Things that I think make weekly travel more enjoyable

Weekly flying could be really terrible. I enjoy it. Here are some things that improve it for me.

Your headphones are extremely important. They block out engine noise and other people’s conversations and crying babies. I actually layer them; I have earbuds which I wear under over-ear headphones. The combo blocks sound well. When I get tired of the earbuds, I pipe my podcasts through the headphones instead. My combo is House of Marley wooden earbuds and JLab folding over-ear headphones These are on the cheap side of mid-level. I enjoy them; you might want to upgrade, depending on how much you love sound.

I happen to live an easy 20-minute drive from a major airport, and I take Lyft Line or Uber Pool, not just because it’s cheap (I can expense travel expenses for work), but because I get to chat with cool people.

The best/only internet in the air for air commuting in the US right now is gogoinflight monthly multi airline plan for 59.95. I expense it as my monthly internet bill. If you want wifi even half of your time in the air, it’s by far the best deal.

Airlines mobile apps are pretty good; American Air will even auto-upgrade you. It removes the step of having to stop somewhere and print them out. You do have to make sure that your phone doesn’t die, but that’s second nature anyway.

TSA Pre is easy to get and makes airport travel soooooo much better. No shoes off, no laptop out. In San Francisco, you can get an appointment within two or three days, and my Known Traveler number came back within a week or less (even though it said a month)

Traveling in scrubs with pockets super comfy, hardly ever takes stains, looks vaguely formal, put everything in the cargo pockets instead of having to take my bag out from under the seat

Omniwheel (also known as spinner / four-wheel) luggage is So Cool. If it’s a hardshell, you can even put stickers on it! I got a red one, because I have enough black in my life. I use the Atlantic Lumina 20” Spinner. (I got it for cheaper than that ludicrous sticker price; you can too.)

Podcasts are super important and super great. I might make a whole post about this someday. Let’s just say that I’ve put a similar degree of care into collecting podcasts as I do into rss feeds. Which is to say, mildly obsessive- the kind of care that some people take with their music libraries.

Gear is important but even more important is having a zen mindset; letting your composure ride the waves of delays and rude people, rather than being swept under and drowned by them. Good cardiovascular health and a talent for sprinting while carrying heavy objects is also useful if you plan to have any flights with connections, because every airline in the sky occasionally makes something late for whatever reason.