Alan Cumming Shares the Traitors and Faithfuls of Travel Etiquette

Alan Cumming is turning red — literally. Basked in the red glow of a Virgin Atlantic lounge on Zoom, he is sitting down with me to celebrate his partnership with the airline. The actor, author, Emmy-winning "Traitors" host, and self-proclaimed lover of long-haul flights has lent his unmistakable voice to "ReLAX and Unwind With Alan Cumming," a soothing bedtime story designed to help travelers ease into a restful journey.

The collaboration marks the grand opening of Virgin Atlantic's new wellness-focused Clubhouse (i.e., lounge) at LAX, where guests can unwind in spaces like the Zen Den, indulge in nourishing bites, or sip cocktails before their red-eye flights to London and beyond.

Cumming, who adores a "spa day in the skies," shares his excitement about the partnership, his personal travel rituals, and why he never says no to a pre-flight Bloody Mary.

PS: How did your partnership with Virgin Atlantic come about?
Alan Cumming: The idea of getting myself in a place where I'm going to enjoy my flight most is something I really relate to. And I do love a Virgin lounge. Actually, many years ago I wrote a novel and there's a chapter of it — it's actually called the "Virgin Upper Class Lounge," and stuff happens in the Virgin Upper Class Lounge in London Heathrow.

I travel all the time, and I think it's really important to be in the right frame of mind for it. So this idea of coming into this room, this lounge, and the whole place being so geared to getting you in the zone, it is totally up my street.

PS: You're the host of the super popular show "Traitors." Traitors, faithfuls — good behavior, bad behavior. Is there anything that really irks you, as far as flight pet peeves?
AC: Well, I don't like rudeness in any way. I mean, I don't like when people go barefoot. I think that's a little unsavory. Taking your shoes off — that's fine, if you keep your socks on or use the complimentary socks. I've seen someone clipping their nails once. I don't like being asked for selfies on planes — that would be a no-no for me.

Everyone's there to have a nice time just to get to a place and have as nice a time getting to where you've got to go as possible. So chill out. But I do sort of judge people in a way: If you're rude to waiters, then you're just a horrible person. And so I think it's the same sort of behavior on a plane if you're rude to the flight attendants, I mean, for god's sake.

I'd have to also say that usually you can tell on planes how well and how valued and how happy people are valued by their company and how happy they are at work. And I always find on Virgin, everyone is so friendly and happy and really glad to be there. I've always felt that about Virgin, that the whole company ethos is sort of kind and fun and happy. It makes a difference, I think.

PS: When you're traveling with people, is there anything in particular you're looking for in a travel companion?
AC: I like to be adaptable. I don't want to be climbing hills every day or jumping out of planes. But also, I don't really like lying by a pool. I like that for a little bit, but I would rather be doing something.

I think it's really important to be with someone who is not going to stick to the rules, stick to the preconceived notion. It's about just being spontaneous. That's what you need in travel. And also someone who is not a moaner. I think it's really annoying to go on holiday with people who are moaners.

With my friends who I go on vacations with, we have a thing called "holiday hate." When you go with a group of friends, there's always someone you all just despise by the end of the week. It's just sort of inevitable. It's just one of these things. There's always got to be someone who is the least popular for various reasons. And it's actually quite good to have a "holiday hate." You don't really hate them, they're just the one that's, well, annoying. It's like, there's a thing on film sets where you always call it a "set crush." It gives you something to talk about. It gets you excited: "Oh, your crush is coming over. Oh my god." It's always good to have a "holiday hate."

PS: Tell me about your packing style. Are you a carry-on only?
AC: I go in waves. I sometimes just think, "Oh, fuck it," and just take huge amounts of cases. But right now, because I've been traveling so much and I'm flying another overnight tonight and I just came from Brussels, that's when I'm carry-on only. And I roll everything up. My mother-in-law, sadly no longer with us, used to be a flight attendant in the '50s, and then she had this job doing demonstrations in malls where she would explain to people how best to pack a case. And she got me onto this, that you roll everything up. It can get so much more in, it actually works. So, I'm a roller.

