Surviving Aeroplane travel can be difficult - especially when there are delays or you have to check out of your hotel at 10am and you don't fly till midnight.
These top ten tips can help you survive even the worst travel delays with your sanity intact! 1.
Pack some entertainment - as many sources as possible.
When you're tired and grumpy you might not be up to a read so think of packing something for every eventuality.
Pack a couple of books, magazines, your I Pod or Mp3 player and a pack of cards or a travel game.
I like travel Scrabble! Make sure you charge any electrical games and gadgets you might have and to include them in your hand luggage- there's nothing worse than to face delays knowing all your goodies are already in the storage hold and you have an extra 4 hours to kill! 2.
Pack some food to keep your energy levels up and if you get the chance to eat a proper hot meal always take it rather than just grabbing a sandwich.
It will help lift your mood and keep your spirits up and a quick sandwich only takes a minute to eat leaving more time for you to sit and dwell on your misfortune! 3.
If possible book into a hotel if you face long delays and make sure to arrange your flight times to suit your body clock as best you can.
Always check the book out times with your hotel against your flight times to make sure you are not going to be carrying your luggage round with you all day.
Alternatively some hotels will store your luggage for you after you have checked out so make sure you can do this as it will make your life easier.
4.
Check for delays before leaving for the airport.
This could save you a huge amount of wasted time in waiting.
Also check for updates on your smart phone if you have one.
5.
Be prepared for security checks, fees and controls.
The more you know about your journey the better you are mentally prepared for the trip.
Your journey will seem to be longer if you are continually surprised by airport fees, delays and security checks which you were unaware of.
6.
Travel light.
You can save a bunch of time and security checks by only taking hand luggage if you are only travelling short distances or for short period of time.
If not then take only what you will need in your hand luggage as lugging a heavy rucksack around with you won't improve your mood! 7.
Leave plenty of time.
Being late and missing your flight is almost as bad as being stuck in a delay.
Perhaps even worse as it's something you could have averted.
By making sure you have plenty of time for all your connections you will take the stress out of the journey and give yourself plenty of time to relax in between connections.
8.
Buffer your journey.
If you have lots of connections to make on your journey leave plenty of time between them in case of delays.
If you miss one connection make sure you have a back- up plan so your whole trip isn't completely messed up.
9.
Plan ahead with the security checks.
Make sure you have your liquids in a separate bag and have any metal items in a separate bag which may set off the metal detector.
Read the signs in the security area while you are queuing to make sure you are ready to go through as quickly as possible.
Don't wrap any gifts - which may need to be checked through and prepare to take off belts and jackets to send through the X-ray machine.
10.
Make sure you have any medicines in your hand luggage which you might need in case of delays.
Consider taking ear plugs and headphones to minimise the noise and a blow up neck pillow to help you sleep on the flight.
These top ten tips can help you survive even the worst travel delays with your sanity intact! 1.
Pack some entertainment - as many sources as possible.
When you're tired and grumpy you might not be up to a read so think of packing something for every eventuality.
Pack a couple of books, magazines, your I Pod or Mp3 player and a pack of cards or a travel game.
I like travel Scrabble! Make sure you charge any electrical games and gadgets you might have and to include them in your hand luggage- there's nothing worse than to face delays knowing all your goodies are already in the storage hold and you have an extra 4 hours to kill! 2.
Pack some food to keep your energy levels up and if you get the chance to eat a proper hot meal always take it rather than just grabbing a sandwich.
It will help lift your mood and keep your spirits up and a quick sandwich only takes a minute to eat leaving more time for you to sit and dwell on your misfortune! 3.
If possible book into a hotel if you face long delays and make sure to arrange your flight times to suit your body clock as best you can.
Always check the book out times with your hotel against your flight times to make sure you are not going to be carrying your luggage round with you all day.
Alternatively some hotels will store your luggage for you after you have checked out so make sure you can do this as it will make your life easier.
4.
Check for delays before leaving for the airport.
This could save you a huge amount of wasted time in waiting.
Also check for updates on your smart phone if you have one.
5.
Be prepared for security checks, fees and controls.
The more you know about your journey the better you are mentally prepared for the trip.
Your journey will seem to be longer if you are continually surprised by airport fees, delays and security checks which you were unaware of.
6.
Travel light.
You can save a bunch of time and security checks by only taking hand luggage if you are only travelling short distances or for short period of time.
If not then take only what you will need in your hand luggage as lugging a heavy rucksack around with you won't improve your mood! 7.
Leave plenty of time.
Being late and missing your flight is almost as bad as being stuck in a delay.
Perhaps even worse as it's something you could have averted.
By making sure you have plenty of time for all your connections you will take the stress out of the journey and give yourself plenty of time to relax in between connections.
8.
Buffer your journey.
If you have lots of connections to make on your journey leave plenty of time between them in case of delays.
If you miss one connection make sure you have a back- up plan so your whole trip isn't completely messed up.
9.
Plan ahead with the security checks.
Make sure you have your liquids in a separate bag and have any metal items in a separate bag which may set off the metal detector.
Read the signs in the security area while you are queuing to make sure you are ready to go through as quickly as possible.
Don't wrap any gifts - which may need to be checked through and prepare to take off belts and jackets to send through the X-ray machine.
10.
Make sure you have any medicines in your hand luggage which you might need in case of delays.
Consider taking ear plugs and headphones to minimise the noise and a blow up neck pillow to help you sleep on the flight.