10 Tips for Beating Jet Lag

Whether you are a frequently traveler or have only flown a few times, it you have crossed time zones then you have probably experienced jet lag to some degree. It can come in the form of headaches, irritability, or even worst symptoms.

Of course there is no magic cure or potion you can drink but there are certain steps you can take to mitigate these symptoms while you wait for your body clock to adjust.

Here from World of Wonderlust are 10 things that you can do to help you avoid jet lag and also avoid starting your vacation out on the wrong foot.

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1. Book your flight strategically

If possible, try booking a flight that will minimize jet lag. If you are flying west, book an afternoon flight. If you are flying east, book a morning flight. Landing at a sensible time will minimize the amount of swearing that happens when you’re landing in a strange country at 3 a.m. completely exhausted.

 

2. Shift your time for long trips

Depending on your schedule, try shifting your sleep schedule before you even leave on your trip. A few days before you leave, try going to bed one hour earlier or later each day. Try to also move your mealtimes. That might mean a super-early trip to the gym in the morning and going to bed before your favorite TV shows are over but you’ll be grateful when you arrive at your destination feeling a little more prepared to face the world.

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3. Adjust your watch

Even before you board the plane, adjust your watch to your destination’s local time. It doesn’t seem like much, but every time you glance at your watch, you’re telling your subconscious what time it’s going to be and that will help you mentally prepare before you even land.

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4. Drink lots of water

Yes, your seat mate will hate you, but being hydrated is worth all those trips to the bathroom. The cabin air pressure is dehydrating, which won’t help your travel hangover and not drinking enough water will leave you with a headache and dry skin. Drink as much water or herbal tea as you can, stay away from sugary juice and coffee and whatever you do, don’t drink alcohol. Sorry, but alcohol will only dehydrate you more and make your jet lag more painful.

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5. Try to eat light meals

During a flight, the only thing happening is either food or a terrible inflight movie. Even though the food isn’t great, it’s something to do, but try to resist eating too much. Heavy meals, especially ones heavy on salt will keep you from getting that much-needed rest. If possible, stick to protein and plant-based foods to beat jet-lag and keep you feeling fresh instead of bloated.

 

6. Sleep on the plane

Obviously, this is easier said than done, but if you can get a little shut-eye on the flight, it’ll seriously help your jet lag. Bring an eye mask, earplugs and try to unplug from the what’s happening around you. Just make sure that you’re falling asleep when it’s night time in your destination, not night time at home. However, if it’s daytime at your destination while you’re flying, it might be better to give up sleeping and use the flight time for relaxing or working.

 

7. Walk around during the flight

Try to keep the blood flowing during the flight by walking up and down the aisle or doing mini stretches in your seat. Keeping muscle aches away is key for keeping you relaxed and helping you feel a little happier when you actually get off the plane. That doesn’t mean you have to do pushups by the bathroom, just some gentle stretching will help.

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8. Get some sunshine STAT

Instead of chugging caffeine, go outside! Sunshine acts like a natural stimulant that triggers your body into “waking up”  and reseting your internal clock. If you arrive at your destination during the day, get as much light exposure as you possibly can. Go for a walk or relax by the pool- the more natural light you can get when you first arrive, the quicker you’ll get over jet lag.

 

9. Rest at sundown

If it’s still light when you land, fight the urge to instantly pass out. Push through your fatigue by doing an activity you’ve been looking forward to or just walking the streets and exploring. Then once the sun is setting, head back to your hotel to get some rest and get your circadian rhythm off on the right foot.

 

10. Take a warm bath

After a long flight, sometimes it’s really hard to unwind and fall asleep. Instead of resorting to sleeping pills, draw yourself a bath when you get to the hotel and treat yourself to some quiet time. If there isn’t a tub, drink a warm cup of tea. Don’t resort to the mini bar, since alcohol won’t help with that groggy feeling the next morning. Save the wine for the following night, once you’re feeling better than ever.

How to Cure Common Travel Worries

Are you someone who would really love to spend time traveling, seeing new places having new experiences? But do you also find yourself freaking out when you start thinking about planning such a trip? Don’t worry, this is fairly common. Many people suffer from what is referred to as ‘travel phobia’. Maybe you are not afraid of flying but you are afraid of all the things that can go wrong while flying. You have heard the horror stories so you hesitate to book that trip and find yourself missing out on some great experiences.
Well, don’t let these phobias get you down, there is a cure. These suggestions by Rick Seaney explain how you can alleviate some of the common travel phobias.  Don’t let anxiety keep you from enjoying life, try these tips and have yourself a stress-free vacation!

