New Zealand Mirror Travel

Archive for the ‘Air Travel Tips’ Category

The scenario of air travel has totally changed from what it was even ten years ago. These days flying are an essential part of your trip, be it for a holiday or a honeymoon or for business purposes. The biggest change noticed has probably been in the sector of inland flying, where the traffic has increased manifold.

Better connectivity, cheaper rates and higher safety measures apart from competitive markets have boosted air travel.

There are of course newer rules and safety precautions to be taken, all for a safer journey.

Air travelers must carry all aerosols, gels and liquids in 3-ounce or smaller sized containers. Bigger containers, which may be half full, or else toothpaste tubes that may have been rolled, are restricted.

Except for some prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines, baby food and breast milk, and other essential liquids, nothing much can be carried. The travelers must do away with their zip-top, quart-sized plastic bag placing it on a conveyor belt or in a bin for X-ray examination.

Like any other trip it is important to know how to plan for your air travel also. You should be clear about how to reach your destination and through which route. It is also important to be able to understand which will be the shortest and the cheapest route for you. Knowing where you’re going and how to get there safely is as important as the trip itself.

It is important that you pack well and intelligently for your trip.

It is always preferable that you travel light and take things, which are only essential with you. Your hand baggage should comprise of things you might need during the flight. Apart from necessary medicines and other essential personal items nothing much should be a part of your hand luggage.

Those prone to air sickness or allergenic to any particular kind of food should inform the flight attendants well in advance. Travelers who might be suffering from serious ailments like heart problems, hypertension or any such related symptoms should intimidate this to the cabin crew so that necessary steps might be taken in case of an emergency.

Physically disabled passengers should avail of the facilities part of every flight for their comfort. For those passengers with special needs pre-board screening officers are trained to look after accommodate such air travelers. They are also dedicated to ensuring the safety and comfort of these passengers during the screening procedures.

It is a must for all passengers to take careful note of all air travel regulations and safety measures administered by the staff and crew within the flight. One must keep a check on alcohol consumption during the flight as a respect towards co-passengers.

These days keeping in mind the number of children traveling by air, special arrangements are usually made for their entertainment as well as safety. Devices such as child restraint seats, games and other such facilities are quite common in most airlines. Parents are advised to be careful about their child’s travel papers, during flight or even later.

Many people absolutely dread long haul flights as they know that they will probalby reach their destination tired, cramped and cranky. This need not be the case however. The purpose of this article is to share some basic travel tips to help you minimise the impact of hours on a plane on your system.

Get to the airport early: Nothing is as stressful as having to race through immigration and security knowing that there is a possibility that you can get offloaded. The stress and agitation from running around the airport can easily turn you into a ball of nerves when (if?) you finally make it onto the plane. Make sure that you avoid situations like this by budgeting more than enough time for your trip to the airport.

Get the best seats possible: Study the configuration of the aircraft you will be travelling on before you travel (there are several websites where you can do this). It may be that there are certain seats with more legroom that you can request when checking in or that you can even reserve online.

Dress comfortably: You are going to have to sit in one position for a long time, the least you can do is to make sure that your clothes and shoes don’t make that harder than it already is. If you need to make a good impression on arrival you can stik a change of clothes in your carry on luggage.

Eat and drink in moderation: Sitting still in a confined space is cannot be termed ‘optimum operating conditions’ for your digestive system. The inside of a plane is a highly pressurised environment which means that the effects of alcohol tends to be more severe at cruising altitude. The obvious implication is that you should be very careful about what you eat and drink on a plane.

Avoid dehydration: If you do want to drink: drink water! The inside of a plane is very dry due to the air being re-circulated. You can guard against the effects of this by drinking water at every opportunity.

Walk the aisles: People often find that they are stiff, sore and bloated after long haul flights. This is the case because our muscles reacts negatively to passivity. Even just a few walks down the length of the plane will leave your muscles much happier!

Invest in some noise cancelling headphones: I recently bought a good pair of noise cancelling headphones and I can’t think how I ever flew without them. The technology used does not only enhance the sound quality of whatever you are listening to, but also actively filters out other sounds. The difference that having your own ’sound bubble’ on long haul flights can make to your state of mind is absolutely phenomenal.

I am not suggesting, with this article, that air travel can be totally stress free or that you can arrive ‘fresh as a daisy’ every time you fly. The point that I am trying to make is that, by following these simple steps, you can arrive at your destination with a distinct advantage over those who just sat around hoping that the flight would end soon!

For anyone who has not gone on a flight before, his or her first time through the airport can be a puzzling and taxing experience. There are inflexible rules to follow, queues to stand in, and loads of people to move around. If this is the first time flying, some essential air travel tips will make the experience safer, less demanding and will help a person to get from his home to his destination without a problem.

Reach there early:

One of the most imperative air travel tips, the one that will help a person to make up for any other problems along the way, is to reach the airport before time. Most airports do not let a person get a boarding pass unless he turns up at least 30 minutes prior to his flight. He has to go through the security checkpoint. Most people who fly propose arriving at least two hours earlier to the flight’s departure time. No one wants to get jammed in the middle of the security line when his plane leaves the gate.

Pack Light:

Though every person’s definition of packing light is personal, this is another one of the air travel tips that will make flying experience comfortable. Rather than try to handle the largest carry-on bag one should pack a small bag with a book, some magazines, or whatever one will need through his flight, and pack a second bag that with which one can check. If your bag is small, then you can comfortably fit it under the seat in your front, which makes you getting on and off the flight easier.

Eat Before the Airport:

In this set of tips for air travel; this is one that your wallet will be glad about the most: one should eat before he goes to the airport. Many airports have a superb variety of businesses in their terminals so one can grab a bite to eat while waiting for his flight. However, mostly it has fast foods, which are spicy, greasy and expensive too.
Relax

Of course, above all other air travel tips, is the suggestion that one should relax when flying. All the issues which one has to face at the airport, the check-in process, the long security lines, and so on, add up to a flying experience that is reliable than ever before. Airline employees and airport staff do everything they can to take the anxiety out of a rather busy experience, so be rest assured that accidents will be diminished.