With the global pandemic still in full swing in many parts of the world, it’s important to take all the necessary precautions while traveling. This guide will help you learn how to best protect yourself from getting infected or from spreading the virus.

What to Do While on a Flight

 

• Wear your mask. This is one of the most efficient ways to help protect yourself and others from getting infected or spreading the virus. Droplets carrying the COVID-19 virus travelling through the air are the main source of transmission, so wearing a mask should definitely be one of your top priorities.

 

 

 

• Wear your gloves to avoid transmission from surfaces on which the virus could be residing. Make sure to change your gloves often as well, otherwise it could lead to the virus travelling from surface to surface by sticking on your glove.

 

 

 

• Window seats have always been the best seats, offering a wonderful view of the world underneath you (unless you have a fear of heights, that is). Unfortunately for those select few, the window seat is the safest seat since it’s least exposed. 

 

 

 

• When sitting on the window seat, try to lean more towards the wall, away from the person next to you to keep as much of a distance as possible in this enclosed space. If you are on the aisle (the second safest seat), lean towards the open walkway next to you, but not to the point where you are blocking the aisle. If you luck out and find yourself stuck in the middle seat, make the most of the armrests and refrain from leaning to either side.

 

 

 

• Don’t be a seat spreader. A seat spreader is a passenger who gets up in another passenger’s personal space, or takes more than one seat for themselves. The small spaces for each seat in airlines are partially to blame for this, but make sure to try your best to keep your limbs to yourself. This used to be only annoying for others but now it has become dangerous, too.

 

 

 

• Wash your hands with water and soap regularly before eating, after sneezing or coughing and especially after getting onto and leaving the plane. If the option to wash your hands is not available, sanitize your hands. You should have a hand sanitizer on you at all times.

 

 

 

• If you feel the seat you are in is not safe, whether that be due to the passengers around you or any other reason, you are allowed to request to move to another seat. Some planes are crowded so it might not be possible in every flight, but some planes are empty enough for you to freely move between seats and choose where you would like to sit.

 

 

 

• Avoid touching your face, mouth and nose as much as possible.

 

 

 

• If the need arises, you should make sure to sneeze or cough into your inner elbow, not into your hands or any other surface as your inner elbow does not come in contact with many surfaces while your hands do.

 

 

 

• Wipe down regularly used surfaces before touching them using sanitized wipes to protect yourself from possible viruses lurking around. You should make sure to especially wipe the food tray and the armrest as those are the most commonly touched surfaces.

 

 

These tips should keep you out of the reach of the virus!

If you’re traveling to Tanzania, don’t forget to check out the Expert Guide on Selous Game Reserve!