logo
Fliers are missing out on a major perk that can help them ‘relax,' travel expert says

Fliers are missing out on a major perk that can help them ‘relax,' travel expert says

New York Post01-06-2025
An avid flier who has an impressive record of having traveled on 700 different flights over the last decade, half flown in business class, shared the one perk many fliers are missing out on — without even realizing it.
When someone has as much experience in the air as Dennis Bunnik, CEO of Bunnik Tours — he not only knows the best travel practices, but he knows hidden perks like how airlines have free pajamas to give out to business class fliers.
Comfort is key when on a flight, and according to Bunnik — 'There are a number of airlines that offer them, and they're fantastic,' he revealed to Business Insider in a recent interview.
Dennis Bunnik has been on 700 flights within the last decade.
Instagram / dennisbunniktravels
'One, it keeps your clothes crease-free and clean. [And two], it helps you relax.'
Some airlines reserve pj sets for first-class passengers only.
However, according to One Mile At A Time, some airlines like Virgin Atlantic, United, Emirates, Air India and Etihad supposedly have complimentary pajamas for those sitting in business class on long-haul international flights.
Free pajamas to change into on a flight sounds ideal — especially since there are many outfit choices that experts advise fliers against wearing.
Fliers can ask flight attendants for their free pjs if they aren't offered them.
Getty Images
'Airlines won't always tell you this, but there's a hidden dress code,' former flight attendant and YouTube sensation Barbara Bacilieri told What's The Jam.
'And breaking it could get you denied boarding, delayed at security or worse — put in danger during an emergency.'
Skimpy outfits like mini dresses and skirts are big no-nos because they can be dangerous in an emergency.
The expert said to also avoid wearing heels and 'even metal accessories, like jewelry, or big belt buckles.'
These items can all potentially pop the evacuation slide in the event of an emergency.
Another piece of dangerous clothing that shouldn't be worn in case of an SOS flight situation is leggings because the fabric that most brands use puts travelers at risk of catching on fire, aviation safety specialist Christine Negroni explained to HuffPost.
In the event of an onboard fire, leggings 'will either melt on your skin or cause serious burns,' Negroni told the outlet.
In addition to stretchy pants being a potential fire hazard on a flight — American Airlines flight attendant Andrea Fischbach said that the popular pant choice is also very constricting.
'You want to get the most comfortable you can be to avoid cramping, swelling, and anything that can affect you later,' she told Who What Wear.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

I thought I'd save money living as a digital nomad, but managing finances on the move was unexpectedly stressful — and I was lonely.
I thought I'd save money living as a digital nomad, but managing finances on the move was unexpectedly stressful — and I was lonely.

Business Insider

time6 hours ago

  • Business Insider

I thought I'd save money living as a digital nomad, but managing finances on the move was unexpectedly stressful — and I was lonely.

