Therefore, you might find one type of service at one but not at the other. I have listed a few of the most common services that you will find being offered at most international airports

However, the most useful services provided by international airports is currency exchange. When traveling aboard you will find there is different currency for each country. Therefore, be aware of the currency exchange because you don’t want to be put into a difficult situation by not having the proper currency.

The next major service is mail service centers, which can be found in all international airports. They function much like our United States Postal System operates with a number of different purposes.

Therefore, one of the most convenient services is having the choice of mailing your newly purchase items back to your home state. It can be very costly but it is better than the alternative, at least you won’t be asked to turn your purchases over to airport security and  never see them again.

You will find internet services at most  international airports. You will be able to have access to your email, the news or just surfing the net. If you have contemplated on leaving your computer at home you might want to reconsider because you will have wireless internet inside the building.

International airports  offer wonderful retail shops and a multitude of eateries. Most of the international airports nowadays appear as small mall inside of them.

Long journey, delays, cancellations, lost baggage and so many things that could go wrong, like Murphy’s Law working round the clock.

Here are a few tips for a comfortable journey.

1. Check baggage requirements for the airlines you are traveling with.

All airlines provide clear cut guidelines of baggage requirements on their websites. There is a restriction on the dimensions of the hand as well as checked baggage, which varies according to airlines.

Number of items of hand baggage is restricted, for example some airlines allow one standard sized bag, a laptop sized, a briefcase or a handbag.

For security purposes, countries have different rules regarding the amount of liquid one can carry on board. Airlines websites provide required information.

1. Excess baggage requirements

There is restriction on the weight of hand baggage as well as checked baggage. But excess checked baggage can be purchased, online or at the counter.

1. Never keep any valuables in checked luggage. Always have Insurance papers, tickets to any further journey and reservation receipts with you in the hand baggage.
2. Keep one set of clothes in the hand baggage incase there is any problem with checked luggage. It is of vital importance if you are going on a business trip to have a set of Formals in the hand baggage. Imagine the nightmare of lost luggage with an important business meeting the next day.
3. If a family is traveling together, distribute clothing and other necessary items of every person among all checked luggage. Make sure each bag contains some items of every person in family. If one of the bags doesn’t reach the destination, any single person will not have too much inconvenience.
4. Attach some identification tag to the checked luggage, like a satin ribbon, coloured tape. Paste an A4 size paper with name and destination details on the front of the bag. It makes it easy to spot the bag on the belt, with many similar looking bags around.
5. Write down the passport details, Passport Number, Date and Place of Issue, Date of Expiry for each family member on a piece of paper. Every time for filling up forms, instead of taking out all the passports, this piece of paper would be handy. Always have a ball pen at disposal.
6. If there is a child under two traveling with you, enquire about bassinet seat.
7. All the airlines have facility of online check-in. If you have any specific preferences for seats, opt for online check-in.
8. Keep some change in currency of the country you are in as well as the country you are traveling to.
9. At the time of take-off and landing, chew a gum to keep your ears comfortable. Have some colourful gums or candies for kids. For babies or toddlers, have a milk bottle or a juice carton ready. The chewing and swallowing action helps to get rid of that uncomfortable sensation in the ears, which is very essential to have a pleasant journey.
10. Wear layered clothing, for example, a sweater over the T-shirt, a jacket over the sweater, so that when required can get rid of the extra layer.
11. Incase of kids, this works other way round. Let them wear light clothes, but carry warm clothes with you which can be donned as and when required. If kids get uncomfortable due to warm clothes at the beginning of the travel, then you have a cranky kid for rest of the journey.
12. Carry some dry food items for kids, who may not agree well with the airlines food.
13. To entertain kids on board, carry some handheld games, magic pads, activity books with pens which can be worn around neck.
14. Beforehand, check for lost baggage policy of the airlines. Incase of lost luggage, it would only be the luggage at loss and not you as to what to do.
15. Buy international SIM card to stay connected.

All set, On Board now, Bon Voyage!!

