Eat, Sleep, Breathe, Travel

Sometimes it smells on the plane

I thought this was pretty amusing, this article about stinky things on airplanes. Have you ever been on an airplane where something (or someone) smelled really bad?

It’s not often we're in such a confined space with so many other people for such long stretches of time. We're not usually so at the mercy of others people's smells. It does call for some level of consideration.

There have been times when I’ve wanted to pick up some McDonald’s or something just before a flight. But I always feel kind of weird and bad about making everyone smell my Big Mac. So I usually don’t do it.

That said, at least Big Macs smell pretty good (in my opinion). They certainly smell better than some of the offensive odors described in the article. Smelly feet, changing baby diapers, rowdy cheeses, people painting their fingernails. In one instance, a woman was told to stop painting her nails, and after sneaking into the bathroom to finish the job, she was eventually arrested (thanks to a foul-mouthed confrontation with a flight attendant).

The article offers helpful advice for being a courteous and non-smelly flier. Try to shower before your flight, go easy on the perfume and cologne, and in the hours before departure, try to avoid eating foods that might make you toot.

Photo: Bekathwia via Flickr (CC)

In-flight missed connections

This is kind of funny.

Have you ever had a connection with a stranger sitting next to you on a plane, only to go your separate ways at the baggage claim without exchanging phone numbers, email addresses, or full names, realizing with regret that you’ll never see the person again? I haven’t. But I’m sure a lot of people have.

That’s why this Australian guy created a website wemetonaplane.com. This is where you go to find that special someone you bonded with, as you kick yourself for not getting his or her contact info. It’s basically “missed connections” for airline travelers. The guy who created the site met his own girlfriend on a plane, so he knows what he’s talking about.

I checked out the site, but to be honest I didn't get that into it. What I did find interesting in the article was that airlines are starting to integrate Facebook and other social media into their in-flight seating processes. KLM has considered letting fliers pick their seatmates on Facebook, while Malaysian Airlines already lets travelers see where their Facebook friends are sitting.

It's clear, as social media continues to become more and more a part of our lives, there will be many ways in which your flight abroad can be more like a romantic comedy.

Photo: Anita363 via Flickr (CC)

Flight safety gets into the holiday spirit

I will most likely never fly on Cebu Pacific Airlines based out of Manila, and I assume many of you never will either. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy their special holiday flight safety dance, performed to the sounds of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You”.

You can watch the airline’s official video here. It's sure to get you in the holiday mood, while also getting you to think about flight safety.

This isn’t the first time the crew of Cebu Pacific has danced the flight safety presentation. In fact, their most famous rendition was done to “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga. It became something of a viral sensation last year.

A Cebu Pacific spokesperson says they decided to add dance and music to the usually boring flight safety message to get more people to pay attention. I’m all for it. If nothing else, it adds a little color to the beginning of the flight, and it kind of breaks the ice.

I like when airlines inject a little humor and lightness to the flying experience, whether it's the flight safety video or the tone of the crew speaking on the intercom. There’s no reason zooming through the air at 40,000 feet should be taken so seriously.

Photo: kalevkevad via Flickr (CC)