Lillywhite now lives with his family in Dorset, England. Lillywhite now lives with his family in Dorset, England. Courtesy of Matthew Lillywhite Lillywhite now lives with his family in Dorset, England. Courtesy of Matthew Lillywhite lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Impact Link This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. On my first day in Kuala Lumpur, I posted the view from my apartment on my Instagram story and replied to messages from "jealous" friends. Then, I put my phone down and realized I didn't know a single person in the city. I got bit by the travel bug during a working holiday in Australia in 2017, where I started dabbling in online writing. When I got back to my home in the UK, I kept freelancing. With no office or set hours, I started to consider working abroad. I thought being a digital nomad would offer unlimited freedom and the ability to make friends in other countries. But my expectations turned out to be very different from reality. Writing from a café all day without speaking to anyone was incredibly lonely, and keeping track of my expenses on the move was mentally taxing. After spending nine months across 10 countries, I flew back to the UK in June 2019. I no longer travel as frequently, preferring to go on holidays where someone I know is either traveling with me or waiting on the other side. I find it much more fulfilling. I thought becoming a digital nomad would help me save money It can be hard to sustain a steady income as a freelancer, so I figured spending time in countries with a lower cost of living during the early stages of my writing career could be financially helpful. Most digital nomads I followed online recommended saving three to six months' worth of expenses prior to the trip for emergencies. However, in my excitement to see the world, I waited until I could cover my flight and the first few weeks' accommodation, assuming I'd figure out the rest later. Lillywhite visited 10 countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, and Canada. Courtesy of Matthew Lillywhite I made a few embassy appointments and got my documentation in order for the countries I wanted to visit. I spent time in Australia to catch up with old friends before booking a ticket to Malaysia in January 2019. Managing finances while travelling was stressful A few days after landing in Malaysia, I was already counting pennies. I wanted to enjoy being in a new country, but didn't want to empty my bank account within the first few weeks. Related stories Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Growing up, my mum and I didn't talk much about finances. When I started earning, I wasn't well-versed in financial management. Lillywhite struggled with unexpected expenses while traveling. Courtesy of Mathew Lillywhite By the time I reached Thailand, roughly three weeks later, I was telling myself I just needed one good month to get back on track financially. But an unexpected expense, like a doctor's appointment or an overweight baggage fee, always chipped away at my current account. Some nights, I struggled to sleep, constantly wondering how I could feel so stressed with a lifestyle that enabled me to travel the world. Living abroad was isolating I tried to meet people at language learning events or at hostels, but as an introvert, it was difficult to talk to strangers. After a few weeks, I decided to keep to myself. Meanwhile, I'd scroll through photos that friends back home were posting online: birthdays, nights out, people sitting around a barbecue. Their lives looked stable, whereas mine looked like guesswork. I chose the transience of the digital nomad lifestyle, so I didn't think I could complain. But every time I moved, I had to start all over. New bus routes, new plug sockets, and, always, the loneliness crept in. I lost motivation, struggled to focus, and stopped feeling like myself. I now travel less frequently, but more intentionally I was in Istanbul when I realized I hadn't seen my mum in over six months. I sent her a message asking if we could meet somewhere in Europe. A few days later, she booked a flight to Budapest, and we stayed together in a small Airbnb. We cooked dinner and watched a movie like we used to back home. Even though we only spent a few days together, it helped me realize I didn't need to travel to feel fulfilled. Connection was more important. I stayed on the move for a bit longer, but since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I haven't gone back to long-term travel. I now live with family in Dorset. Lillywhite flew home to the UK in June 2019. Courtesy of Matthew Lillywhite I still travel occasionally and see it as a way to spend time with loved ones. A few months ago, I went to Berlin with my dad. More recently, I visited my girlfriend in Boston, spending a week exploring bookstores and counting squirrels in the park. Traveling is now less about a solo escape and more about being around people who make life worth living. I still freelance in the UK, and I've had to learn from the financial mistakes I made abroad. I try to plan, track what I spend, and check if I can actually afford something before saying yes. It sounds simple, but I've learned that simple money habits are often the most effective. When people ask me what I do, I tell them I write, and I used to be a digital nomad. "It sounds like a dream!" they often reply. Parts of the digital nomad lifestyle were. I could technically work from anywhere, and I visited more countries in a few months than I ever thought I would in a lifetime. But I also went months without hearing my name or spending time with people who really knew me. I wish someone had told me that before I left. Not just that travel can get lonely, but that one day I'd wake up, realize I hadn't had a real conversation in weeks, and think that was normal.

The data is in: Many Canadians are still avoiding travel to the US
The data is in: Many Canadians are still avoiding travel to the US

Business Insider

time18 hours ago

  • Business Insider

The data is in: Many Canadians are still avoiding travel to the US

Canadians are still avoiding travel to the United States. Preliminary data from the Canadian government suggests the number of Canadians visiting the United States by car declined year over year for the seventh straight month in July. Canadian residents returning to the country from the United States via car declined by nearly 37% compared to July 2024, according to Statistics Canada. Road trips typically account for the majority of Canadians traveling to the United States. Return trips by air also declined nearly 26% year-over-year, while Canadian residents returning from overseas countries increased. Canadians started boycotting United States travel and American goods in response to President Donald Trump's tariff policy and expressed desire to make the neighbor to the north the 51st state, Business Insider previously reported. On August 1, Trump raised tariffs on Canada to 35% for goods that don't fall under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Trump said Canada had failed to secure its border and crack down on drug trafficking. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said most goods fall under the USMCA. On Friday, he said 85% of Canada's trade with the United States was "tariff-free."However, according to US Census Bureau Data, about 38% of Canadian goods, when measured by value, entered the United States under USMCA in 2024. Canadians told Business Insider earlier this year they were boycotting the United States to protest Trump's policies and that the situation had led to a surge in national pride. Travel companies have previously said Canadians were opting for Europe, Mexico, and the Caribbean instead of the United States. A recent survey by Longwoods International, a market research consultancy focused on the travel tourism industry, found Canadian sentiment has remained icy toward the United States. The survey, which polled 1,000 Canadian adults in July, found that 63% said United States government policies made them less likely to visit the country. It also found that while 84% of respondents believed the United States was full of attractions, only 36% felt it was welcoming to travelers from diverse backgrounds.

