According to my friends, I travel a lot. On flying busses.
(To the point where a recent flight on Jetblue felt like first class. Seriously.)
It’s like I have instant amnesia when I see a flight for a ridiculously inexpensive price. Undoubtedly, I have flown with that carrier before and vowed, publicly, to never do so ever again no matter how cheap it might be. “No matter how cheap” inevitably has a price tag, and soon enough, there I am cramped into a yoga position on the middle seat of a plastic bench with a fold-out table so tiny that it doesn’t even hold my phone. Why do I repeatedly, voluntarily, pay to trap myself in a world where water is an up-charge?
Because that flying bus is going to Paris. Or Los Angeles. Or Oslo. And as soon as I’m at the arrivals gate, I forget the hours of torture.
Here’s how to make that torture a bit more bearable… because who could possibly say no to an $85 flight to London?
- Measure your bag — Do this repeatedly. Then, take things out and measure it again. Your budget airline of choice is going to do this also repeatedly. With the surcharges on oversized bags, you might as well have purchased tickets with a legitimate airline, not a less-fun magic flying school bus.
- Packing cubes — I’ve used a lot of packing cubes. Many are great for organization, but this eight-piece set drastically reduces the size of my clothes, a necessity for living out of a bag. Plus, they’re super-durable and hold up to my constant overstuffing.
- Bonus bag — Once you’re out of sight of budget airline employees, and you’ve dutifully had your bag measured three different times, get out your bonus bag. This isn’t heavy-duty, but it doesn’t need to be. Stick it on a carabiner and keep it attached to your “real” bag until just before boarding. Then, remove all the extra layers you needed to wear on your body to avoid detection, and move everything you’re going to actually need for your flight into your bonus bag— think entertainment, food, hydration, and an extra layer (because a comfortable temperature is far too luxurious to expect).
- Head phones and as much entertainment as possible downloaded to your device(s)— phone, tablet, e-reader.
- Snacks — I like to bring my own utensils and containers because most budget flights are either cross-country or transatlantic, distances too far to be sated by snack bags and string cheese (both of which I still recommend, just in addition to something that more-closely resembles a meal). Epicurious offers some delicious recommendations.
- (Foldable) Water Bottle — My mom got me a foldable water bottle, affectionately nicknamed Squishy, for a trip to Italy. After hiking with it on Path of the Gods, I was hooked. It’s there when you need it, then shove it in your pocket when it’s empty— so it doesn’t take the precious few inches of space you have between you and all the other penny-pinchers surrounding you.
- Extra Layer — This should ideally be a sweater that can be used as a blanket, and maybe even as a towel in a pinch. You’re living out of a bag; everything needs to be multifunctional. If the sweater is loose enough, like this one, it can maybe even hide all of those extra layers you were wearing to make sure your bag was small enough to pass inspection.