1. The Getting Started Phobia
You want to travel but don’t know where to begin. Put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and make a few lists regarding where you want to go and what you want to see.

Plan ahead: Go online and Google “official tourism site for [destination]”. Now, the fun part: Pick out attractions or activities you absolutely must see. Then, where possible, book tickets (or at least make reservations). Do it quickly because popular activities can fill up quickly (like a White House tour, for example). Finally, print out receipts and/or reservations (yes, these can live on your phone but paper copies are always good).

Don’t over-plan: Leave some empty space on your day-to-day trip calendar because sometimes you just need a break – time to do nothing more strenuous that bask on that beach in Florida or wander the Champs-Élysées of Paris.

 

2. Security Phobia

We all get this to some extent but security is here to stay. The good news is with PreCheck you’ll get a faster experience and a five year membership only costs $85 (and personally I think the shorter lines are worth $17 a year). If you travel much internationally, Global Entry makes returns to the U.S. faster and easier and it includes PreCheck.

 

3. Packing and Baggage Phobia

The trick is to pack light and pack early. With just a few exceptions, carry-ons are free while the vast majority of airlines charge $50 round-trip for a checked-bag. Packing only what you need as opposed to what you might want to bring is key and packing light is easy with the roll-your-clothes method.

Another tip: Pack a day or two ahead of time and place a list of last-minute items to add to the bag on top of it.

 

4. No WiFi Phobia

This is a vacation, so ease off on the email and text messages. Yes, we know you’re important but if the office really needs you, they’ll call. Free yourself so you can actually enjoy the vacation you’ve worked so hard for.

 

5. Fear of Glitches Phobia

Here’s another instance where ‘letting go’ is sometimes the best thing to do. Yes, a flight might be delayed but so what? Stuff happens and you can’t fix everything so just relax. If stuck in an airport, here’s where electronics will come in handy so fire them up (you packed the charger cord, right?) and find out what’s happening on Game of Thrones. Your plane will take off eventually.

 

One more thing: Be polite in all your dealings with airline representatives and it’ll come back to you, or at least that’s what a rep told me long ago: “Who would you rather help, Mr. Jerk or Mr. Nice Guy?”

So don’t let these little fears get in your way.  The reward of travel far outweighs the risk and most of these things are minor when you look at the big picture.  Happy travels!

This Simple Tip Could Get You a Free Hotel Room Upgrade

So you have planned a trip, maybe with the kids, to a nice mountain or beach area. You have booked a nice hotel thinking that everything was great, you would have a spacious room, a great view, it just looked great. Then you arrive, check in, and find the room is not quite as big as you expected and your view is of the back parking lot with a dumpster in it. What do you do? Well, this video explains the ‘secret’ to getting an upgrade, and many times at no extra cost. Even if your room is not so bad and you just want to see if that suite is available this could work for you.

So watch this and I am sure you will kick yourself for not trying this sooner.

Lost Your Luggage at the Airport? What Happens to It?

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So you are taking a long flight and for whatever reason you had to check a bag.  It probably cost you at least $50 round trip for that privilege which is already annoying.  But then you finally reach your destination, fight your way to the luggage carousel, and wait for your bag to appear.  After several minutes the conveyor stops and to your horror your bag is nowhere in sight!

If you have ever lost your luggage at the airport you know that it can range from being slightly annoyed to having lost things considered irreplaceable. Regardless of the severity you know the sinking feeling of wondering if you are ever going to get your valuables (or unmentionables) returned.

This article from The Telegraph explains some of the the thing that can happen to luggage that either cannot be traced or is never claimed.  Remember this the next time your bag disappears.

 

It’s one of a traveler’s worst nightmares - being the last person at the airport conveyor belt and coming to that slow realization that your bag isn’t coming .

Lost luggage can prove either highly irritating or, bizarrely, kind of convenient. If the airline loses your bag on the outbound flight, you’re left with only the clothes you've travelled in, and might end up splashing most of your spending money on last-minute T-shirts and toiletries to carry you through.

 

If, on the other hand, your case goes walkabout on the way home, a complaint to the service desk would likely mean airport staff will electronically locate your luggage and - if they can find it - arrange for it to be couriered to you, meaning you’ll leave the airport empty handed and without the burden of dragging a suitcase full of dirty clothes home. After a particularly long trip, this can feel strangely like a positive. However, the airline will not help you unpack.

