Your voice's best friend while air travelling

Imagine you are a flight attendant on a flight from Seattle to Frankfurt, Germany and one of your passengers looks like this.

What comes to your mind?

Does she have a serious lung condition or a heart problem? Is it dangerous? Does she need special care on this long flight? 

People's minds can play tricky games.

When I am flying wearing my HumidiFlyer face mask, I usually get looks full of concern. I tell the stewards not to worry, I am perfectly healthy and not on my way to a hospital, but to sing concerts on the other side of the Atlantic. Is it a disease to be a classical singer?  I smile and I have to admit, it looks a bit scary.

But I am perfectly fine and more than grateful to use this special face mask in planes where vocal folds dry out easily.

Using my HumidiFlyer in airplanes helps my voice to stay healthy and I can enjoy my high notes that are still there after a 10 hours flight. Of course, this makes me feeling more confident, looking forward to perform in concerts and auditions wherever I go.  

Some flight attendants get very excited when they hear, how it helps my voice and they tell me they get hoarse on flights as well. And we exchange our secret tricks how to survive jetlag and challenges of air travel in general. 

I don't care,  if I look a bit odd on a flight. The main thing is to shine on stage the next day or even a few hours later, in the case of a shorter flight.

Once I even used the HumidiFlyer during the night in a very dry hotel room in Canada one day before a concert. I admit it was not very comfortable to sleep with it, but my voice sounded beautiful the next morning. This is what counts. 

I am not affiliated with the company selling these masks, just a big fan and regular user. Check it out, if you want to stay healthy and relaxed on flights. I think it is a great invention. 

http://humidiflyer.com/

If you don't want to invest in this mask, read here some more advice what you can do to keep your voice healthy:

Take a warm long shower before and after your flight.
Drink plenty of water while flying.
Order hot water, put your mouth and nose above the cup and inhale the steam. (Be careful not to burn yourself).
Take salt water nose spray to moisture your nostrils. 
If you are on a very long flight with layover, take a hot shower at the airport to moisten your vocal tract. 
Don't talk over long periods of time in a loud voice. Use good body posture and even a good speaking technique when you talk.
Avoid acidic drinks (e.g. tomato juice, alcohol) which might contribute to acid reflux.  

Please share your tricks and tips in the comments below and let us know how you manage to care for your voice. ​