rnmcd

I'll be taking Northwest Airlines from MSP to MNL.

I was just wondering if I should take a sweater to keep warm on the plane. I doubt I'll need it when I get to Manila though.

Timfid

I've found that airplanes are almost always more likely to be cool than warm. Whether that means cool enough to need a sweater depends on how warm or cool you like to be. (I usually wear medium-weight clothes with a long sleeve shirt, which I find comfortable.)

Arizona2

I'm always freezing on the plane, and the longer the flight the colder it seems.

Kate_Canuck

I'm usually cold and then hot (or hot and hten cold) on planes. If the outside temperature is 18C or higher, then when you first get on the plane it can often be quite stuffy until they push away and start circulating air. If your flight is delayed on the ground, it can be very, very stuffy. (Once on a flight from Sao Paulo to Paris, we ended up diverting to another Brazilian airport because a passenger got sick and then died. We ended up sitting on the ground in a very steamy location for about 2 hours before taking off again.)

Once the flight gets going, I'm often chilly. There are blankets available, so this helps.

mmcd: I don't know if you're a man or a woman. I would advise a woman to wear two light layers (e.g. a twinset tank top and cardigan) and carry a pashmina scarf, which is quite versatile. The pashmina serves as the blanket for my top half on the plane (I never let airplane blankets near my face), a shawl to throw over my shoulders if I'm wearing a dress, a cover-up for my hair if I'm visiting a church or mosque and a throw blanket for naps in the hotel room. For men, I would also advise wearing two light layers, e.g. a tshirt with a cotton sweater, zip fleece jacket or something similar. Even though normal outdoor temperatures might be high in Manila, you might find your hotel room or another indoor environment over-airconditioned, so the light sweater could be handier than you think.

rnmcd

Very good advice. Thank you everyone.

htb

That also depends on the airline. Japanese airlines seem to be more on the hot side, LH probably in the middle, American airlines more on the cold side.

It also depends on where you sit on the plane. Seats near the exits tend to be colder, and window seats are probably slightly colder.

And it will also depend on who complains how strongly to the FAs demanding an adjustment of temperature. As people have a different perception of hot/cold, and that perception shifts over the course of a year (20 degC inside is warm in the winter, in the summer 20 degC inside will appear cool (this may not apply for people strongly relying on airconditioning to have 27 degC in the winter and 15 degC in the summer)), there will always be people on board complaining that it is too hot and others complaining that it is too cold.

Best to wear layered clothes and bring something along in addition.

HTB.

jimbo99

I concur.....

I always feel hot... the first thing I do is always toss pillows and blankets in the lockers... but I'm clearly different. Judging by other PAX, most people feel cold, and some have trouble keeping warm even with blankets etc.

One thing... the air tends to be dryer too. I love it! But some people get itchy skin, and I wonder if less humid air makes you feel colder than you otherwise would.

So if you're used to humidity, then bear this in mind.... moisturiser?

You may also be in the line of fire of an overhead vent. Adjust it if you can and need to.

oldpenny16

I carry my own silk shawl, but there are many and often cheap travel type blankets you can buy and not worry about after your flights. Walmart has lots of such things. Just buy an unusual color that the airlines don't use so you won't be accused of nicking a blanket.

For your return flight, shopping in Manila is great! Plenty choices!

DavidDTW

On al long flight my legs and feet can get really cold, but that is when I am sitting in an exit row/near a door. The rest of the plane doesn't get as cold.

htb

Of course and vice versa.

If the air is dry, any liquid on your skin will evaporate almost immediately and cool you down. Just transpiring a little bit will make you cold.

If it's too humid, no matter how much you transpire, the sweat will not evaporate and you'll soon sit in a puddle without any cooling effect.

HTB.

SkiAdcock

You can be both cold & hot. Cold when they're waking you up & hot when they crank up the temperature to put you to sleep. I always bring a pashmina shawl w/ me when traveling. Cheers.

blueskeyes

In most cases, humidity in the air will make you feel warmer. Furnaces have humidistats built in for that reason.

In my experience, on the ground, it's usually warm. In the air, it's cool.

I usually use the airline provided blanket as a lumbar support, and use my pashmina for me.

redbeard911

My normal thermometer tends towards hot. However, I usually need sweatpants and a sweatshirt on international flights.

dimramon

I tend to be on the hot side on planes. The expection is night flights. I don't know if that's psychological or what...

BamaVol

I find I'm warm after boarding, especially if we sit at the gate for long. It's worse if I'm on the sunny side of the aircraft. After takeoff, I usually cool off quickly. I like to keep a light jacket with me for that reason. It's easier to remove/don than pullover outerwear.