 

Research from SITA, the makers of the World Tracer System for baggage, found that there were 24.1million mishandled (lost and temporarily mislaid) bags in 2014, a figure that translates as 7.3 bags per 1,000 passengers. This figure is against the backdrop of ever-rising passenger numbers (3.3billion in 2014) - since 2007 global passenger numbers have risen by a third, while the number of mishanded bags has fallen by half, saving the industry $18billion.

 

Detailed consumer research into lost baggage from the Association of European Airlines suggested that 85 per cent of bags reported as lost are returned to their owners by courier within 48 hours, meaning they are “misdirected” rather than lost. SITA says reunion time is now down to 36 hours.

SITA's research found that of the 24.1million bags mishandled last year, 49 per cent went missing thanks to "transfer mishandling", i.e when passangers make connecting flights, 15 per cent because of "failure to load", 15 per cent due to a "ticketing error", and the remainder due to a mix of tagging errors, loading errors, and "airport/customs/weather/space-weright restrictions". "Arrival mishandling" accounted for 3 per cent of delayed luggage.

It is a small percentage of the mishandled bags that are actually lost. According to SITA, only 5.5 per cent are lost or stolen never to be reunited with their owners.

 

If your bag is misdirected on the way out, the airline must give you money to buy replacement items or reimburse you for purchases you make to cover your loses while you wait for your bag. But they can be evasive and pass responsibility to any other airlines you have travelled with or your insurance company, Sophie Butler, Telegraph Travel's consumer correspondent, writes.

UK airlines have 21 days to track your bag before it is considered officially "irretrievably lost". They trace it through the electronic tag put on it when you drop off your luggage, but bags can be difficult to find if a faulty or incorrect code was entered by the person who checked it in. At this stage, after a lengthy process of making a claim, you can get compensation for your bag.

 

All major airlines use the World Tracer System, which tracks a bag for 100 days and uses the information provided by you about the appearance of the bag as well as the journey history to try to locate it. 

A spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic explains: "When a customer identifies their bag as missing, a report is made into a system which searches bags found with similar criteria. Bags found at an airport without a customer attached or missing a tag are also logged into this system with any details that can be established. The system works 24/7 searching for matches between the delayed bag reports the customer has made, and the found bag reports that the airline has made, and it makes suggestions for matches based on the criteria in the files. Our baggage-tracing team continuously looks at these matches, liaise with the airports and the customers, identify the right bag and owner, and facilitate the return of the bag.

 

If a bag is missing, it could be due to belt or infrastructure failures, the bag may have become tagless, or short connection times may prevent bags getting from one aircraft to another. Usually a bag would be somewhere between check-in and the aircraft in a designated baggage area. If a bag is found later on, we will return it to the customer regardless of whether they’ve had compensation or not.

 

If a bag is not picked up from a carousel, it would get held at the airport, and a found bag report would be logged. If the customer then realized they’ve left the bag they would be able to call up and arrange for it to be returned to them. If the bag is not requested or identified it is then stored for up to 90 days. After which if no-one has claimed it, and we cannot determine who it belonged to, it would then be disposed of.

 

A spokesperson for British Airways said: "Usually we use continued tracing for a minimum of 90 days. Normally delayed bags travel on the next available flight, so in reality, it is very rare that we would still be tracing for that length of time.

 

But, on the rare occasions that a bag is still lost where is it likely to end up? Surely, like lost socks from the washing machine, it must go somewhere?

If after 90 days no-one has been able to link you with your bag, it could end up like much of the other lost property that turns up in airports: at an auction house that sells on luggage, with profits going to charity. Greasbys in Tooting sells on bags subjected to this fate from various London airports, and airlines including BA, every other Tuesday. “It’s dirty clothing and bags, mainly,” said one employee.

Auction houses like this exist worldwide, with one of the USA's major sites being the Unclaimed Baggage Centre in Scottsboro, Arizona. It has contracts with all the major US airlines to buy lost cases, clean up the contents and sell them on to bargain hunters. Their emporium includes everything from diamond rings to ski boots, with all items sold at relatively cheap prices.

More Tips for Packing Luggage for Air Travel – 10 Things NOT to Pack

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One of the hardest things about packing for that big trip is knowing what to leave behind. You find yourself constantly thinking "What if I need this?" or "I just can't do without that!". Well those kind of thoughts can be your worst enemy when you are getting ready to pack.

