Eight Years of Flying: The Travel Habits I Actually Swear By
I sometimes forget that flying isn’t completely normal to everyone.
For me, airports, suitcases, hotel rooms and waking up in different countries have been part of my life for over eight years now.
I started my aviation career as cabin crew with Emirates, which also meant moving to Dubai and suddenly travelling more than I ever had before. After several years in commercial aviation, I eventually moved into private flying, and today travelling is still a huge part of both my work and my life.
At this point, I genuinely don’t know how many flights I’ve taken.
A lot.
And after spending that much time in airports, on airplanes and living out of suitcases, you naturally develop your own little system.
Not necessarily the dramatic “10 travel hacks airlines don’t want you to know” kind of system.
Just small things that make travelling easier.
So instead of giving you the same flying tips you’ve probably already read one hundred times, these are some of the habits I’ve picked up after eight years of flying that I actually use myself.
1. Before You Leave Home, Check the Airport — Not Just Your Flight
This sounds obvious, but hear me out. When I’m flying from an airport I don’t know well, one of the first things I check isn’t actually just the flight time.
It’s the airport.
Which terminal am I leaving from? How big is it? How long does it take to get there? If I’m connecting, do I need to change terminals? Do I have to go through immigration?
A two-hour connection can be incredibly relaxed in one airport and stressful in another.
And if you’re travelling from somewhere like London, even knowing the airport isn’t enough. Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton are completely different journeys depending on where you’re coming from.
A few minutes of checking the airport beforehand can save you a lot of unnecessary stress later.
2. I Screenshot Everything Important
Yes, everything is in an app nowadays.
Until the airport Wi-Fi doesn’t work. Or your roaming isn’t connecting. Or the airline app suddenly logs you out exactly when there’s a queue of twenty people behind you.
So before travelling, I screenshot the things I know I might need quickly.
My boarding pass. The hotel address. Car rental information. Sometimes even directions or the name of the place I’m going to.
It takes about thirty seconds and means I’m not standing somewhere trying to load an email with one bar of signal.
3. Don’t Put Everything Important in Your Checked in Suitcase
Basically anything I would genuinely struggle without stays with me.
Documents, medication, chargers, valuables and at least a few basic things I would need if my suitcase decided to take a separate holiday.
If I’m checking luggage for a longer trip, I usually want enough in my hand luggage to survive at least the first day without it.
You don’t need to pack another entire wardrobe into your cabin bag.
But clean underwear, a toothbrush and something to sleep in can suddenly feel very luxurious when your suitcase is somewhere in another country.
Oh and an one piece/onesie is very helpful in these situations and takes practicaly no space.
4. Give Yourself Time at the Airport — But Use It Properly
Okay, I will admit that Malta is a bit of an exception for me.
The airport here is tiny, I know it extremely well, and I’m probably guilty of arriving later than I would ever recommend to someone else.
But when I’m travelling anywhere else, especially from a bigger airport, I’ve learned to give myself more time.
After working in aviation for so many years, sprinting through an airport while someone is announcing my name is really not the kind of excitement I’m looking for.
I’d much rather arrive earlier, get through security and then find somewhere comfortable to sit, have a coffee or get some work done.
And lately, this has actually become even easier for me because I upgraded to Revolut Ultra.
One of the benefits I personally use the most is the included unlimited access to more than 1,600 participating airport lounges around the world. So instead of spending a long connection sitting at the gate, I’ll usually check whether there’s a lounge available, grab something to eat, have a coffee and recharge before the next flight.
For someone who spends as much time in airports as I do, it’s honestly one of the reasons the plan makes sense for me.
If you’ve been thinking about trying Revolut, you can join through my link here: [ADD YOUR REVOLUT LINK]
This is a referral link, which means I may receive a benefit if you sign up through it. I only recommend things I genuinely use myself.
Of course, you absolutely don’t need a lounge to make arriving early worthwhile.
Once I’m through security, I’ll usually check where my gate is, roughly how long it takes to walk there, and then find somewhere comfortable nearby.
