While it’s a little gauche to complain about travelling, we all know that it can get pretty stressful. But travelling for work carries its own tenuousness, where the slightest hitch can throw everything off.
With that in mind, we’ve asked four routine jet-setters for their top travel tips. These answers could save you from the flight from hell. We’ve even asked the hardest questions of them all: Window or aisle?
Teigan Nash, ambassador for Tourism Australia
Frequent Flyer credentials
Between her ambassador role as a presenter for Aussie News Today and the Girls who Glow adolescent workshops she runs nationally, Teigan travels across Australia constantly. While that means she doesn’t have too many issues with jet-lag, the short-term flight remains surprisingly taxing and comes with its own set of frustrations.
Tips to travel by
Teigan offered up not one, but three must-do tips for pre-flight. Number one is “pack snacks!”, which is a message I can whole-heartedly endorse. Before we fall into a full Seinfeld routine, lets just say steering clear of airplane food is probably best for both body and wallet.
Like most of us, Teigan finds the pressurised cabin can cause her stomach to go a little crazy. But she has a secret weapon: she “always brings fennel or peppermint tea bags”, especially on the longer flights. Her final tip is to keep active.
“When I am at the airport I like to keep my body moving, especially if I am going to be sitting for a long time! I do laps of the airport,” she says.
Like this, but with less escalator strips. (Image credit: Kath & Kim)
Lightning round
Fold or roll? “Fold!! My suitcase is probably something I am most proud of, I like to have everything organised and in its place.”
Aisle or window? “Long Haul flights: window. Short: aisle.”
Must have on-board item? “Rose mist face mask! It keeps the skin hydrated.”
What do you never travel without? “My camera and my diary. I have to document everything.”
Ben Lenart, co-founder of Almighty
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUdimZMAF9h/?tagged=almightynz
Frequent flyer credentials
Ben Lenart is one of the co-founders of Almighty, a New Zealand natural juice company which funds veggie patches in schools with each bottle sold. While they’re based in Wellington, they’re expanding into Aus, so in addition to jetting off all around New Zealand, Ben’s pretty much back-and-forth across the ditch, Tips to travel by
Ben finds himself running from one thing to the next a lot, so he finds the best way to travel is to keep it as simple as possible. One big thing for him is re-conceptualising how he packs.
“Pack smart and pack light”, he says. “I try to only ever take what I need for the time I’m away, otherwise it all becomes too much and can slow the whole airport process down.”
Once he’s on-board, he makes the most of the situation.
“Get to your seat and get comfy,” he says. “I immediately try and disconnect to use the time as a break. Something interesting to read is always on hand and I always have a little notebook with me for those lightbulb moments that need writing down.”
Lightning round
Fold or roll? “I’ve rolled a few times before, but haven’t made it into a habit yet. You could classify me as an aspiring roller.”
Aisle or window? “Window 100% — it lets me relax.”
Must have on-board item? “Headphones. They’re great to block out plane noises and occasionally, any little ones on-board.”
What do you never travel without? “Two things — headphones and something to read. I can make it by if I forgot everything else, just not the things I need to relax.”
Sean Satha, founder of Local Supply
Sean Satha. (Credit: supplied)
Frequent flyer credentials
Since Sean’s in the sunglasses business, he pretty much follows summer around the globe. For Local Supply, he estimates each year he travels internationally about 8-10 times a year – on top of that, he travels interstate all the time between Melbourne and Brisbane.
Tips to travel by
For Sean, the worst thing about travelling is trying to adjust to timezones. When he lands, he avoids napping as much as he can to fall into the rhythm of things, but generally, it’s coming back home that proves hardest.
Since he wakes up at 5am or so each day, he has to be pretty diligent with falling back into routine. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a trick, and reckons you just have to bear through it. Damn.
One thing he can recommend is throwing yourself straight into a city as soon as you land (well, Sean normally showers first). It’s the best way to avoid the temptations of a nap – and squeezes every last moment from your trip.
“To get a feel of the city, I generally avoid taxis and I like to hit the pavement and explore – but I’m terrible with directions so I use Google Maps to get everywhere when travelling,” says Sean. “My battery never lasts long – and I’m completely lost without my phone. [You have to] take some sort of spare battery pack for your phone.”
Lightning round
Roll or fold? “Roll. 100%. Particularly t-shirts. You’ve gotta roll them tightly so they don’t wrinkle.”
What do you never travel without? “My Local Supply sunnies, of course! But I also have one of those universal conversion plugs that I love. I always take that and one of those power boards with like 5 plugs. I guess I take being charged up very seriously! I also put together lists from friends of stores, bars and restaurants to check out.”
Steven Marks, founder of Guzman Y Gomez
Pictured: Steven Marks. (Photo: supplied)
Flying frequent credentials
Steven’s a New Yorker who founded a Mexican restaurant in Australia which now has over one hundred stores, including some in Singapore and Tokyo. It’s safe to say he’s in a plane a fair bit.
Tips to travel by
Steven got a little philosophical on me, and wrote about the importance of opening yourself up to the people you meet along your travels, and always to be grateful of the opportunity. Which is definitely true, but also, strictly speaking, not a travel hack.
When pushed, he said that his tip for travelling is pretty simple: he drinks a lot of water, and a few glasses of red. He also recommends making the most of those rare off-the-grid hours in the air.
“What I love about flying is that it gives me the time to slow down,” he says. “When I’m in the air, I have a chance to catch up on old school movie classics, read a little, and write down my thoughts — ease the daily chaos.”
Lightning round
Roll or fold? “I’m a folder.”
Aisle or window? “It depends. If it’s a long haul I prefer the window. On short hauls, I prefer the aisle.”
Must have on-board item? “My Bose headphones. But I try to pack all my items in a carry-on.”
What do you never travel without? “My passport, my phone, notebook and photos of my daughters. My phone allows me to share my journey with my family & with my crew.”
Image: Kath & Kim
