Traveling on an airplane has slowly gone from an event you dressed up for—heels and pearls and an in-flight martini served by a sassy stewardess in a mini dress—to an inhuman herding of beleaguered masses just trying to power through. Every time I have a flight coming up, I start dreading and worrying about it a month in advance:

How early should I leave to fight L.A. traffic?
Where should I park?
Will the security line be long?
What if my flight is delayed?
Is the pilot a good “driver”?
Will there be turbulence?
What if I sit next to someone who smells?
The list goes on…

In order to combat all these stressful variables, I have developed certain processes to deal:

Rule #1 – Leave SUPER early for the airport to avoid any potential delays in traffic, parking, check-in or security. There is nothing worse that sweating in a panic because there was an accident on the 405 and you are cutting it too close.

Rule #2 – Bring tasty snacks. I usually stop at Whole Foods on the way to the airport and get a few yummy things from the deli case. And chocolate. There must always be chocolate.

Rule #3 – Bring every kind of entertainment so you can be assured you have something to do to pass the time. I bring a few magazines, a book, my iPad and several podcasts on my phone. And don’t forget my secret weapon, Ambien!

Rule #4 – Dress comfortably while trying to avoid looking like a jerk in pajamas. And make sure you have a sweater or blanket. I try my best to approximate pajamas while still passing for a normal. Also, earplugs and a sleep mask are a must.

Rule #5 – Do NOT forget to bring the Baggu!

I first stumbled across the Baggu on a travel blog. A Baggu is simply a nylon shoulder bag that folds into a tiny pouch, but holds everything you need in-flight so you can put your bulky bag in the overhead and still have all your treasures at your fingertips. And, at $9, everyone should have a few on hand.

I throw my cute little pouch into my big, oversized tote and, right before boarding, I take out the Baggu and fill it with all the things I want access to during the flight—mags, book, iPad, snacks, eye mask, ear plugs, lip balm and, of course, the chocolate. A Baggu is super sturdy, and the wide shoulder strap makes it easy to carry. When I get to my seat, I take it out of my tote, store it under my seat, and put the tote in the overhead bin where some a-hole will try to smoosh it to fit his (or her) oversized carry-on.

The Baggu is also perfect for the grocery store, the beach, or anytime you might use a plastic grocery bag, but want to be chic. There are over 20 colors and patterns to choose from and they are all machine washable. There are also Big Baggus and Baby Baggus, as well as a nice selection of other bags, including very lovely canvas and leather designs.

It’s amazing how much happiness a $9 nylon bag can bring to a girl. Well, that, some ear plugs and an Ambien. Safe travels y’all.

Stuff Worthy Of Our Notice in this post:

BAGGU®

 

In addition to the company’s website, BAGGU® totes, bags, and accessories can be purchased from Amazon and a variety of online retailers.