Over the years, I’ve come up with simple little ways to make the whole flying experience easier for me. I hope that sharing these tips will provide you and your guests a more relaxing and definitely more comfortable journey.

Your Personal Medicine and Spa Bag
Okay, you might call me a geek, but I believe that carrying your medications with you onboard the airplane is not such a bad idea. After all, who is going to provide you with a cough drop if your throat gets dry or an Advil for that headache? You packed your medication in your luggage you say? Well that’s not going to do you any good now is it? So what do I put in the medicine/spa bag? Glad you asked!

Here Are My Favorites:

• Advil for those pesky headaches that pop out of the blue.
• Cough Drops. The air is always dry on the plane, so it’s good to have these for a sore throat or just to pass on to the coughing flyer sitting next to you!
• Lip Balm, moisturizer, Visine eye drops, and saline nasal mist to combat the dry air and red eyes.
• Breath mints, gum, or toothbrush with mini toothpaste. Don’t want to arrive at your destination with smelly breath!
• Something for an upset stomach or diarrhea. My choices include Gaviscon and Imodium because they come in tablet vs. liquid.
• Lavender mist. My all-time favorite is John Master’s Organic Sea Mist with Lavender. Why mist you might ask? Why not? It’s very refreshing to spray this on your face after you’ve been flying for hours. And besides, you’ll smell good too.
• Medications. This includes all drugs that you have to take on a daily basis. This seems like common sense, but you would be shocked how many people put all their medications in checked bags. Just imagine if your bags are lost for several days. What would you do then?

Soothing Silence for the Sleepy
If you want to drown out screaming babies or simply enjoy some peaceful rest, I highly recommend these goodies:

• Earplugs or a noise-canceling headset like Bose
• Sleep mask and a travel pillow
• A wrap or throw. I purchased an amazing wrap years ago and it travels with me during every season.
• A warm pair of socks. If my feet are cold then the rest of me is going to be cold too. It’s wonderful to get out of your shoes and just relax.

Soothing Sounds for the Soul
More often than not, I get stressed prior to flying. After mentioning this to my doctor, she recommended that I listen to a guided meditation or calming music. So I now carry my iPhone with the latest guided meditations from the Chopra Center. I also include books and music that I can listen to if I don’t feel like sleeping.

Mile High Haute Couture
What to wear on an airplane? Layers! I normally wear a pair of comfortable stretchy jeans, or slacks, a tee-shirt, a boyfriend blazer or cardigan, and flats. Comfort is my main goal here! Don’t forget your mask!

Healthy High Altitude Snacking
Food, glorious food! I love having a little bag of goodies stashed under my seat. The easiest things to pack are sliced carrots, banana, celery, plain or chocolate-covered raisins, plus a delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Edie Zuckerwar is a Destination Wedding Planner based in St. Thomas, USVI. Her company Edie Zuckerwar Events provides wedding planning services in St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Barths, FWI.