7 Freebies You Can Get On Your Flight, Because Flying is Pricy Enough

Don’t you miss the good old days of flying, where we got a choice between the meat and vegetarian entrées?

Yes, now we have choices of what food to purchase on the plane, but there was something so nice about it being included in the price of our ticket.

What if i told you, though, that there are certain things you can get for free while on board? I did some investigating and found the below, so next time you’re flying in the sky, keep these in mind. Of course, some airlines may be more willing than others to do some of the below, but you don’t know unless you ask.

1. More Snacks

This one is important, right? On Southwest, for instance, they bring around an assortment of savory and sweet snacks, and they say to take “as many as you want.” While I often see fellow flyers just taking one or two, it’s nice they offer. On Southwest and other flights, like American, I’ve seen flyers press their call buttons for an additional free snack, and the flight attendants didn’t seem to mind getting them one. So… ask!

2. A Full Can Of Soda (Or Juice)

Some airlines already give you the whole can of soda, while others give you a cup (and half of that may be ice, unless you ask for none).

Smarter Travel spoke to Beth Blair, an author and a former flight attendant, and she said if there’s enough of the particular drink to go around, the flight crew will usually give you the entire can, or come back to refill your cup.

I’ve seen people request a full can plenty of times, and they’d get it—perhaps because not a lot of people do.

3. Free Alcohol

Some flights give customers alcohol for free. Usually, the longer or international flights offer this perk, but it’s more a case-by-case basis, so ask (it may not be advertised).

Map Happy continually updates their list, and it was last revised Nov. 20, 2015, so check their list to see which airlines offer this free perk.

4. Hot Chocolate

Some airlines offer hot chocolate – surprising, right? For instance, Southwest has hot chocolate on their menu, and Qantas has “Cadbury Hot Chocolate” on theirs. Yum!

5. First Aid Items

If you need a painkiller, antacid, or bandage, speak up. Though not every airline may administer these, your migraine will thank you for asking, just in case. Of course, you can also ask for ice, too, if you need to ice a sore joint.

6. Watching Your Child While You Use The Bathroom

I saw this on a flight just a few weeks ago. A mother needed to use the bathroom, and her young daughter was sleeping next to her. I kept seeing her glancing at the girl, perhaps debating what to do, and then a flight attendant offered to sit in her seat while the mother went.

“Watching babies was one of my favorite things to do in-flight,” Blair said. “For safety reasons, most airlines ask flight attendants to sit in the aisle passenger seat so they’re not standing and holding a baby.”

Another time, a “babysitter” request was announced over the loudspeaker on one of my flights (I think the flight attendants were all serving drinks at the time) and a fellow traveler sat next to a parent who had to use the restroom. So nice. Just ask, don’t suffer in silence.

7. Tour The Cockpit

Have you always wanted to sit in the cockpit, or at least see it up close? Though security measures on planes keep getting stricter, some airlines let you go into the cockpit after the flight.

When you board or during the flight, ask a crew member if you can see it afterwards. Or, ask as you exit the plane. If you get in, hooray! Don’t forget to take an honorary picture or two. If they decline, you can always watch this cool 360-degree kid-friendly tour instead.