Flying and traveling is a thrill, but can also cause some headaches if you are not prepared well enough. Heed the advice of ManScore writer and pilot Mike Myers and let’s make flying great again.

1. Regional Jets Usually Have a Surprising Amount of Open Overhead Bins, and You're Wasting Leg Room with Your Personal Item
If you fly a lot, you've probably experienced the Regional Jet aka "the RJ, Barbie jet, baby jet, sardine can...etc." Aside from their limited head room, the 50 seaters are most infamous for their laughably tiny overhead luggage bins. Travelers are often asked to "gate check" or "valet check" luggage that won't fit in the bins. This leaves a lot of empty space overhead that would normally be taken up by roll-aboard baggage. Once everyone is boarded, take a look around for open space. Toss your carry on in the overhead and enjoy miles more legroom than you would've had with your bag stuffed under the seat in front of you. 

2. Noise Cancelling Headphones Make a Huge Difference 
No, ear buds won't cut it. Noise cancelling headphones are worth every penny. Between engine noise, the occasional screaming infant, and the criminally loud PA speakers in aircraft and airports...a good set of active noise reducing headphones is both a great luxury and a hearing protection necessity. Ear buds block some noise, but you have to crank the volume to eleven if you want to clearly hear what you're listening to over the background noise. This is absolutely terrible for your hearing and is guaranteed to make you a stereotypical deaf grandpa by age 50. Listen to music, educate yourself with podcasts, or just turn the ANR on and enjoy the peace and quiet. 

3. Related to Number 1 - Pack a Bag That Will Fit in the Overhead
If you want a slick travel experience, look up the exact dimensions of bins in your specific airplane (i.e. The CRJ 200, or ERJ 145) and pack a bag that will fit. If you're 100% confident that your bag will make it, don't valet check it, toss it in the overhead. Then you can skip the awkward and disorganized line of passengers waiting on the jet bridge for their gate checked baggage. 

Bonus points: use a roll aboard that has soft sides. Hard cases are great for keeping your belongings safe from baggage handler abuse, but a soft sided bag will compress and ensure that your bag fits in the overhead. No need for a ramper proof bag if they're never going to touch it anyway. 

4. Yes, Airplane Mode Is Fairly Pointless, but It Saves Your Battery from Certain Death
There are no cell phone towers at 39,000 feet, but your phone will frantically search for service anyway. This means transmitting at max power 100% of the time for hours on end, quickly draining the battery. This is a torturous form of seppuku in which the phone will eventually admit it has brought dishonor to its network and die. 

Bonus fact: pilots admit that it's rare, but phone transmissions do occasionally interfere with radio communication in an incredibly annoying way. So, there is at least some justification for the strict airplane mode regulations.  

5. Be Super Polite to Flight Attendants - Potentially Score Free Drinks
It's easy enough to be polite, go out of your way to help others, and do good deeds in daily life. We call that being a gentleman. Unfortunately, it's a lost art in the airport environment, so flight attendants are pleasantly surprised when you offer to help them lift a heavy bag into the overhead, help an elderly person find their seat, or just make pleasant conversation with them during their downtime. (Note, downtime is an operative word. During boarding, or when they are trying to get 100 people their beverage service during a 45-minute flight is not considered downtime). You shouldn't need an ulterior motive to be gentlemanly to those around you, but it doesn't hurt that time and again flight attendants have snuck free drinks, snacks, or even a first class upgrade to passengers who go the extra mile to be pleasant and helpful. 

Fair skies and strong tailwinds, fellow traveler.