Top Tips for Jet Lag & Airport Experience Altogether Travel has used our customer feedback, combined with our expert knowledge and we have created our top tips for beating jet lag and improving your airport experiences. We invite you to check them out and get in touch with any tips of your own! Wherever you have in mind for a holiday, please let us know and we can look into some options for you. Your ideas don’t have to involve a flight! Many of our customers enjoy a UK holiday.

Jet Lag When flying longer distances the feeling of jet lag can be disorientating. You can’t avoid the time zone change, but there are a few things you can do to minimise the draining impact of jet lag. What exactly is Jet Lag? Jet lag is how you feel when travelling across different time zones. Your body feels as though it is in the time zone you started your journey in. The medical term is desynchronization as your body has not yet synchronised to your destination time zone. For example, leaving the UK at 9am, travelling for hours then arriving at your destination at 8am on the same date – it’s as though you have travelled back in time! Another example is a journey over 24 hours, with the destination time zone being 12 hours ahead of your starting point – it’s like you have lost a whole day! You may not have slept well and so feel tired and disorientated. Most people have the reaction of going to bed to sleep off the jet lag, but actually this could worsen your symptoms. Especially if your body clock is still set to where you departed from, you may not help becoming synchronised by taking a nap. Jet lag is commonly connected to lack of sleep and feeling disorientated, but recent evidence suggests that your digestive pattern could also contribute to jet lag. Your body clock is connected to both sleep and digestion, as these signal your brain to be active or rest. Common Symptoms of Jet Lag? These can include being tired, lethargic, fatigued, dizzy, confused, hungry outside mealtimes, and feeling wide awake at night. The greater difference in time zones travelled, the worse symptoms can become. So it’s not all about the distance you travel, more the time zone difference. UK and Los Angeles in the USA have a difference of 8 hours, however Cape Town in South Africa is only 2 hours different. How does Jet Lag link with Direction? “West is best” and “East is a Beast” – flying East goes more against your body clock, producing worse jet lag experience than compared to flying West. Basically you are travelling forwards in time and essentially skipping hours of your body clock day.

8 Top Tips for beating Jet Lag Unless you can teleport like a superhero, it’s difficult to completely beat jet lag with a long flight. But here are 8 top tips with a few things you can do to reduce the negative impact jet lag can have: 1.  Divide your journey You could book flights with stages, allowing you to at least overnight in a hotel during your journey. Long distance flights usually involve a stopover, so you could consider a longer gap between flights and even stay at the airport’s hotel. This gives you a break from travel and help you to adjust to time zone changes. 2. Fly West, as it’s best If possible! Although you have to return home at some point, you could fly from the UK to Australia for example, through the USA outbound, then through Asia/Europe on the way back. We admit this may not be a cheap solution. 3. Set your watch/devices to destination time The key with this is doing so early. Before your flight departs, adjust all you can check the time with. This way your brain can begin adjusting to the destination time from when you sit back and relax in your seat. Avoid sleep during the day hours of the destination and catch some shut eye while your destination is sleeping – an eye mask may be a good investment if your surroundings reflect daylight with your current situation! 4. Also adjust your meal times to destination Similar to 3, you’re trying to synchronise your digestion instead of your brain with this tip. You could be prepared with snacks and drinks that don’t make much noise if other flyers choose to sleep. 5. Sleep well before travel Being well rested equips you with more energy to overcome the tiredness flying can bring. Clock up some shut eye and you’ll feel ready to take on jet lag symptoms. 6. Resist feeling sleepy You can rest and take it easy of course, and as always it is important to stay hydrated. If you sleep during the day at your destination, you may be wide awake at night. Then you may not get the most out of your holiday, if going out the next morning feels like it should be bedtime. You can do it! 7. Be active You can distract yourself to synchronise with the day time by keeping busy, as you would without feeling tired. Easy for us to say! But you can go for a walk, engage in conversation, and do things to keep you awake. If you must, nap for 1 or 2 hours in the afternoon. But any more than that and you may struggle to sleep at night. 8. Keep away from coffee or sleeping pills These may help at first, but when they wear off you’ll feel much worse than before. You may think it could help your body clock but really it causes stress on your body. You can’t force your body, but you can support it nicely until your body clock synchronises with your destination. _______________________________________________________________________

20 Top Tips to improve your Airport Experience Hardly anyone looks forward to the travel part of a holiday. It’s regulated timings with steps to follow, and sometimes lacks legroom. Airports provide safety and security, but here are 20 Top Tips for you to enjoy this part a bit more than perhaps you have done in the past. These practical ideas can help you avoid delays and become more organised with bags.

