1. In crowded terminals or flights, try to find a buddy in line or in the seat next to you if traveling alone, so that you are watching his or her bags at the counter or on board and he or she is watching yours.2. When putting your carry on baggage through the x-ray belt, put your laptop last so that it comes out behind your other luggage, and with luck, about the same time you are cleared to pick it up-or, better yet, have a buddy that has cleared security keep an eye on your laptop until you have cleared security.
3. Put your luggage in the overhead bin across the aisle from you so that you can see that no one is opening your luggage during the flight. Overhead storage bins may not be able to hold very heavy objects during turbulence, so if you or another passenger is having trouble lifting an article into the bin, have it stored elsewhere.
4. Dress for comfort and safety-best protection from heat and fire is natural fiber (cotton, denim, leather, wool) so avoid synthetics and bear in mind that the safety slide is pretty rough material and the end has strips of Velcro, so a skirt and panties will not survive the trip down-women should use natural fiber slacks.
5. The safest seating is on the exit aisle in the back of the airplane-usually farthest from impact and farthest from explosive fuel.
6. The time for greatest concern is during take-off and landing so nonstop flights reduce exposure to these most accident-prone phases of flight. You should have an evacuation plan in mind-memorize how many rows to each exit point. Choose larger aircraft whenever possible, as they provide a better opportunity for passenger survival. Planes with more than 30 passenger seats are designed and certified under the strictest regulations.
7. Always carry a penlight flashlight for use in an emergency when no other source of light may be available. Follow directions from the flight crew and exit the aircraft as quickly as possible.
8. If you are traveling over water, make sure you know how to locate and don your life jacket or floatation device. The primary reason flight attendants are on an aircraft is for safety, so if one of them asks you to do something like fasten your seat belts, do it-ask questions later.
9. Carry your passport even on domestic flights. During a crisis, U.S. flights may be diverted to Mexican or Canadian airports and having a passport will facilitate the border crossing.
10. Don’t drink too much alcohol! The atmosphere in an airliner cabin is pressurized to about the same altitude as Denver, so any alcohol you consume will affect you more than at sea level. Moderation is a good policy at any altitude. Drinking non-caffeinated products is a good practice as well.