Flying
sometimes feels like the most stressful mode of transport – the waiting around,
the things you absolutely have to remember to bring and the organising
involved.
However,
we at Discount Insurance have put together ten-tips to make it a bit more fun
and enjoyable!
Arrive
early
Getting
from the airport to the plane can involve a number of lengthy waiting periods.
Make sure you always leave plenty of time. This means getting to the airport at
least two hours before the flight leaves. Note that security is especially busy
at peak times such as mornings and evening rush hour.
Richard
Ashforth, international creative director of Saco Hair, says: “It always
preferable to spend as little as possible in transit – so I don’t like to
arrive super early but, similarly, arriving late can be stressful.”
Arriving
doesn’t have to be a strain
Who
wants to start their trip by lugging bags around on often surprisingly costly
public transport, before you even arrived at the airport?
There
are more options than people realise. Heathrow Official Parking, for example,
allows people to pre-book short stay parking, which is often cheaper than a
taxi and can be close as 45 metres to the terminal.
Organise
yourself
One
of the biggest causes of stress while travelling is disorganisation.
Another
good tip is to know where your boarding gate is so you know how far away you
are. This can save panicky running through the airport at the last minute.
Enjoy
a drink, but don’t go wild
A
lot of people like to have an alcoholic drink before they fly – maybe to ease
the nerves, or make the flight a bit more enjoyable.
On
board a flight, the effects of drinking are intensified at higher altitudes,
and even factoring in the pressurisation of the cabin, you will feel more
intoxicated more quickly in an airplane than on the ground, so it is wise to
drink in moderation.
Use
waiting time wisely
There’s
always a bit of hanging around at airport and, particularly when flying
long-haul, hours to fill on the plane. This can be a great time to catch up on
work with no distractions – and then to relax.
Check
out the shops for things you've forgotten
If you've got time to kill at the
airport there can be nothing better than browsing the shops. Heathrow is almost a shopping destination,
with a wide range of high-street and designer shops.
Even
smaller airports offer duty-free shops where you can buy items such as perfume,
jewellery and bottles of spirits without 20% VAT.
Speed
through security and boarding
Make
sure you know where your passport and boarding passes are because you don’t
want to have to be going through your belongings at the last minute and
potentially holding up the queue.
Make
sure you don’t put them in a back pocket as they can easily fall out or be
pinched by someone else!
Keep
your possessions safe
Abandoned
bags can be destroyed for security reasons, so always keep an eye on your
belongings.
Tags
are vital and tracking tags inside bags can ensure your luggage can be found
and identified easily.
When
on the plane, if you need to step away from your seat, to use the toilet for
example, ensure you make your valuables are not visible. The same applies if
you are sleeping.
Pack
sensibly
Gifts
for friends and relatives are great – providing they make it back to Britain
safely. A great tip for carrying bottles safely, as you can’t carry them in
hand luggage, is to wrap them in socks and put the neck of the bottle in a
toilet roll, making sure it doesn’t touch the sides of the case directly.
Eat before you fly
Unless
you have particular dietary requirements, there’s no reason to bring food along
with you.
“I
try and eat before a flight so I can choose something a little healthier –
sometimes the choices aren’t great for a vegetarian. Giraffe is pretty good and I sometimes treat myself to Gordon
Ramsay if I'm at Heathrow’s Terminal 5,” said Richard Ashforth, international creative director of Saco Hair.
Get a competitive quote on your Travel Insurance from Discount Insurance.
Get a competitive quote on your Travel Insurance from Discount Insurance.