1.  Airport hotel before an early flight This removes the rush to the airport before a flight, at a time of day when most of us are sound asleep. Avoiding feeling tired at the start of your journey is a worthwhile idea. 2. Take a picture where you park If you choose to park your car at the airport, photograph your space or the section sign. After a week or so you may not remember as clearly as you think! It’s not the same as finding your way back to the car after popping into a shop for milk and bread. This way, you can go straight to your car and head for the comfort of home. 3. Online check in Checking in online will save you time when you arrive at the airport. If this seems like a hassle, imagine 10 people in line between you and your laptop/mobile, all doing the same process. Take the chance to skip the extra wait, especially if you aren’t taking hold luggage. 4. Save or print out your ticket Some airlines only provide online check in and you can print or download your boarding pass at the same time. You may be charged extra if you don’t have your boarding pass with you. Have it handy with your passport and you can get through security as soon as possible. 5. Make your bag stand out Recognising your luggage while moving on the conveyor belt may be tricky, especially if 20 other people also have a black bag just like yours. You could tie a ribbon or zip tie to the handle with your favourite colour, and make it match your carry on bag too. 6. Have liquids in a clear bag You can get a free plastic bag at airports, but some may charge £1. Let’s avoid this and the fuss of bagging items, checking your bag is liquid-less. You can easily lift out your already bagged liquids and get through security quickly – perhaps from the outside pocket of your backpack? 7. An empty bottle As water won’t get through security, bring a bottle you can fill at the other side. Many airports have water filling stations or drinking fountains – save a few coins. 8. Keep electronics handy As these are scanned separately from your bag, have them well protected but easy to access. Keep these items switched off, such as cameras and laptops, and you can keep them in their individual case. 9. Minimise accessories You can have your belt, watch or jewellery handy in your carry on bag, but wear these after you have gone through security. You may set off the alarm when walking through the scanner, so avoid the extra checks or pat down and save some time too. In the busy environment, you may not spot your favourite ring that is loose on the tray. By the time you realise with a coffee at the gate, you can’t pop back to retrieve it. 10. Remove batteries If your electronics are battery operated, like a travel toothbrush, take out its battery even if in a suitcase. If the button is pressed it may cause a security alert. Avoid delays for you and your luggage, as the plane won’t wait for either. 11. Medication labels It is most sensible to travel with medication in your carry on or personal bag. For medication to be clearly identified and belonging to you, it’s best to keep these in the original packaging. Suspicious tablets won’t get through security and will cause delays. A prescription slip may add further reassurance and proof you have what you need with you. 12. Portable charger/ battery pack Even with a full charge you may be running low on battery before you arrive at the destination hotel. A charger in your carry on bag gives the reassurance you can top it up, even if your checked luggage is delayed. A battery pack safe to fly may also help if a socket is hard to find. 13. Bag the important stuff You can have travel documents and money for the airport/taxi in a handy wallet, or compress a change of clothes in an airtight bag. This could be a large zip lock food storage bag, or a designed for purpose vacuum pack. Just keep an eye on the weight allowance even though you can fit more in. 14. Quiet music With 2 headphones in and the volume up loud, you may miss announcements such as boarding calls, get changes or delays. You can easily loose track of time while enjoying music so keep the volume low or leave an ear free to listen out. 15. Airport lounges You could have a more relaxing time at the airport in the lounge by booking this ahead of time. There are comfortable seats and often food and drinks available. 16. Find out your gate and how far away it is Sometimes you are caught up in the shops or getting something to eat, then realise your gate closes in 10 mins at the other side of the airport! Your gate can be further away than anticipated, perhaps with a shuttle or escalators to get these. If you book airport assistance with reduced mobility, staff will assist you to the gate. Otherwise it may be worth walking to your gate before finding coffee. 17. Avoid rushing onboard Join the queue when your section or seating is announced, otherwise you’re standing about when you don’t need to. Even if the overhead storage is a bit tight, cabin crew can move things around or find space for your bag. 18. Bring snacks Onboard food and drinks will only be available at certain times. Bringing your own means you can quench your thirst or feed your rumbly tummy at any time. 19. Layers By layering clothing you can adjust your temperature throughout the flight to stay comfortable. Also leaving a warm holiday destination in shorts and a t-shirt may be unwise, if you arrive home to cold and rain. This might be unavoidable if there is a short walk from the plane outdoors before meeting your checked luggage. A jumper can also double as a blanket or be folded to make a pillow. 20. An inflatable pillow Although neck pillows can also provide comfort, even clipping this to your backpack is an extra thing to carry. An inflatable option can become more compact, our use a folded jumper as mentioned in Tip 19. Happy Holidays! Please get in touch and one of our friendly and experienced Holiday Companions can support you throughout.