Why Flight Attendants Recommend Bringing A Towel On Your Next Trip

When flight attendants offer tips for travelers, it's a good idea to listen up. Very few people travel more than they do, so they have some real-world experience with everything from how to pack to what to avoid doing on planes. One piece of advice that can be especially helpful is to bring a towel with you on your next trip. Planes can be very dry, and when flying around 30,000 feet, the air in a plane can be between 10% and 20% humidity, which is very low (a home is usually between 40% and 60%). While the towel isn't going to help you in the air, it will after you land. The suggestion is to get a small towel wet and put it in front of the heater in your hotel room, as hotel air can also be very dry. That way, when the water evaporates off the towel, the room has a bit more moisture. You can, of course, use a hotel towel for this purpose. 

If you're already dealing with being uncomfortable, it can get worse when you get to your destination if your hotel room feels like you're in the Sahara Desert. Having water evaporating into the air can raise the humidity level. You can also keep the thermostat at a higher temperature if you have the ability to control it in your room, as cold air has a harder time holding onto moisture. 

You can also fill up the tub with hot water and let it evaporate overnight, though leaving the bathroom door open when you take a shower to let the steam out is much more eco-friendly. You can also pack a spray bottle and mist the air. Yet another trick for your hotel arrival is drape a larger towel over your head and the sink with the hot water running so you can breathe in the steam. You can even ask the hotel if they have a portable humidifier. Then there are travel humidifiers, like the Bamcoo Mini Humidifier. That's particularly helpful if you're traveling between different climates and tend to get sick from the change in humidity.

You can start keeping yourself hydrated on the plane. Skip things that dehydrate you like salty foods and alcohol during a flight, particularly a Bloody Mary, which contains quite a bit of sodium. Make sure you begin hydrating at the airport, however, don't ask the flight attendant to fill your water bottle. They have a lot to do to get the plane ready to take off, and, according to a 2019 study by CUNY's Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center, the water on planes can be unhealthy. Finally, saline spray or a quick swab of petroleum jelly inside your nostrils can help keep the mucous membranes moist, which can make you feel more comfortable.