What are your air travel micro-hacks?

[Mattg]

One that I unfortunately had to put into action last night: if the cabin temperature is unbearably hot (or cold), and everyone around you agrees, you can ask the cabin crew to adjust it.

 

[serfty]

Use this as a grab rail when getting out of your seat if you can reach it. I haven't managed to dislodge a bin yet, despite the "30kg capacity" [or so] noted on the sticker inside.

View attachment 466422
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You'll find that on contemporary Airbus aircraft. Not so much on Boeing.

 

[moa999]

Belts need to come off for the body scanner machines. In the old days when it was a simple metal detector machine, a plastic belt buckle was useful.

I just say plastic belt and am allowed into the scanner.

My next line would be $50 I pass

 

[AuSammy]

One that I unfortunately had to put into action last night: if the cabin temperature is unbearably hot (or cold), and everyone around you agrees, you can ask the cabin crew to adjust it.

Yeah I have done that in the past.

Purser apologised saying they are usually so busy in the galley etc they don’t notice if its a bit cold for stationary sitting passengers

 

[Daver6]

I just say plastic belt and am allowed into the scanner.

My next line would be $50 I pass

I'm usually not been stopped from wearing a belt. It's just they detect it as a hot spot and need to confirm I'm not hiding a bomb behind the buckle. Sometimes same check with a wrist watch.

 

[justinbrett]

I've been meaning to buy a USB fan for the next time I'm on one of those backward airlines that don't have air vents and heat their cabin to a furnace....

 

[AuSammy]

I'm usually not been stopped from wearing a belt. It's just they detect it as a hot spot and need to confirm I'm not hiding a bomb behind the buckle. Sometimes same check with a wrist watch.

I just lift my T-Shirt and let them see its a plastic buckle and they waive me through.

 

[Berlin]

I've been meaning to buy a USB fan for the next time I'm on one of those backward airlines that don't have air vents and heat their cabin to a furnace....

I find that those air vents are overrated as they simply blow the same temperature air as what’s in the cabin already. So if an airline (JAL, I am looking at you!) heats up their cabin like crazy, the air vents won’t help. A USB fan however, now that’s an idea maybe? Never occurred to me to me tbh.

 

[justinbrett]

I just lift my T-Shirt and let them see its a plastic buckle and they waive me through.

Although you've now demonstrated you disobeyed a direction when you were earlier told to remove your belt

 

[AuSammy]

Although you've now demonstrated you disobeyed a direction when you were earlier told to remove your belt

Often the belt with plastic buckle is integral the shorts and cannot be removed (to remove the belt would require me to remove my shorts).

For the majority of airports I have travelled with the new separate belt, 77 countries and counting (not the US obviously) they do not ask for the belt to be removed.

 

[justinbrett]

Often the belt with plastic buckle is integral the shorts and cannot be removed (to remove the belt would require me to remove my shorts). For the majority of airports I have travelled with the new separate belt (not in the US) they do not ask for the belt to be removed.

Certainly for the US the time to ask/explain is before you go through the scanner, not after. Then there's no issue.

I don't really understand how removing a belt means you have to take your shorts off so I'm assuming this isn't a normal belt. For the most part, if you are told to remove belts you should do so, plastic or metal.

 

[DejaBrew]

I don't really understand how removing a belt means you have to take your shorts off so I'm assuming this isn't a normal belt.

I have a pair of quick dry shorts that have an integrated belt. It technically could be removed, but you’d spend the next hour trying to thread it back through the waistband. So if I was wearing those, either the shorts have to be removed, or security can just suck it up and let me through. FWIW, never been an issue.

 

[justinbrett]

I have a pair of quick dry shorts that have an integrated belt. It technically could be removed, but you’d spend the next hour trying to thread it back through the waistband. So if I was wearing those, either the shorts have to be removed, or security can just suck it up and let me through. FWIW, never been an issue.

Sounds like fancy drawstring and not what airport security mean when they say "remove belts".

 

[DejaBrew]

Sounds like fancy drawstring and not what airport security mean when they say "remove belts".

At the risk of sounding like I’m arguing, it’s 100% a belt, but I definitely agree it doesn’t fit the description per se of belts needing removal.

 

[AuSammy]

I have a pair of quick dry shorts that have an integrated belt. It technically could be removed, but you’d spend the next hour trying to thread it back through the waistband. So if I was wearing those, either the shorts have to be removed, or security can just suck it up and let me through. FWIW, never been an issue.

Exactly!! Thats what I alluded to. And they have a plastic buckle at the front that is picked up in a body scanner but not the older xray machines. Never had an issue at an airport Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, Central America. (Excluding US since before covid.)

 

[SYD]

I find that those air vents are overrated as they simply blow the same temperature air as what’s in the cabin already. So if an airline (JAL, I am looking at you!) heats up their cabin like crazy, the air vents won’t help. A USB fan however, now that’s an idea maybe? Never occurred to me to me tbh.

It’s still the same air, but vents (or a fan) do provide evaporative air conditioning….