Christmas and the New Year are stressful times of the year. Add air travel into the mix and it could be called the Meltdown Season. Follow our top ten ways to ease the stress of travel.

Book flights as soon as you can
Yesterday if you can manage it. Airlines may announce last-minute sales in the coming weeks but you can’t expect that they’ll have your exact route on the day you want to travel. If you see a good deal, pounce on it. That way you’ll have weeks and weeks to ensure that you’ve selected your seat and followed all the airline’s rules on baggage and checking-in online.

Pick your flight times carefully
There are a couple of benefits to selecting early morning flights. You’ll probably get cheaper flights and you’ll avoid the delays that can build up during the day.

Travel on the big day
Does the thought of flying on Christmas Day fill you with dread? It shouldn’t. Depending on the route, you could save big.

Consider alternative airports
Based in London? You have a choice of five airports - Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and City. Birmingham and Manchester airports are a train ride away. Shop around and see where is the cheapest airport to fly from.

Cancel connections
Connecting flights are tricky at this time of year. You may save money but then again, bad weather, lost baggage and logistical delays are just a few of the reasons why direct flights give you more peace of mind.

Make peace with the price
It’s a peak travel season. Everyone’s flying. Find the best price you can for your flight and try to cut costs elsewhere. Take public transport to the airport. Try to cut down on baggage charges by rationalising your wardrobe and/or wearing as many clothes as you can on the flight. Pack your own food.

Stay healthy
Early to bed for two or three nights before you fly to keep resistance to bugs and colds high. Carry some antibacterial hand-sanitiser gel, and consider (with your doctor’s approval) taking immunity-boosting supplements a few days before your trip.

Prepare a sanity carry-on
The Golden Age of Flying may be over. Now, it’s up to you to pamper yourself. Ask yourself: “What would I bring to a deserted island?” Favourite snacks, glossy mags, silk eye mask, your iPod, Kindle, laptop?

Leave earlier than you think you should
Really early – early enough that you will feel silly for doing so. Even if you’re waiting at the airport for an extra hour, at least you’ll be through security and can unwind with one of your sanity-saving items. The priority here should be getting to your destination with as little stress as possible. The more time you give yourself at the airport, the easier that will be.

Wonderful WiFi
It’s more widely available and cheaper to use than you might think. Certain lounges and retail outlets even offer free connectivity these days.

(Picture credit: RachelH_)

This entry was posted on Monday, October 11th, 2010 at 11:43 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.