Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Tips to Make Air Travel Easy

By Kelly Kilpatrick
Guest Contributor

Taking to the air is often the shortest route between two places, especially if they’re far away. But not many people are comfortable
flying – some are plain scared while others don’t like being cooped in a seat that’s too small for them in a small area that could get claustrophobic. Frequent air travelers resort to certain tricks to make their journey more comfortable, so if you’re apprehensive about air travel, you’d benefit too by implementing these tips:

·Plan your journey well in advance.
·If you’re travelling far, choose a flight plan that allows you to stop over at airports that are known to be comfort havens for travelers.
·If you’re traveling long distances and expect to be jet lagged, book flights that get in at night so you can rest overnight and begin your work refreshed the day after.
·Plan for traffic jams and other impediments when you leave for the airport.
·If you like to be undisturbed during the flight, book a window seat, but if you’d like to get up and move around, ask for an aisle location.
·If you have the option of checking in over the Internet from home, use it to save you some time.
·If you’re travelling with children and/or the elderly, allow enough time for emergencies and delays.
·Aircraft cabins are pressurized, and this tends to dehydrate you. So, as tempting as those in-flight drinks are, avoid them because they only tend to make you thirstier.
·If you’re prone to stiff legs or hate long journeys, walk around the aisles of your plane when it’s safe to.
·Read up on security instructions for carryon and other luggage before you travel.
·Tag your bags with bright colors so that they’re easily identified on the conveyor.
·Wear comfortable clothes and loose shoes so that you’re able to fit your legs into them even if they’re swollen because of the long journey.
·Keep your travel documents carefully.
·Make sure you know enough about the country/place you’re travelling to.
·Talk to others who have been there before, especially about cab fares to and from the airport.
Most drivers tend to rook foreigners and take them for a ride, both literally and figuratively.
·Follow security rules at the airport to avoid unnecessary hassles.

Travelling is a fun experience, and if you have planned your trip well enough, you should come out of it longing for the next one.

This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of Visa airline card offers. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com