makes a mad dash to buy some food and drink, but no one is accepting debit or credit cards because the computers are down. Go to an ATM for cash? After a very short time there is no longer cash in the ATM machines, or they are not working at all. By the time the ATMs are working again, all the restaurants and food venders are out of food and the Red Cross is still not able to get in with supplies. Everyone is stuck. It has only been one day and already there is no food, no bottled drinks, and no way to get any delivered because the roads are closed.

At this point it is time to think about just getting some rest and hoping tomorrow will be better. The airport staff has been out to the planes and opened those planes with doors that were not frozen shut and gathered all the blankets. Another line in the terminal forms to get one blanket per person, if you are lucky. Our friend waits for two hours to get a blanket.

There are a few cots, but they are reserved for those 75 years old or older. Families have their children sleeping on luggage they have stacked together to keep them from having to sleep on the floor. And then there are those stuck in airplanes on the tarmac, where snow is too deep to taxi the planes to the gate so passengers can disembark.

Finally, the airlines unload passengers who were stuck on planes. Inside the terminal, some passengers are invited to go to baggage claim to pick up their luggage. Hundreds are now trying to find luggage that hopefully will contain a few things to make this “adventure” more bearable. But no… now that they have their luggage they are not allowed to return to the comfort and warmth of the terminal boarding areas. This is because they are only allowing those with a boarding pass through — the departure areas of the terminal are “secure” areas.

Naturally those who were stranded on planes do not have boarding passes. This leaves those who went to fetch their luggage stranded in the baggage claim and passenger check-in areas — sleeping on luggage conveyer belts or on concrete floors where, in addition to the colder temperatures, they are now joined by bugs and mice (who are also cold and looking for a warm place to snuggle). Of course, no one is really sleeping anyway, for fear someone will steal his or her luggage.

To further sour the situation, passengers are now told they probably can’t get out on a flight until Christmas Eve, three days away.

Cait finally made it out of the airport when a family member drove to pick her up.

Winter is not the only time an airport may be shut down for long periods. An earthquake destroying roads and bridges, a hurricane mayhem on the roads and building failure, a mass power grid failure, there are so many other scenarios.

Be the one who others envy by being prepared.

Carry-On Essentials

Learn from this next time you or a family member is traveling, especially during the winter months, there are a few things you should be sure to include in your carry-on baggage.

1. Carry your cell phone charger: There are not many, but there are wall plugs throughout the airport and some recharging stations. Being stuck in an airport overnight is bad enough, but when you cannot communicate with loved ones, mere trials become ordeals.
2. Emergency ID Card: Always carry an emergency card with your name, home address, allergies, and medical conditions, in your carry-on bag. Also, carry phone numbers for family and friends. When stressed, we can forget these numbers. Have them written down just in case your cell phone dies.
3. Carry cash: Small bills are best. Retailers may not accept large bills in an emergency, so be prepared with ones, fives, and tens. Consider what it might cost to eat, buy supplies, or even a magazine, and multiply by two or three days. Don’t be caught short. I recently experienced a 9-hour delay due to thunderstorms. Fortunately, the power remained on but if it had not, I did have cash in small bills on hand.
4. Carry some food for backup: Stranded for four days, our friend only had two candy bars and a cookie. Consider carrying a few high-calorie bars like those in a five-day kit. Some of these bars taste terrible, but others are really good and taste like shortbread cookies. Buy some and have your family test them first. For your travel day, pack a lunch with a sandwich, a few carrot sticks, protein bars and an apple… if you don’t need them, well you were prepared, but if you do need them, they will be priceless. Avoid salty foods that will make you thirsty, like chips and jerky.  FYI, if you want to keep your food cold freeze a bottle of water. Frozen water can be taken thru security.
5. Drinks: With the new flight regulations it is difficult to carry drinks, but as soon as you get through security, if you think there may be any chance your flight will be delayed or canceled, purchase a bottle of water. You can refill these as often as you need at a water fountain. Hard candy and lifesavers help to keep your mouth moist, too. I carry an empty water bottle and fill it when I get through security.
6. Vitamins: One of the first things the Red Cross brought in after three days was a baggie with vitamins for each passenger.
7. Medications: Always carry your prescriptions in your carry-on bag. Add pain relievers, stomach medication, cold relievers — you know the drill. All of these come in various forms, so you don’t have to worry about liquids at security.
8. Change of clothing: Include a change of underwear and a clean shirt in your carry-on. It is amazing how much better a change of clothes makes you feel.
9. Personal hygiene items: Folks in Denver were longing for their toothbrushes. You can get toothpaste, soap, shaving cream, deodorant, etc. in travel sizes now. All of these will be some of the first things to sell out at the shops, not to mention feminine supplies. Anything you couldn’t live without goes in the carry-on. While you are at it, include a washcloth.
10. Mark your luggage in a unique way: If you are competing with hundreds or thousands of others with look-alike bags, attach a crazy luggage tag, colored duct tape, or a wild sticker to your bag to distinguish it from all the rest.
11. Insect repellent: Sounds crazy, I know, but I would rather not be bug bait.
12. Pack a diversion: If you are traveling with young children, pack books, crayons, paper, or a favorite stuffed animal. In our five-day kits we suggest including include a small inflatable beach ball and Styrofoam airplanes. These are cheap, practically weightless, and could be fun for a long time. If they happen to hit someone nearby, they will not injure or make tempers flare. For adults, include a book, magazines, crossword, Sudoku, or a travel game. If you are depending on the games on your laptop you may want to think again; you will need to recharge the battery and everyone with a charger will be looking for a place to plug in computers and phones.
13. Mylar survival blanket: If you are lucky enough to get a blanket, you will want to use it as a covering and that leaves you sleeping on a filthy floor. Place your Mylar blanket on the floor and even though insects may still visit you, the surface under you is clean, and the foil side of your blanket will reflect and retain your body heat.
14. Travel soft: If you are traveling with two carry-on pieces, put your soft items in one bag, like your backpack, and keep bulky shoes, camera, etc. in the other bag. Now your backpack is ready to be used as a pillow if the need arises. There were no pillows provided to passengers during the Denver airport shutdown.
15. Moist towelettes and tissues: If you are stranded like passengers in Denver, help and supplies can’t get in. Restrooms run out of supplies, food courts run out of napkins, and Kleenex — forget it.
16. Carry on your eyeglasses: If you wear contacts you may need to take them out if you are stranded for a day not just a few hours.