By using some simple guidelines and a little restraint you can not only save money but also time and even trouble. When packing the rule of thumb is 'less is more'. These tips can be quite helpful in letting you not only know what not to pack for air travel, but could be helpful even if you are just taking a road trip.

These 10 things not to pack were first published on farecompare.com and are a good starting point for what to exclude from your packing list:

1. Valuables 

Never pack irreplaceable items. Things get lost, things get stolen, things get broken. Tip: Most airlines state that valuables are not allowed in checked bags, so don’t count on getting reimbursed for your good jewelry if anything happens to your bag.

 

2. Items with no ID 

Airline, airport and security lost & found rooms are filled with expensive electronics that are difficult to reunite with owners because they are difficult to identify. Make it easier to get items back by jotting down device ID numbers or attach temporary tags (even a business card). Even better, hang on to these devices so they don’t get lost; always keep them on your person.

 

3. Liquor store bottles 

Bringing a bottle of wine for your host is a lovely gesture, but security will confiscate it from a carry-on or it could break inside a checked-bag (cabernet + summer whites = disaster). Ship fragile or bulky gifts ahead and do the same for home-bound souvenirs.

 

4. Drugstore bottles 

Forget space-eaters like big bottles or tubes of sun screen or economy-size shampoo, conditioner or lotion. Many hotels already give you this stuff for free but if you prefer your own brand, shop a big box drugstore on arrival.

 

5. Hair dryer 

These are bathroom fixtures in even the cheapest motels these days (and you can always call or check the website to confirm). Visiting family? Bet they have some of these lying around. Save the space in your bag for something more important.

 

6. Books 

Yes, I do like books but I also like packing as little as possible so I always load up my electronic device. What I find amazing is how so many books can be added to a single phone or tablet. If you haven’t tried it yet, vacation is the perfect time.

 

7. Surfeit of shoes 

Shoes can be heavy, take up valuable space, and they’re not the cleanest things in your suitcase (tip: wrap them in bags you can recycle once you get home). Suggestion: wear one pair, pack one pair.

 

8. Too many clothes 

We’re all guilty of this: packing too many pants, shirts, skirts, dresses, whatever. Unless your last name is Kardashian and you must placate the paparazzi with a new outfit several times a day, don’t do this. Especially avoid ‘maybe’ outfits as in, “Maybe I’ll wear it.”

You know the drill: clothing you do pack should be in similar/matching colors so everything works with everything, and roll clothes instead of placing them flat in a bag to eke out the most space (see the video). If you don’t pack too much, you can probably use a carry-on and spend the $50 round-trip bag fee on something a lot more fun

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9. Excess cash and cards 

Don’t travel with more than two credit cards (you carry one, spouse or good friend has the other). If one gets lost, it’s not the end of the world because you still have the other, but do record the card number and contact information on a piece of paper and keep it separate from the cards. Might want to make sure someone close to you back home has this info, too.

 

10. A big bag per person 

If a carry-on alone won’t cut it, trying sharing a big bag. If a family of four packs two checked-bags instead of four, that’s a savings of $100 round-trip. Plus most airlines still allow each traveler a carry-on for free

What is the Best Travel Rewards Credit Card?

We all know that most major airliines offer their own branded credit cards. What most people don’t know are the differences in each of these cards. These days if you are going to get a credit card it just makes sense to get the one that going to give you back the most.

This video by Nomadic Matt explains some of the things to look for when choosing a trave reward credit card. Some things to keep in mind are:

  • Look for a huge sign-up bonus
  • How many points do you get for each dollar spent
  • What is the spending minimum
  • What are the annual fees

These as well as how you intend to use these points all go into your decision. You could also carry several different cards, as you will see is done in this video. Just be careful as always when dealing with credit cards and use them wisely. These can be another handy tool when trying to travel the world on a budget and save yourself some money on your travel!

How to Save Even More Money on Your Vacation : Video

We are continuing to discuss ways to save money on vacation.  The following video from Good Morning America shows how a family saved thousands on their vacation.  All it took was a little flexibility and research.  If you ever doubted that these techniques worked then here is the proof.  There is no reason that anyone could not save money while traveling. It’s not too late to save for this year’s trip!

ABC US News | World News

How to Save Money for a Trip

So you are dreaming of that long holiday trip.  How about that vacation you have been putting off because you thought you couldn’t afford it?  Even the long weekend trip seem out of reach for you?  Do you think you can’t even get out of town because just the fuel or hotel is too expensive?