Donated, Dumped or Sold

There are more than 40 million bags that don’t reach their destination every year and this was just in 2007. Most luggages will arrive at your door within 48 hours but then again some don’t. Each Canadian airport is responsible for any luggage that is not claimed. Many of the bags that are left at an airport are sold, donated or dumped. This happens all over the world for example at Heathrow Airport in London bags are auctioned off at Greasby’s in southern London. In the United States they unpack thousands of bags every year and the contents are sold in the 40,000 square foot Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Ala.

World Tracer Used

The procedure when baggage is left at the airport is that for the first three days the airport tries to reunite it with its owner. When this does not happen the baggage is sent to the a central holding station where it is opened and searched to see if there is any identification in there to contact the owner. If not the description of the baggage is entered in a system that is called a World Tracer, which basically is a lost and found system that serves over 400 airlines.

After Three Months, Say Goodbye

If your luggage has been at a central holding and has not been claimed after three months, then hope is gone for finding it. This is when the baggage is sold, donated or dumped. It is estimated that lost luggage cost the airlines and airports approximately $3.8 million a year. That’s a chunk of money for holding baggage that the owner has been waiting for just as long.

Take Precautions

There are some precautions that can be taken to ensure our luggage will end up at the right destination.

If you are planning on traveling get to the airport in lots of time to make sure your luggage will be loaded onto the plane that you are taking.

• Another thing you can do to help yourself is tie some brightly colored ribbon around your luggage to make it a little easier to identify.
• Place a copy of your contact information on the inside of your luggage as well as the outside; this could include your itinerary.
• Make a list of everything you have inside your luggage, this will give the airport an idea of what to look for.
• When you arrive at your destination and your luggage don’t file your claim at the airport before you leave.
• Always take any medication or things you know you will absolutely need in a carry on with you. You may also need this for any travel insurance you may have purchased in the event your luggage is never found.

This is a problem that many people go through every time they fly but with a little extra effort you can cut down on the chances of never getting your luggage back. This takes very little time and effort and can  help your baggage to make it to your home and not sitting in some holding center waiting to be sold.

Here we are going to examine a few of the more time-proven and tested strategies in diminishing the negative effects of jetlag not only from the perspective of the road warrior but the casual traveler as well. The first question that needs an answer is “what causes jetlag?” and this is where we will start.

Internal Clocks

The body’s internal clock is primarily set by the cyclic production of the neurotransmitter melatonin. The brain’s melatonin production is very cyclic in nature and is heavily influenced by exposure to different light state environments (light and dark or day and night if you prefer). The critical factors here are:

Melatonin Levels – Increased levels of melatonin reduced the brain’s state of excitation which means your brain becomes less alert or “drowsy” (the conscious awareness of feeling sleepy) as a result.

Darkness – Exposure to darker environments; such as after sunset, causes the brain to synthesize and release increased amounts of melatonin.

Light – Exposure to brightly lit environments; such as during the hours of daylight, results in a decrease in melatonin production and release thereby creating the conscious awareness of being alert (wide awake).

Confusion - When one travels rapidly across time zones; which can be thought of as being regions that do not exhibit the same relative daily solar cycles of day and night, your internal melatonin production cycles are no longer appropriate for your new light/dark environment cycle.

Hung-Over Effect – As a result your “internal clock” becomes somewhat confusing to the conscious self and this is what produces the “hung-over” effect of jetlag.

Melatonin Production and Release Cycles Require Readjustment – Simply put your body will need to readjust your melatonin production and release cycle to more accurately and appropriately reflect your new environmental conditions. This readjustment will occur naturally over a 3 to 14 day period following your arrival.

Acclimatization – The process of adapting to your new environment’s light/dark, day/night cycles is known as acclimatization; something with which high-altitude mountain climbers are only too acutely aware of. While their specific altitude adaption is heavily linked to a thinning atmosphere and the subsequent reduction in the availability of atmospheric oxygen the basic concept of environmental adaption is the same.

