I’m lucky to fly on business every day. I have a good flight crew and a comfortable plane that gets me where I’m going on time.
But while flying should be perfect for business travel, there are some things that don’t quite live up to expectations.
When it comes to drink service on flights, I find airlines to be a bit more lenient than they should be. I never need more than one small glass of water per flight. To us, a drink is just a juice or a soda. When we get into a situation where more than one item per flight is being offered, all of the sudden we feel like we’re getting the worst of what’s available on our flights.
Sparkling water is probably the most popular beverage served on flights. It’s served in glass coupe. Once you get halfway through a flight, they stop offering this option because I think that it’s actually unnecessary.
Taping up around the tray? Not a good idea. It could cause the foam on the bottom of the tray to bubble up, like a bubble bath.
In general, however, the only other non-alcoholic beverage I require is a glass of orange juice. I don’t even think about what I’m drinking. However, when I have a friend come with me on a flight, I bring bottled water with me as well.
In general, water and soda are my two favorites. If I need to use a beverage to get through a particularly long flight, I’ll opt for a Sprite or Diet Coke.
If I’m on a trip that’s not for work and I need to order something alcoholic, it’s a vodka tonic or an old-fashioned. I try to avoid flights that will involve a flight attendant offering me a drink because of technical trouble.
When it comes to snacks on a flight, I think that offering water as an option while you wait for your flight to depart is definitely a step in the right direction. However, it shouldn’t be an option for the last half of the flight. The airplane does its best to get you to the gate on time, but between the amount of time waiting and having to eat mid-flight, I feel like the last thing I need to be worrying about is keeping hydrated.
At the end of the day, I am fortunate to travel most often on an airline that my family trusts. When we go on travel adventures together, we usually opt for flights with economy seating. I don’t care if I have to sit next to a complete stranger if I can get a pre-paid seat.
I’m trying to make business travel more mindful, and one of the ways I can do that is through what I eat and drink while traveling. While I appreciate the peace of mind I get from allowing myself to be in control of what I consume and drink on a flight, there are a few things that might be more helpful.
A drink before you head into the airport may help me arrive at the gate.
If I have to take a flight on a Saturday night, I think it’s best to take a flight on a Sunday morning. That way, I’ll get the best of both worlds because I’ll have a complete night’s sleep and then arrive at the airport the next day with plenty of energy to take care of my needs while waiting for my flight.
These are my concerns about flying. If you have a similar concern, please share it with me on the comments section. I can’t wait to hear what others have to say about the topics I cover.
