1. Taxi please – Make sure taxi driver #1 actually knows where you’re going and doesn’t take you to the provincial bus station rather than the one going to the airport.
2. Upgrades? – Dress smart casual – you never know when the call to business class will come.
3. Security – Know how relaxed or tight the airport security is. Some allow water bottles on – no-one likes being stuck in a hot airport with no local currency. And s ome don’t like mini cans of deodorant! Fortunately I met up with my case in Kuala Lumpur. Which leads neatly on to …
4. Food – Kuala Lumpur airport has a very reasonably priced food court where all the staff head. (I think Bangkok has one too). £2.50 for Chinese/Malay meal and a drink.
5. ‘For your comfort and safety’ – Use your cabin wheely bag creatively. Emirates have removed the footrests from their 777s (for safety reasons) so the seat rake is all wrong – stress position stuff. Use a cabin bag as a foot rest. If you can get a bulkhead seat, it’s like economy plus!
6. Transfers – Dubai have reclining seats if you head towards the gates, but the headrest angle is tilted forward so they weren’t that comfortable for me.
7. Winging it – If your hand luggage weighs 14kgs (filming kit) and the limit is 7.5kgs, try to keep it out of sight of the check-in staff, and make sure you hold luggage hasn’t gone too far.
8. Try and ‘freshen up’ every now and then – hog that tiny bathroom for a while. Taking a spare tshirt can also make you feel like a human again. Moisturise.
9. You don’t have to eat everything on the tray. Eating at 6hr intervals for 36hrs is no good for the system.
10. Sometimes there aren’t 10 tips! The last one is a question. Why have UK airport allowed a few wireless operators to monetize? Everywhere else it’s free – come on BAA, give us a break. £2.95ph?
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