12 insider tips to make travel less stressful

‘To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the most pleasant sensations in the world. You are surrounded by adventure’  – Freya Stark, British explorer.

Exploring the world is one of the most amazing, rewarding and exciting things you can do together as a family. Unfortunately, the logistics of getting to your destination, especially with young children, can be – frankly – torturous. But there are little ways to lessen the stresses; secret tips and tricks to make your transit go a little smoother.  Jacqui Paterson who blogs at Mummyslittlemonkey.com twisted the arms of some industry professionals to reveal their handiest hints.

Our insider at Emirates Airlines has these tips for travelling with children:

Don’t opt for a late flight on the premise your kids will sleep through and arrive relaxed and refreshed. Murphy’s Law pretty much guarantees they won’t sleep a wink, and you’ll arrive exhausted, quivering messes.

Many airlines give families with young children the option to board first, but think twice before you take them up on the offer: it’s hard enough to keep young children occupied on a long flight, why increase the time they’re on board?

Instead, allow them to burn off energy for as long as possible in the airport lounge. Then, fingers crossed, when you do board they’ll have worn themselves out. And, if you give them sweets to relieve their ear pressure on take off, make sure they’re sugar free so you’re not wrangling hyperactive kids in mid air.

The team at LastMinute.com have lifted the lid on this little-known advice:

Flights that have been kept on hold are released first thing each morning. Jump online around 1am and you could nab yourself a real bargain.

If you can handle the early start morning flights have two benefits; they’re often cheaper, and are much less likely to suffer delays, as there won’t be a backlog.

Package it up! It might surprise you to find out that when you purchase a flight and hotel together, premium economy seats can sometimes be snapped up for around the same price as economy. So make sure you check both options before confirming your booking – you could nab yourself a free upgrade.

 

Gillian Tans is the COO and President of Booking.com and has a heads up for those less familiar with industry jargon.

‘Did you know that there’s a difference between a ‘direct’ and ‘nonstop’ flight?’ she asks. ‘A ‘direct’ flight sounds great but could still stop (at other destinations) it just means you will have to sit on the plane, rather than change planes.’

Essentially, you’ll be stranded in your seat until the plane takes off again, adding extra travel time to your journey. So unless you want to risk being stuck on what is essentially an airborne bus, opt for non-stop.

No one wants to spend any more time in the airport than they have to, and one way to cut down on the flight faff is to only take cabin luggage. But if you board late you can’t guarantee a spot in the overhead bins, forcing you to check your bags in anyway. Sigh.

Gillian has a simple but effective way around the problem:

‘Instead of taking a standard cabin-sized, rigid suitcase and laptop case, take two more equally-sized bags (check with your airline first),’ she recommends.

‘One should be the maximum size that you could, if necessary, fit under the seat in front. The other should be a non-rigid canvas bag, which can be slotted into any odd space in-between the big suitcases in the overhead bins.’

If you don’t mind forgoing the chicken or fish, pre-order a vegetarian (or an of the other meal options – you’ll find a list on your carrier’s website) before you leave.

‘A ‘special meal’ will invariably mean you will be served first,’ Gillian explains. ‘This means you can relax or go to sleep while everyone else is still being served their food.’

Finally, if the rigours of the road start scrambling your brain, Gillian has this genius tip – take a quick photo of your door so you don’t forget your room number.

Ever wondered how to increase your chance of a hotel upgrade? Take on board these tips, from Elliot Adams, director of International Public Relations at HotelTonight and you might just find yourself enjoying the VIP treatment.

‘While there is no guaranteed route to snaring an upgrade at a hotel, being pleasant, presentable and not being too proud to actually ask for the upgrade will go a long way,’ he reveals. ‘You’d be surprised how many people trip up on one or more of these fundamentals… B-list celebs in particular.’

Perhaps surprisingly, if you check in late you’ll have a higher chance of reaching those top floors. Hotels tend to allocate standard rooms first, Elliot confides, and hold back the swisher suites so they have the option of upselling.

If the day is dwindling and they’re still standing empty, you might just reap the benefit. You get a better room, and the hotel gets a grateful guest who can’t wait to come back again. It’s a win/win!

The last tip isn’t a secret, more a handy hint to help smooth the travel planning process. Airport Parking and Hotels have compiled a handy tool that helps you work out what and how much baggage you can take on your flight.

Just enter your airport and airline, and the APH Baggage Allowance Finder (http://www.aph.com/community/baggage-allowances/ ) will pull up all the up-to-date  information you need. You’ll never fined for excess baggage again.

Bon voyage!

Biog: 

Jacqui Paterson is a features and travel journalist and mum of two, and blogs at www.mummyslittlemonkey.com