Part two of the Enjoying Air Travel Tip is about entertainment. Here are some ideas on how to sit back relax and have a fun flight.

Book Shop Swap
As you make your way down the airport corridors to get to your terminal, stop and take a look. You may find this to be a surprise but many bookstores at airports are now encouraging book swaps. Bring your latest read and leave it on the shelf. Take a book left by another passenger that looks interesting to you. It will give you something to do in downtime and could become your new favorite and best of all it is FREE!

Traveling with Vantage Deluxe World Travel? Go to your MyAccount Page to check out your trip specific reading list.

In Flight Raffle
Here is a suggestion many of you may have never heard! On your next flight, try this out. When you’re allowed, get up from your seat and start the collection process. As you travel through the plane, ask people if they want to participate. Not everyone may want to join. If someone wants to join into the raffle they should take a 1-dollar bill and write their seat number on it fairly small, have them place it in a hat or a bag whichever is more suitable. After collecting the participants entry dollars, have someone pull 1 dollar from the bag. This dollar will have a seat number listed and will be your winner of all of the money collected! Congrats to John Q in seat 3C!

This tip may especially be helpful for group leaders who travel with their groups as a whole and want to get everyone involved.

Movie Magic
It is surprising how an in flight movie can make time fly! Plug into the movie provided by your airline for a chance to escape the noise of the plane or even the noise of the person next to you. Many flights may offer multiple selections so pick the one that suits you best. It may be a movie that you have never heard of but give it a shot. Airlines would not play movies that people are not interested in! In Flight television is now available on some airlines. If you travel on one of these planes, this is a great way to enjoy your time. Flip to the food network, the news, the sports channel and more with this enjoyable in flight activity.

Thanks for reading this week’s 151 travel tip, check back next week for more information on how to make the next trip of yours, the very best!

You have most likely read or heard about (or even already experienced) new airline fees for checked and carry-on bags. Since fees seem to be changing on a fairly frequent basis, the best advice we can give you is to contact your airline two to three weeks before you depart on your trip to get the most up-to-date fee information. That way you can plan your packing accordingly and avoid being surprised or caught off guard when you arrive at the airport.

Here are links to several web sites or travel blogs that can give you additional information about baggage fees:

• http://budgettravel.about.com/od/airfarescruises/tp/majors_bagfees.htm

• http://www.orbitz.com/blog/tag/baggage-fees/

• http://www.csmonitor.com/Money/new-economy/2010/0112/Delta-baggage-fees-go-up.-Here-are-three-ways-to-avoid-them

With baggage costs on the rise, it is also the perfect time to remind travelers about packing tips to help lighten your load and potentially reduce your costs:

• Pack only what you need, or put another way, bring only half as much as you will need
• Organize by packing for your “typical day” and make a checklist if you have difficulty deciding what necessities to bring
• Try to keep heavy, bulky footwear to a minimum
• Use every inch of luggage space
• Insert hosiery into your shoes
• Roll up sweaters and undergarments on the bottom and sides of your luggage, followed by layers of clothing that wrinkle more easily
• Bring sample sizes of toiletry items

Before flying, remember to phone your airline (or visit its web site) for the latest information. Happy and safe travels!

PHOTO CREDIT: LUGGAGE, ANYONE? BY LINDA DuBOSE VIA STOCK.XCHNG.

Spectacular view of ash plume & lightning above Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano, source of the recent flight delays.

Given travel disruptions throughout much of Europe and other parts of the world following Iceland’s massive volcanic plume, it is the perfect time to discuss the topic of weather-related airline delays and cancellations. While extreme weather conditions demonstrating Mother Nature’s wrath are beyond everyone’s control, there are things you can do as traveler to reduce the negative impact of prolonged flight delays and cancellations.

Expecting the unexpected can go a long way toward helping you successfully manage travel delays and minimize stress:

• Before departing on your trip, know your airline’s policy for cancellations due to adverse weather.
• If you hear about probable weather delays and haven’t left for the airport, call your airline or visit its web site for the latest information.
• If you live nearby, go to the airport and speak with an airline representative. Work directly with your airline to reschedule any cancelled flights. Airlines have the most up-to-date seat information and know if they are scheduling extra flights and diversions to other airports that remain open.
• Use one of the airport’s often underused kiosks. These can be much faster than calling the airline’s 800 number which is likely to be overwhelmed with callers.
• As soon as you learn about a flight cancellation, check the departure screen and find the gates for the next two flights to your destination. Go directly to these gates and begin making inquiries about getting on the stand-by list.
• Fly as early in the day as possible, especially in the summer. You’ll be much less likely to encounter delays due to severe weather.
• Allow extra time whenever traveling, and if you absolutely must be somewhere by a certain date and time, try to fly at least a day earlier.
• In the event of extended weather delays, take a carry-on bag with sufficient necessities to last you at least two days.
• Bring phone numbers for a couple airport hotels so you can call them quickly if you need to book a room for a night or two.
• Have a debit or credit card with you to cover any additional expenses you might incur while stranded (i.e. meals, lodging, clothing, etc.).
• Be patient and flexible. Remember the airlines can’t control the weather or “acts of God” any more than you can.