PS: Is there anything you consistently do once you get on a plane?
AC: Well, in the lounge, I always have a Bloody Mary. I've done that for years. It's sort of a ritual. No matter what time of the day it is, I have a Bloody Mary. It's sort of dutiful now, purely medicinal. Someone was telling me today that on the plane your taste buds are lessened, so that's actually why people like them on a plane. And actually apparently the food is more salty on purpose on planes because taste buds are dulled! So I have a Bloody Mary in the lounge on the plane.

I do think, what am I going to do? Am I going to read? Am I going to work? Am I going to read scripts? Am I going to look at my emails? I make a little plan and I have a pile of my book, iPad, phone, and then I kind of look at the films and decide which films. I'm one of those ones where I use the favorites thing [on the screen]. It is funny when you fly as much as I do and you're kind of loyal to certain airlines, then exactly every month you're just dying for the month to change, so they've got new [movies] coming on.

And then of course, I don't really do any of that stuff. I kind of maybe read a wee bit. As soon as dinner comes and the wine starts flowing, I'm just watching something and falling asleep. On a plane, it's not the most healthy environment to be in: You're clearing through the air in a metal box at the speed of whatever, and with funny recycled air. So, cut yourself some slack. Obviously, drink lots of water, hydrate, put creams on, keep putting the cream on your face. I am all about a facial spray. But also, have a few drinks. You're in a very unnatural mind- and mood-altering ambiance anyway, you might as well have a glass of wine.

PS: You gotta live it up a little bit.
AC: Years and years ago, I was on a Virgin flight and I was going to LA to do a junket and my friend pretended to be my assistant so that she could come with me, and we had this rule. We said, "You can't say no — within reason." If someone said something like, "Would you like this?" You'd have to say yes. Enjoy all the things. You should try it. It's actually a really good rule.

PS: You're from Scotland. Is there anything that you think is overlooked when it comes to traveling there or just exploring there?
AC: Well, I'm a really big fan of trains, and I actually just did a documentary series about the Royal Scotsman train, which is a sumptuous Orient Express sort of vibe without the murders. I love the idea of going through this beautiful scenery, but on a train.

When you take a little longer, you can experience the joy of travel itself rather than just getting to the destination. And Scotland, it's a tiny country, but it takes a long time to get to places because of all the mountains and all the funny little roads. So the train is a really good way to see it. It also kind of gets you in the mood and slows you down in a way — a bit like this lounge zens you out.

I also love a ferry. I used to have this website called It's a Sickness, which is about obsession. One of the things I was obsessed about was these Caledonian MacBrayne ferries. They've got this huge network of ferries that go to all the islands and you can get a pass and just hop on them and go to all these different islands. That's magical — slow travel. And if it's fast travel, try and still slow down when you can.

PS: Speaking of that, I don't know if you've heard the term "raw dogging" a flight?
AC: Raw dogging?

PS: Essentially it's when someone just gets on a plane and enjoys without plugging in, without doing anything. What do you think about that? Would you ever do that?
AC: Totally. I do that — raw dogging, whatever that means. I advocate that. And I actually advocate making plans to do things and then not doing them. That's what I'm saying: Sometimes you think, this is the only time I've got to myself for the next week, and it's on a plane that's at 37,000 feet. That's tragic, but it's often true of me, and I think I'll just go for it: Do nothing.

Samantha Leal is a lifestyle writer, editor, and editorial consultant who writes about beauty, wellness, travel, drinks, and more — basically, all the good things in life. She's held editorial roles at The Knot, Latina magazine, Marie Claire, and Well+Good, and she's written for PS, Bustle, Vogue, Teen Vogue, Glamour, Travel + Leisure, Byrdie, StyleCaster, The Zoe Report, and more.