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If only it were this easy!

Well it’s true, it does cost money to travel.  And since money doesn’t grow on trees – yes you probably work hard for your money – you feel it is impossible for you to travel.  But you know that it would do you good to get away, maybe you have a passion for travel.  Yet you feel it is totally out of reach.

Well not so fast!  With proper planning and budgeting you may find that you can take that trip, that vacation, that holiday. But here is the catch.  It starts by taking a hard look at you spending and then creating a – wait for it – BUDGET.  That’s the key.  Start by establishing a travel budget.  Plan your trip, figure out what the cost will be, and then devise a plan to help you meet that goal.

There are several ways that you can help yourself save the necessary money for you travels.  By following some of these simple tips and tricks on how to save money for a trip you will see how easy it is to build up a travel fund even in your current situation.

Here are 10 tips courtesy of Solo Traveler.

1. Set up an automatic withdrawal from your regular account and send the money to a dedicated travel account. Would you miss $20 a week? That adds up to $1040 a year — enough for a single person to do something fun for a week or maybe more depending on your taste. If you tend toward more luxury travel, hopefully your budget can handle more each week.

 

2. Don’t think you can afford $20 a week? Make and bring your lunch, go back to regular coffee rather than lattes, walk or cycle rather than drive or take transit. Each of these changes are actually healthy lifestyle choices and will easily save $20 a week. All three could save you $60 a week. (Achieve this and you’re a better person than I.)

 

3. Buy with a credit card that has no annual fee and offers cash back on purchases. Pay the card off in full every month and don’t shop at a more expensive store just to get the reimbursement. Add your cash back to your travel fund.

 

4. Use the library for your reading needs and to borrow travel guides. For short trips of a month or less, its usually worth borrowing guides and maps from the library to take with you. This can save upwards of $30. While you’re there you can borrow a couple of DVDs and save another $10 a week on entertainment.

 

5. Drop your long distance package from your phone bill and use Skype. It may even make sense to eliminate your home phone completely. You’ll have to do the math on that one

 

6. Dine out at lunch rather than dinner — especially at fine restaurants. The quality will be the same but the cost will be much lower.

 

7. Know how you react in an impulse buy situation. Some people are stopped by seeing cash leave their hands, others by the prospect of using a credit card. Carry whichever form of money you are less likely to use.

 

8. In the same vein, have a “spend no change” policy. It will add up nicely in a jar, especially true in Canada where there are $1 and $2 coins. They add up fast.

 

9. Sell your unneeded stuff on Craig’s List. It’s amazing what you can sell and it’s cash right into your pocket. Sell a bunch of stuff at once to be efficient with your time.

 

10. Track your spending. Just by knowing how much you’re spending and where, you will spend less. I can almost guarantee it.

There are many other ways to save money on a daily basis by following general guidelines for a budget.  Things such as utilities, cutting back on non-essentials or even re-organizing your debt can also be helpful.

And remember when you start to book your travel to look for the best deals, do your research.  There are many other ways to save money when making your travel arrangements.  Articles such as this one on getting cheaper airfare can help you stretch your travel dollar.

So I hope this helps you fulfill your passion to travel.  Please feel free to comment and let us know if you have any tips of your own.

Airline Prices Are Up But You Can Still Get Cheap Flights

If you have been following the news you know that in early June several airlines hiked their prices.  That is keeping with the summer tradition of raising prices (it’s called supply and demand, more people traveling).  In our effort to help you travel the world on a budget here are several ways you can alleviate these price hikes and travel without cashing in your life savings.

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It is really all about being flexible.  Take these tips:

  • Try to avoid flying non-stop.  You will sometimes save as much as 50% if you can fly a connecting route on your flight.
  • Use a carry-on if possible.  More airlines are starting to charge for that checked baggage.
  • If you can, fly Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturdays.  The airlines typically need to fill up these flights and many times offer discounts.  Fridays or Sundays tend to be more expensive because these are the most popular days to travel.
  • If possible delay your flight.  By waiting until the end of August (around the 25th) you could find yourself saving as much as 20%.  That is when the airlines will be dropping prices for domestic flights (and fares to Europe could possibly drop a few days before that).

So you can see that one of the easiest ways to save money while traveling is to be flexible.  If you can handle a little delay (in the day of the week or month you travel) and inconvenience (connecting flights, etc.) you can still get a cheaper flight and get where you want to go.

Here is another way you can save –Save up to 70% by booking Airport Parking now!

Happy flying!

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