Reducing the Impact of Jetlag

One age old way of dealing with jetlag and the insomnia that generally accompanies it is to gradually encourage your internal clock to be synchronous with the light and dark cycles at your destination.

Visibility – It has long been known that statistically speaking daylight departures and daylight arrivals tend to be more incident-free than at other times. This means that the aircrew, traffic control and terminal staff will have the best chance of getting it right or at the very least the greatest chances of averting a tragedy.

In short the better the visibility the greater are the chances of finding alternative solutions with greater survivability than would otherwise be the case. Morning departures and daylight landings also present the passengers their greatest chances of surviving the unthinkable.

Miracle on the Hudson – Consider the case of “The Miracle on the Hudson”. It would have been infinitely more difficult even for such a great flight crew to have pulled off this nigh on perfect water ditching landing at night, in foggy conditions, in total darkness or any other environment with markedly reduced visibility.

Direction Of Flight – Flights that travel from East to West generally take-off in the morning (AM). This means that departures will take place in good daylight most of the time while landings (arrivals) will also take place during daylight hours.

Sunglasses – On the third day after arriving at your destination you should wear sunglasses to make sure that no sunlight hits your eyes before 10:00 a.m. destination local time and messes up your light work.

Resetting Your Body’s Internal Clock

In recent years researchers have accumulated data that indicates that one extremely powerful way to moderate and even reset your internal melatonin production and release thereby modifying your internal clock to some extent is to begin implementing your counter-jetlag strategies some days prior to actual departure.

Blue Light – This is most easily done by influencing your body’s melatonin production and release cycle through the judicious use of a custom engineered light source to emit blue light of a specific and very tightly controlled wavelength, color and intensity.

Bright Lights – Scientists have known for some time that exposure to a bright light can modify your body’s production and release of melatonin thereby resetting your body’s internal clock.

Cumbersome Flops – Up until recently all available devices capable of serving this purpose have been rather cumbersome, very user unfriendly and not at all economical. It should therefore come as no great shock to discover that these devices were not at all well received by the general public, road warriors or any other traveler who may have benefitted from their use. The result is as no doubt you have already guessed these products were economical market-place flops.

Blue Light Emitting Diodes (LED Lights) – In more recent times however; newly developed powerful blue LED lights in 6 inch square plastic cases and only about one inch thick, have been produced to overcome the obstacles that this method of diminishing the effects of jetlag.

Portability – One of the beauties about this blue Led solution is quite obviously that it overcomes the portability issues previous products and technologies could not. In fact these devices are so small that manufacturers have already introduced products to the market that incorporate these tiny blue LED lights into sunglasses and sun visors.

Using Blue LEDs

The following product details, directions, tips and background information regarding the blue LED light jetlag reduction system are provided by Apollo Health the company that manufactures these blue LEDs. First of all let’s have a look at some background information regarding Apollo Health’s blue LED box:

• You don’t need to look directly at/into the blue light. It is perfectly safe to place the blue light box next to your computer while you work or even on the breakfast table while you eat.
• It does not emit any UV radiation what-so-ever
• It is not harmful to children or pets
• It will, however, bathe you in an electric blue light; which may make you look very much like a member of off-Broadway’s Blue Man Group. This will undoubtedly prove to be very entertaining to the kids (especially preschoolers).
• Apollo Health also claims that a single session with a blue LED light box can shift your body clock up to three time zones

How-To Use the Blue LED Light System

1. Traveling East
   • 3 Days before Departure – Three days before departure those traveling east should wake up one hour earlier than normal and sit near the blue light box for between 30 to 45 minutes
   • 2 Days before Departure – Two days before traveling those traveling east should wake up two hours before their normal wake time and sit near the blue LED light a second time
   • Day of Departure – On the day of departure you should wake up three hours earlier than your normal wake time and sit near the blue LED light for a third time
   • 3 Days after Arrival – In order to ensure that your eyes are not exposed to direct sunlight before 10:00 AM destination time wear sunglasses. Many buildings have lights that can influence you jetlag avoidance capacity so wear your sunglasses at all times for up to 14 days.
2. Traveling West
   • 2 Days before Departure – Use the blue LED light system in the evening between 7:00 and 8:00 PM for around 35 minutes
   • Day of Departure – Use the blue LED light system in the evening between 8:00 and 9:00 PM for around 35 minutes
   • On Arrival – Upon arrival use your sunglasses to protect yourself from exposure from afternoon and evening light
3. Returning Home
   • Ease your internal clock’s transition back to home time by using your light each morning for a few days after you return