Airports are much nicer when you’re not constantly looking at the clock thinking, Am I going to make it?
5. I Don’t Rush to Stand in the Boarding Queue
This one always makes me laugh a little.
The second boarding is announced, suddenly everyone stands up.
Even when their boarding group hasn’t been called.
Unless I have a specific reason to board early, I’m usually very happy sitting down for a few more minutes.
The airplane isn’t leaving without all the passengers who are already at the gate, and standing in a queue for twenty minutes doesn’t make the flight shorter.
The one exception?
Cabin baggage.
If I’m travelling with a larger carry-on and I know the flight is completely full, I do understand wanting to board earlier. Overhead locker space disappears quickly.
Otherwise, I’ll happily let everyone queue first.
6. Your Seat Choice Matters More Than People Think
There isn’t one “best seat” on an airplane.
It depends on what you care about.
If I want to sleep and I don’t want people climbing over me, I’ll take the window.
If it’s a longer flight and I know I’ll want to get up often, aisle.
If I have a very short connection after landing, sitting closer to the front can actually make a difference.
And personally, I always look at the seat map before choosing rather than automatically accepting whatever the airline gives me.
A small thing, but you’re going to spend several hours sitting there.
You might as well choose properly.
7. For Connections, Follow the Signs Before Following the Crowd
Airport crowds have a funny way of making us assume everyone knows where they’re going.
They don’t.
I’ve watched plenty of people confidently follow someone else in completely the wrong direction. I am guilty as well.
When you’re connecting somewhere unfamiliar, slow down for five seconds and actually read the signs.
Transfers. Connections. Immigration. Baggage claim.
Especially if you’re transferring internationally, your route through an airport may be completely different from the person who was sitting next to you.
And if you’re not sure, ask airport staff.
I’d rather ask one “stupid” question than walk fifteen minutes in the wrong direction and have to walk all the way back.
8. Stop Trying to Make Every Travel Day Productive
This one took me longer to learn.
Social media sometimes makes travelling look like this beautiful routine where you arrive at the airport, open your laptop, drink a matcha, answer emails on the plane and arrive ready to explore an entire city.
Sometimes, yes.
Sometimes travelling is just tiring.
Airports are busy. Flights get delayed. You don’t sleep properly. You eat at strange times. Your body has absolutely no idea what time zone it’s supposed to be in.
After years of flying, I’ve become much better at accepting that a travel day can simply be a travel day.
If I manage to get some work done, great. If I spend the entire flight watching three terrible movies and arrive wanting a shower and a bed, also fine.
Not every hour needs to be productive.
And One More Thing: Be Nice to the Crew
Okay, I obviously had to include this one.
Flight attendants deal with hundreds of people in a very small space, often while working strange hours, crossing time zones and trying to keep an entire cabin running smoothly.
And you’d be surprised how far simply being nice goes.
You don’t need to bring chocolates. Just saying hello when you board, treating the crew like actual human beings and having a little patience when something goes wrong already puts you ahead of quite a few passengers.
And please don’t poke us to get our attention.
I had to say it.
After Eight Years, I Still Love Travelling
Flying for work definitely changes your relationship with travelling.
There are days when the last place I want to see is another airport. There are moments when living out of a suitcase gets exhausting.
And there are definitely times when the novelty wears off. But then I land somewhere I’ve never been before and walk outside.
I find a good coffee shop. I have a few hours to explore a city I might never have visited otherwise.
And I remember why I fell in love with travelling in the first place.
That’s probably also why Between Flights exists.
I’ve spent so much of my adult life moving between countries, airports and hotel rooms that I’ve collected plenty of little things along the way — places worth visiting, mistakes I’ve made, things I’ve learned and recommendations I’d normally just send to a friend in a WhatsApp message.
Now they have somewhere to live.
And hopefully, a few of them make your next trip a little easier too.
Sima x
Little note: Writing has never been my strongest skill, so I use AI to help me turn my thoughts into clearer, better-written articles. The stories, opinions, places and recommendations are always genuinely mine — AI just helps me put them into words.