You may think the above list looks extreme, but what will the headlines say thirty days from now? With a little time gathering the items we already own, and a small investment to buy a few others, we can all be better prepared and survive quite well, any airport challenge that awaits us.

Our grandson recently returned from a mission in Chile. There was a flight delay, and he missed his connecting flight in Los Angeles. Missionaries travel home without a phone, hard to believe. He was stranded trying to make a connection with no way to call home to let his family know the situation. A week before a friend returning from a mission had the same experience. He contacted the mission home, but they failed to contact his family, so they went to the airport, and he was not on the flight! Can you imagine and angst of those parents? Our grandson was luckier as he was able to borrow a phone and let us know the situation. He was also lucky that someone recognized he looked lost, and they bought him lunch and allowed him to call his mom. Next, he was stranded in Portland but fortunately another family recognized he was a returning missionary and they bought him dinner and allowed him to use their phone. The point? Airline travel is never a sure thing.

Recently there have been several air disasters. Thankfully not all have been fatal and that brings up another consideration. Did you see video of the passengers being rescued from the plane that ended upside down on the runway? Can you imagine being rescued from an airplane and you are wearing flip flops or high heels? As I sit here I wonder, “what is she thinking” as I people watch. I know we all want to look our best when we are greeted by family and friends as we arrive at our destination but…

Consider these:

1. When you are traveling wear comfortable shoes and carry the heels with you. Many of us have had the experience of gate changes and walking from one gate to another can be a long distance in many airports. Also, if the worst happens and you need to evacuate good shoes are a huge advantage. Years ago, we were landing in San Francisco at the same time there was an earthquake. After the rolling and shaking stopped we were evacuated from the plane on a taxiway and had to walk to the terminal and up a long flight of stairs. In the scenario in Denver passengers had to walk in the snow to the terminal when their plane was finally evacuated.
2. Dress with a challenge in mind. Ask yourself, if my flight is delayed 9 hours (as mine was) or canceled, do I want to be sleeping in the airport in what I am wearing? A short skirt or tight pants may not be the most comfortable laying on the floor or leaning against a wall for hours.
3. Dress in layers. If you are stuck in an airport or on a plane while waiting for a gate to open be ready. Airplanes can be cold! On my flight this week I was freezing, and the flight attendant said she had asked for the temperature to be raised but it wasn’t happening. When we were stuck on the plane waiting to be evacuated following the earthquake in San Francisco it got so hot!

Flying is exciting and the majority of the time your flight will be without incident.

We cannot prevent disasters, but we can lessen the challenge, prepare for them so the effects are less devastating. Mitigate a travel disaster by traveling with all the “right stuff”.

Carolyn is always available to answer questions and share tips by commenting here or on Facebook.