Although I don’t claim to be an expert on flying I have flown enough to know what to carry on with me to make my flight more relaxing, rewarding, enjoyable, fun and less boring. Was that enough adjectives for you?

Here are my “anti-boring” must haves when I go on a flight.

MP3 Player

Regardless of which brand of product you own an MP3 player is a must have. I am just not sold on the music some flights provide. With my own MP3 I am guaranteed to get music that I enjoy. They are very cheap these days with some as low as $10. You can put hundreds of songs on there and listen to them in a random order so that the routine never sounds the same.

Books and Magazines

I love mystery novels, specifically Agatha Christie books. The thought of trying to figure out “whodunit” is a neat feeling. I also like to read various magazines. Flying gives me a chance to catch up on both. Usually I bring one book and one magazine with me. Regardless of whether you read a book or a magazine, flying will give you a chance to get some much needed reading done.

Portable DVD Player

I usually only bring this on flights three hours or longer. Normally the movie on the plane, if there is one, stinks, but with this electronic gadget I am guaranteed to get a movie I like 100% of the time. I can also bring TV shows with me and with the rental possibilities at today’s airports I can pretty much pick up anything of interest.

Laptop

My laptop is my faithful companion on both business and personal trips. It gives me the opportunity to get ahead of my writing assignments, read the tons of email (most of which is spam) that I have received, or simply play some games. Unless I am going on business my laptop never leaves the country. I just feel odd bringing it to places where laptops really shouldn’t be. Call me crazy.

So there you have it four items that I never go on a flight without. I don’t always bring all of them on with me, but I can guarantee you that I have at least two of them at all times.

If you have been following the news lately then you already know that many airlines are looking for many ways to keep the price of tickets down to a minimum as gas prices rise. This is not an easy task for them. If you want to get a better understanding of what I mean, all you need to do is look towards your own lifestyle. As gas prices have exceeded four dollars per gallon in many parts of the country what have you had to cut back on to make sure you can put fuel in your tank so you can get back and forth to work everyday.

The airline industry is no different. Today most airlines are looking for different yet creative ways to keep prices down. Some airlines have removed the service of all food and beverages while others have removed all unnecessary weight from the airplanes such as too many magazines.

Many of the major airlines have taken it a step further and now restrict the number of bags you can bring and their weight. They have even added a surcharge by as much as fifteen dollars per bag for any bag that you check in regardless of its weight. Before you fly or even before you purchase your ticket, call the airline you intend to fly with and see what kind of extra fees they will be charging you. While you are on the phone ask them how many bags you are allowed to check and what the maximum weight they should be is. The normal number and weight these days are two bags not to exceed fifty pounds per bag, and no you can not bring one bag that will weigh one hundred pounds. Even though it is the same weight, I am sure the airline employees do not want to carry anything that heavy.

Learn how to pack your bags properly and only bring what you absolutely need. If you can purchase it at your destination and it can save you room and weight in your bag then by all means do so. There is no need to drag something along when you can get it where you are going.

I own a hard case piece of luggage. The case by itself weighs twenty pounds and although I absolutely love the case I know in today’s world of airline travel it is no longer practical. If you own a hard case switch to a soft case and carry anything that might be breakable with you on the plane (if you can).

Finally, beyond all the new rules and regulations that you will face these days when you travel, you can avoid any undo stress by getting to the airport at least two hours early for domestic flights and three hours for international flights. You never know what issues may arise so by getting there early you will have plenty of time to deal with those issues and still make your flight.

