Must-have flight essentials for stress-free travel

Its that time of the year when people take a break and plan a summer vacation. Be it preparing for a long international trip or short domestic one, make sure to have some checked luggage essentials for a comfortable and hassle-free flight.

Vikas Bagaria, co-founder and CEO of PeeSafe and Rikant Pitti, co-founder and COO of EaseMyTrip.com, list flight essentials that should be part of your luggage as you plan your vacation:

* Eye masks and ear buds: These days travelling can be quite hectic. What better way than dozing off to your dreamland while flying over the clouds and no phone calls, messages or mails to disturb you? To do so, nothing works better than an eye mask and comfortable ear plugs.

* Magazines and books: While everyone dreads long flights, it is actually a great opportunity to catch up on reading. Rather than just bringing along one magazine or a book, make sure to pack a couple extras to help prevent boredom in the event of a missed connection or an onboard entertainment system that is malfunctioning. Just avoid buying them at the airport if you can, since these items can be rather pricey.

* A travel pillow: Whether you've booked an overnight flight or just want to avoid arriving at your destination with a sore neck, you can't go wrong by packing a compact travel pillow. Many brands are available in the market which provide comfort in quite an affordable range.

* Hygiene wipes and essentials: A must on every travellers list. You never know where you might have to use one - public restrooms are often dirty and unhygienic, with toilet seats and other surfaces carrying a host of bacteria. To avoid UTI, make sure you carry hygiene wipes and toilet seat sprays along with hand sanitizers.

* Headphones: Music can soothe a soul. If nothing goes your way, be it delayed fights, entertainment system malfunction or a chatty next seat passenger, just put your headphones on, shut yourself from the rest of the world and get lost in your favourite music.

--IANS

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