British Airways pilot reveals three items under £5 they always pack – and what to never take
A BRITISH Airways Pilot has revealed the three items under £5 that they always pack while flying.
Kat Woodruffe is a senior first officer at the airline who flies the Boeing 777 around the world.
In an interview with AFAR, the pilot shared some of the most important things she always carries while flying.
Woodruffe, who travels about 400,000 miles per year, said she never leaves for work without a pack of clipper tea.
“When I’m away, I just like having a proper cup of tea. I take Clipper tea and a dedicated travel mug around the world,” she told the magazine.
The experienced pilot said while flying planes is not a manual job, her hands and eyes get very dry while flying for long hours.
This is why she always carries hand cream and eye drops in her pouch.
She added: “I always have eye drops and O’Keeffe’s Working Hands hand cream.
“I know that flying planes is hardly manual labour but on long flights, my hands (and eyes) get very dry.”
Woodruffe also revealed that she never carries a designer purse with her while flying to different countries.
She said that this is because the changing weather conditions in across different cities which could damage an expensive purse.
She added: “As much as I’d like to say my handbag is Burberry, well, it’s from H&M.
“This poor bag has to survive sand in St. Lucia, ice skating in Manhattan, the monsoon in New Delhi, and trekking in Hong Kong. For me, there’s no point having a designer handbag.”
It comes after a travel expert revealed an extremely useful tip for frequent flyers to avoid in-flight thefts.
Cabin thefts are more common than people think – and stealers usually go for the bags filled with valuables such as wallets, laptops and cameras, cash and important documents including passports.
However, travel expert Jonathan Frankham, General Manager UK at World Nomads Travel Insurance, has shared an extremely useful tip to avoid such scenarios.
“It’s a calculated gamble on the part [of the thieves], exploiting travellers‘ sense of security once snugly seated on board,” he said.
“Yet, it’s during these moments – the buzz of mealtimes, the dimming of lights, or those quick dashes to the loo – that thieves might try their luck.”
Jonathan advised flyers not to keep cabin luggage in the locker just above their heads during long flights.
He suggests that doing so prevents flyers from keeping an eye on their luggage, giving thieves a chance to nose into the luggage.
He said: “Store larger bags in overhead lockers to keep them safe.
“If the space is available, it can be useful to place them across the aisle so you can easily see if anyone is foraging through them who shouldn’t be.”
The expert also advised to keep mobiles, wallets, passports and cash in your pockets always in sight – and avoid leaving them unattended in any case.
“The best practice is to use a secure waist pouch or carry them in your pocket.
“Avoid leaving them unattended altogether and always keep them in sight. This not only minimises the risk of theft but also ensures that insurance claims are not negatively impacted due to negligence.”