I wish to point out that the optimum flying experience is often out of the hands of the airline employees. The passengers themselves are to blame for the poor airline reviews. Flying is like going to Disneyland on the warmest and most populated day. You just have to be patient waiting in a three hour line to fly on Dumbo with the rest of humanity.

Here are some things that are not the airline carrier’s problem:

1. You get an “organized, herding” kind of feeling and you have an unexplained deep desire to “moo.”.
2. The guy next to you has not bathed in a while and the stench makes your eyes water
3. A huge woman has chosen the middle seat. Her rump expands over to your seat. You are in the window seat and literally seating on the window shade.
4. The gentleman in the middle seat takes both arm rests and insists on reading his newspaper even if his elbow knocks you in the ribs
5. The guy behind you keeps yelling the latest news article that he is reading in his magazine. Unfortunately he is hard of hearing and he thinks everyone else is as well. “I SAID LITTLE GREEN MEN HAVE INVADED CALIFORNIA CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT?”
6. The kid in front of you gets out of his seatbelt turns around, smiles and quickly drools in your face. Isn’t he precious?
7. The lady in front of you just keeps ordering drinks as her kids jump on the seats, scream and argue. “Sit down little Jimmy or I will be forced to order another white wine and I mean it!”
8. The guy next to you tells you that you look like a famous actress and he would like your phone number. He says this 10 times before you even take-off.
9. The lady behind you chooses the flight home to tell her husband that she wants a divorce and reveals all the sordid details as to why. “Listen Harry, I know about you and Meredith and Jill and FiFi and Bob and the horse and I want a divorce!”
10. The couple next to you decides that the honeymoon destination is not the only place to prove their desire for each other. They decide to ask for a blanket and get an early start on the activities. “Oh baby, yes! Yes!”

So as you can see the airlines are not really to blame for the diverse and often lousy flying experiences that we all encounter. Dealing with the public on overbooked, delayed, and overcrowded flights has to be one of the worst jobs in the world.

But what do you mean charging me an extra $25 bucks to check in my luggage? Why don’t you charge the idiot tying up the line trying to load his casket in the overhead after bumping every passenger in the face as he makes his way down the aisle?

Isn’t flying wonderful?

1. Before Booking Your Ticket

   

   If you are flying economy (as most of us poor worker bees do) you want to first visit Seat Guru. This terrific website allows you to type in your airline and get a list of the best and worst seats in there entire fleet of planes. You have to decide if being too close to the bathroom is worth the trade off of having extra legroom.

2. Booking Your Ticket

   The second tip is when you book your ticket. Most tickets are bought online now and you always have the option of choosing your own seat. Now if you are travelling alone always look for group of seats where an aisle or window are already taken. You then take the other aisle or window seat, leaving the middle free. These middle seats fill up last so you have a greater chance of having a free seat. And I don’t need to tell experienced economy travellers how valuable a free middle seat is. Now if you are travelling as a couple, choose both the window and the aisle leaving the middle open. If the seat gets taken, no one will mind changing from the middle seat so you can sit together and if it is not taken, it’s a much more pleasant flight.

3. Booking Your Meal

   

   When you book your ticket you can also choose from a variety of meals (low fat, vegetarian, kosher, etc). I quite often will order one of these meals because you get served first (more sleep time) and often they are fresher.

4. Before You Leave for the Airport

   A lot of people will tell you to check in online. They say it’s quicker and you don’t have to get to the airport as early. It might be quicker if you have no luggage but if you have bags to check, that line is often just as long as the check in line.

   Also, if you check in you have the opportunity to ask for an upgrade. Don’t be a jerk about it, dress well and ask nicely. I always say “if the flight is booked and you need to bump someone to business I’d be willing to change seats”. They usually smile at you and tell you they will see what they can do. Quite often you won’t know until boarding, when they take your boarding pass and issue you a new one (in business!!!).

   I would say I have gotten an upgrade about 10% of the time just by being nice and polite. Also if you are pregnant, tell them. I flew 4 times during my second trimester and got an upgrade on every flight.