Here are links to two web sites / travel blogs that include additional information to help you prepare for unforeseen flight disruptions:

• http://airtravel.about.com/od/flightdelayscancellations/a/policiescommon.htm
• http://www.tripwolf.com/en/blog/2010/04/14/flight-delays-a-captains-advice/

Wishing everyone happy, safe and on-time travels!

Happy Eustachian tubes, happy traveler!

If you suffer from earaches while flying, try these tricks:

• A half hour to 45 minutes before takeoff, take an antihistamine or decongestant.
• Just before takeoff, “pop” your ears by holding your nose shut, closing your mouth, and attempting to blow air through your nostrils. This helps to clear your Eustachian tubes, which can become swollen and blocked when cabin pressure changes.
• While in flight you should swallow frequently, chew gum or candy, and “pop” your ears when the pressure builds.

It’s especially important to take these precautions if you feel a cold coming on — if the tubes are blocked, fluids can become trapped, causing painful ear infections.

PHOTO CREDIT: EAR BY HELMUT GEVERT VIA STOCK.XCHNG

Looking for a good book to pass the time on your flight? Here are ten books recommended by our Twitter followers and by fans of Vantage Travel’s Facebook page.

Pat (via Facebook) loves reading John Grisham novels when traveling by air, and enthusiastically recommended the following Grisham titles:

• The Innocent Man
• The Partner
• A Painted House

Susan (via Facebook) suggested:

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson
• The Girl Who Played with Fire, also by Stieg Larsson

Apparently Susan is a fan of Scandinavian crime novels, which have been a big favorite with whodunnit readers over the last few years. Fair warning, though: crime novels in this genre are not always a good choice for more sensitive readers.

@Scottiegirl (via Twitter) suggested an interesting mix of novels, including:

• Face of Betrayal (A Triple Threat Novel), by Lis Wiehl
• The Beach House: A Novel, by Jane Green
• The Glassblower of Murano, by Marina Fiorato

Linda (via Facebook) suggested a mystery:

• Smoke Screen: A Novel, by Sandra Brown

And Jim (via Twitter) suggested a recent World War II history:

• With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa, by E.B. Sledge

Do you have a favorite book you enjoyed on a long flight? If so, leave a comment to let us know about it!

1. Know the causes.

Jet lag occurs due to disruption of your body’s circadian rhythms when traveling rapidly two or more time zones from home. Jet lag has nothing to do with the duration of your flight, but rather the distance traveled from east to west. For example, the long flight from New York City to Santiago, Chile would not cause jet lag, but flying from New York to Seattle might.

Jet lag is more severe when traveling west to east, possibly because most people find it easier to stay up late and catch up with local time than to get up early and fall back.

2. Know the symptoms.

Some of us are lucky enough that we don’t experience jet lag, or experience much lesser effects than other people. If you are susceptible, though, here are some symptoms you can expect:

• Loss of appetite, nausea, digestive problems
• Headache, sinus irritation
• Fatigue, irregular sleep patterns, insomnia
• Disorientation, grogginess, irritability
• Mild depression

Recovery times of one day per time zone traveled eastward and one day per one and a half time zones traveled westward are common. Some people recover more quickly than others.

3. Try the U.S. Department of Energy’s Feast-Fast Jet Lag Diet.

If you suffer from jet lag, try the “Feast-Fast Jet Lag Diet” developed at a U.S. Department of Energy lab. For a copy, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:
Argonne National Laboratory
9700 South Cass Ave.
Argonne, IL  60439

Or download it from the Web:
http://www.netlib.org/misc/jet-lag-diet

4. Talk to your doctor.

If you have diabetes,  a heart condition, or another health condition that requires regular monitoring and/or medication, plan well in advance. Consult your doctor, and develop a strategy to handle the time change.

5. Alter your schedule before you fly.

For any trip longer than a few days, you’ll enjoy your trip more if you gradually alter your schedule several weeks in advance of travel. Move your daily activities forward or back an hour three to four weeks before flying. Add on another hour of time change each week, and before you know it,  you’ll be much better acclimated to your destination time.

6. Make healthy choices.

Keep to your exercise routine, take walks during your flight, and drink plenty of water. Avoid caffeine and alcohol the day before and after your flight, because both can dehydrate you and further disrupt your sleep cycle. Avoid sleeping pills. Forcing your body to in this way sleep won’t help it adjust, and worse, sleeping pills can be addictive.

7. The last word on Melatonin.

While the jury is still out, some experts are recommending that the over-the-counter substance Melatonin reduces the effects of jet lag. Melatonin is a hormone that is secreted into the blood stream when it’s time to sleep. The pills are in health food stores, but have not yet received official FDA approval. Melatonin may have undesirable side effects, and its effectiveness varies greatly among different individuals. Ask your doctor about Melatonin and jet lag.

Learn More

• Wikipedia article on jet lag
• Medicine.net article on jet lag, with more information on coping with symptoms and melatonin
• GORP article on jet lag, with more tips and references