What can i do to deal with the common cold on an airplane?

For self or others?: There's lots to do. First, bring tissues, since planes only really have those cheap little napkins. Decongestants take about 2 hours to kick in and really relieve symptoms, so take one before security. That times the max effect about right. If you're worried about spreading it to others, a mask on the plane would be thorough but mildly unnerving. Just make sure if coughing, do it into a tissue.