5. At the Airport

   Arrive early and bring a book. I try really hard not to work when I travel on long haul flights. I find if I relax at the airport beforehand I am much more likely to sleep on the flight.

6. Boarding

   

   As soon as they call your plane boarding, use the restroom. This reduces the amount of airplane washroom trips. And then just relax until the line is finished. Why rush to get on the plane and sit in those cramped seats before you have to. Stay in the boarding lounge and watch the line. I always get up when I see about 6 people left to go through. I have never understood the rush to get on the plane first. I wonder if those people think they will get there sooner.

7. On the Plane

   Before you even sit down get out everything you want for the flight and put it within your grasp. Book and bottle of water can go in the pocket in front of you. Laptop (if you HAVE to work) can go under the seat in front of you.

8. Dinner Service

   Hopefully you pre-ordered your special meal and you will eat first. This is perfect if the middle seat is free. You can finish your meal; put the tray in the middle seat and watch a movie and drift off to sleep. My big secret here is to take a Nyquil tablet with my dinner (not when I am pregnant though!). Its amazing how much more likely I am to sleep. I don’t take sleeping pills at all but that Nyquil puts me out and I wake up feeling great.

9. Sleeping

   

   Your Nyquil should be kicking in. Put on your headphones even if you aren’t watching the movie so that people won’t talk to you. Put your seat back as far as possible. Don’t worry about the guy behind you; the guy in front of you isn’t worried about you. Pull out the foot bar from under the seat in front of you. Unbutton your pants, pull up the blanket up to your chin and head off to dreamland before the guy beside you starts snoring.

10. Arrival

    

    Here it pays to get off the plane quickly. If you can walk fast do it. You have to get ahead of all the rest of those passengers or you will be stuck behind them at passport control/customs. Use the moving sidewalks and walk on them!

11. Passport Control/Customs

    

    Your journey is almost over. You have made it this far. You are well rested, well fed and just got some great exercise racing to customs. All you need to do here is have your documentation ready, be courteous, be polite and avoid the line with a slightly chubby, dark haired Canadian woman because I NEVER get through without a hassle.

So next time you have an overseas or other long haul flight try these little tips and maybe you can find a little of the magic that exists above the clouds.

• Plan your flight wisely

  If possible, book your flights to land in secondary airports, avoiding the major international airports which are more likely to be targets. Also try to book a nonstop flight to avoid having to changeover in more than one airport.

• Watch for abandoned luggage

  While you’re waiting, always keep your eyes open for abandoned luggage or bags. If you see a suspicious looking bag, report it immediately to airport security.

• Dress casually and conservatively

  Don’t dress in an outfit that would make it difficult for you to move quickly if there should be a terrorist threat. You also want to dress conservatively so you don’t stand out from the crowd. Avoid wearing flashy clothing and high heels.

• Avoid groups of people

  If a terrorist chooses to open fire in an airport, they’re more likely to shoot into a large group of people. Stay away from groups of people that are congregating together.

• Avoid potential airport target sites

  Avoid baggage check-in areas and ticket counters since these can be potential terrorist target sites. Sit in an unobtrusive place while you’re waiting to board your flight.

• Avoid sites where bombs could be hidden

  Stay away from areas where bombs could be hidden by terrorists such as trash cans or other open containers. Restrooms should also be avoided if possible.

• Don’t be afraid to speak up

  If you see anything or anyone behaving suspiciously, don’t hesitate to report it to airport security. This is not the time to by shy. Your life could be at stake.

• Prepare your family

  Before reaching the airport, instruct your family on how to protect themselves against airport terrorism.

• Choose an off time to fly

  Avoid flying during the busiest times of day or on holidays. If possible, take a late evening or very early morning flight. Terrorists want to do their dirty work during the busiest travel times.

• Reduce your risk

  By being aware and following a few simple guidelines, you can reduce your risk of being the victim of airport terrorism. Travel safe this year!