CARRYING ON
We’re moving further and further away from the glory days of air travel when folks dressed up to fly. (For the record, I only have a vague memory of this bygone era when by most accounts things had already totally deteriorated, but I digress.) These days you’re lucky if people get out of their pajamas and the struggling airlines offer you a dollhouse-scale bag of peanuts. Even so, you’ll regularly see someone making their way through the terminal with a tower of look-at-me luggage but that’s just about the only glimmer of luxury you’re going to get. So, how can we make security lines and steerage feel a bit more lovely? Check out some of these ideas:
- There’s always going to be some goon on a long-haul flight who leaves the window open or falls asleep under their reading light. Eye masks aren’t just for caricatures of glamorous women but can be the difference between a restful flight and a restless one. Lanvin offers a smart travel set that comes with a mask for sleeping and slippers for moving about the cabin. If the $485 price tag is too steep, it’s simple to assemble your own kit for less at just about any department store. Lanvin Kit Voyage Imprime – Lanvin.com
- Travelling is much less psychically taxing when you are organized. Smythson offers a large range of tags, bags, and accessories for everything from your luggage to documents to technology. Buying in a single color will help you keep track of it all and the smart, classic design will last a lifetime if well-cared for. Smythson Travel Clutch – Nile Blue Collection – about $550 at Smythson, Smythson Luggage Label – Nile Blue Collection – about $80 at Smythson.com
- There’s nothing like air travel to dry your skin. Be sure to pack moisturizers in your carry-on (keeping in mind the volume limits) if you’re going to be in the sky any length of time. I’m very fond of Khiel’s Number One Lip Balm – 0.5 fl. oz. – $7 at Khiels.com and Khiel’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve – 2.5 fl. oz. – $13 at Khiels.com.
- Even if all of the lights are out and your bags are impeccably packed, there’s nothing quite like a baby’s cry or a relentless cough to disrupt the peace. Noise-cancelling headphones will make all of the difference and have become much more reasonably priced over the years. Bose’s QuietComfort ($299.95 at Amazon.com) are pretty much the gold standard but plenty of other brands offer competitive options.