I flew across Europe in business class with Air France, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic. These were the 6 biggest surprises.
I flew across Europe in business class with Air France, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic. These were the 6 biggest surprises.

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

I flew across Europe in business class with Air France, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic. These were the 6 biggest surprises.

I booked a two-week trip to Europe for my family that included several business-class flights. Of the airlines we flew business class with, Air France and Virgin Atlantic had the best service. Overall, we were impressed by the airport lounges and airplane food throughout our trips. As my wife's 52nd birthday approached, I knew I wanted to do something special to celebrate her. My plan was to book a two-week trip for me, my wife, our daughter, and our niece that would take us from Florida to Dublin, Amsterdam, Valencia, Paris, and London. I wanted to book only first and business-class flights, as my wife loves to travel in style. In the end, I used 1 million credit-card points and spent $12,000 to make it happen. We had a great time, and our trip's several business-class flights with Air France, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic came with a few surprises. Each airline impressed us with its lounges. When my wife and I started traveling, we signed up for travel rewards cards, such as the American Express Platinum and Venture X by Capital One. Our goal was to accumulate reward points and give us lounge access as we traveled. During this trip, we were able to access lounges from Air France, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic, and they all exceeded our expectations. In each, we were able to enjoy hot meals and spread out on comfy seats. Some lounges even had showers, which were a nice amenity after a long flight. The complimentary WiFi in each lounge also allowed me to easily stay connected to family and my team at work. We were a little underwhelmed by the seats on our regional business-class flights in Europe. Our flights within Europe were on KLM's Cityhopper airplanes. Although we had lie-flat seats on our longer flights with Air France and Virgin Atlantic, the ones on these smaller regional KLM flights only reclined a little. Although our seats had a few inches more legroom than typical economy, they weren't particularly spacious. I'm a larger traveler, so these business-class offerings were not my favorite. Since the flights were shorter, there was no meal service or entertainment screens, either. Overall, I don't feel upgrading to European business class on these short-haul flights was worth it. The perks didn't justify the extra costs, especially since we spent so little time on the plane. It was surprisingly easy to rest on the lie-flat seats. The European business-class seats on KLM's Cityhopper flights left much to be desired, but we had lie-flat, pod-style seats for our longer flights with Air France and Virgin Atlantic. The seats reclined into beds so we could nap, and we slept easily on the long flights because of them. We arrived in Europe and back in the US feeling well-rested. Long plane rides can be tiring, but these seats — combined with the in-flight service and food — were so good made us wish the flights were longer. I'd say Air France and Virgin Atlantic provided the best service of all our flights. We were especially impressed by the level of service we received throughout our flights with Air France and Virgin Atlantic. The service on the Air France flight felt elevated— we were especially impressed by how attentive the flight attendants were. They ensured we had extra blankets, constantly brought water, and repeatedly returned during meal services to see if we needed anything else. On the Virgin Atlantic flight, the crew also regularly checked that we were comfortable. In Virgin Atlantic's business class, we even got to enjoy a lounge area in the middle of the plane that was filled with snacks like cookies and chips, plus juice, water, and soda. Our meals on each flight were delicious — nothing we ate felt like "airplane food." I'm surprised by how much thought every airline that served meals seemed to put into its business-class offerings. On the Air France flight from Atlanta to Paris, I had the best duck salad I've ever had — it was moist and flavorful. The truffle butter-breaded chicken on the Virgin Atlantic flight from London to New York was so tasty that I asked for seconds. During several flights, flight attendants also offered wine pairings with meals, and their suggestions seemed on point. I'm still surprised by how easy it was to stay entertained throughout the flights. I've been on thousands of flights, so I know they can get pretty boring. Fortunately, most of these flights' entertainment options left me impressed. In particular, our Air France and Virgin Atlantic flights had a great selection of classic and new movies, music, TV shows, and games. All told, we spent about 28 hours on the flights, and the airlines' entertainment options were so good that I didn't read any books I brought for the trip. Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store