Avoiding Check-in Problems

The whole flying process has become so streamlined and generic that we rarely encounter problems these days.

But there are still times when things can go wrong - usually at check-in.

There are a number of common problems that you may encounter at check-in, most of which can easily be avoided.

The first and most obvious problem to avoid is related to your baggage. Airlines make a large amount of money from baggage fees. Charging passengers for bags that are over weight has become a profitable source of income for airlines. Make yourself aware of your airline's baggage rules before you get to the airport to avoid this.

You should also double check the contents of your hand luggage. There is nothing worse than finally getting to the scanners then realising that you have can of hairspray or an unopened bottle of water in your bad that is about to be confiscated by a burly security guard. You may not look like a terrorist, but they're just doing their job! Leave purchases such as these in your main baggage, or alternatively, hold on until you are through to the waiting lounge.

Queues at the check-in desk go hand-in-hand with the flying experience, but they are an annoyance that can be avoided. Numerous airlines now offer the option of online check-in. This means you can go straight to security rather than having to pay a visit to the check-in assistants. Online check-in is usually only available on domestic flights due to more stringent passport checks on international flights.

If you are a frequent flier, you should really have applied for a frequent flier number by now. This can speed things up hugely as you can check-in at an automated kiosk by typing in your personalised number and all of your flight details will be instantly recognised, completing check-in in minutes.

Dealing With Tears and Tantrums on Long-Haul Flights

The other day a friend of mine told me how he and his family had taken the arduous 21 hour flight to Australia for a two week holiday and catch-up with recently emigrated family.

He told of the nightmare he and his wife had in entertaining his two young children, 5 and 3 years old respectively, and how they struggled to cope with the dreaded child jet-lag. I personally would have baulked at the idea of spending so much time in a cramped cabin with nothing more than a colouring book and a series of recently released Hollywood blockbusters to keep them happy!

Tears and tantrums on such a flight come with the territory, but there are a few little things that can make the journey a little more bearable. Firstly, you should make sure that the airline you are travelling with caters for little ones. If the airline provides digital entertainment, make sure that the screens are incorporated into the back of the seat rather than a communal screen for sections of the plane, thus ensuring small children can actually see the screen. Perhaps you could ask if there is a children's T.V channel before opting to fly with them? Better still, see if the airline offers a gaming channel, this will entertain the kids for hours and can give you much needed time to yourself.

Portable DVD players can be a real saving grace, just make sure you pack their favourite DVDs! An excellent tip that you may not necessarily have thought of is to take small presents for your children that you could get them to open at certain times during the flight to relieve boredom and give them something to look forward to.

Dealing with the after-effects of a flight can be equally as tricky, but it's important to remember that a child's body acts in the same way as an adults when it comes to jet-lag. The same rules apply, so try to keep up with the new time zone and go to bed at night time to ensure your body adjusts, This may sound difficult for young children, but you will find that excitement gets them through the first signs of sleepiness!

The fail-safe way to upgrade to business class!

Ever been on a ten hour flight and looked longingly towards the front of the cabin where those business class folk recline in luxury in their soft, padded, leather-bound, luxury seats?!

Yep, me too. I mean, they don't even have to contend with the thought of suffering from DVT on landing or painful muscle cramps causing you to jump, bolt upright in your seat on multiple occasions during the flight. Ok, seat space may effect me more than most due to the fact I'm a tad on the tall side, but an upgrade to business class sure would make a long-haul flight a more bearable for anyone.

So, how can you actually go about getting an upgrade into the elusive business class section?

Many upgrades happen because it makes sense for the airway. By moving you, they can make room for a larger group if the flight is close to capacity. Therefore, if you are a lone traveller you have a far greater chance of an upgrade for this reason. This upgrade tip is especially true in the school holidays when flights are more family orientated.

But without a doubt, the best tip is to just be polite! Its a simple yet effective way of making an impression on the staff at the airport and on the plane. If you're brave enough, just ask politely at check-in or once you're on the plane. If you come across as relaxed, charming and well-dressed you can certainly increase your chances!

Finnair launches mobile phone boarding passes and text message check in

I have flown with Finnair many a time, and find them to be absolutely fantastic, with great cabin staff, food, the works. And Helsinki Airport is a clean, pleasant place – lovely for buying seasonal gifts if you are heading home for Christmas. Anyway, it’s interesting to hear that Finnair have now launched mobile phone boarding passes and text message check in. Not bad, eh?

So how does this work? Well, the mobile phone boarding pass consists of a 2D bar code which gets scanned at the airport. This boarding pass will apparently work on all mobile phones, though I do wonder about some of those really old ones that some Luddites insist on carrying about.

Finnair’s Sales Director for the UK, Tomi Hänninen, says: “The mobile boarding pass system cuts passengers’ carbon footprint by removing the need for passengers to print out and keep track of a paper boarding pass, thus eliminating waste paper. Customers will also see a tangible benefit through using the mobile boarding pass system as it will speed up the check in process, affording Finnair flyers even greater stress free travel.”

As for the text message check-in, this is available to members of the frequent flyer programme Finnair Plus. If you have luggage then you need to go to the baggage drop desk where it can be checked in. No luggage? In that case you can get going straight to the gate with no faffing around standing in those interminable queues so typical of airports.

For morning departures Finnair sends out a check-in text message the previous evening between 17:00 and 19:00, and for afternoon departures the message is sent about three hours before departure time.

It’s good to see that the handy and ubiquitous mobile can be used to make life simpler at airports, and no doubt other airlines will be keen to follow this trend.

Air Canada try out in-flight internet access

If you are one of those who can’t bear to parted from the internet even for a minute, and dread passing the time of long haul flight with little to do, then the recent innovation of some airlines to provide internet access in the air will no doubt have come as a welcome development. In-flight internet access using the quaintly named Gogo network is now available on some U.S. airlines, including Virgin America, Delta, AirTran and American Airlines.

The latest airline to get in on the act is Air Canada who have just launched a ten week trial period during which certain flights on the Montreal-Los Angeles and Toronto-Los Angeles routes will offer web access. The price isn’t too bad either, with access costing US$9.95 for laptops and US$7.95 for phones and PDA’s. However, for the time being the service will only be available when flying over the USA.

The whole concept of web access in the air is certainly an exciting development because simply going online must be the perfect way to while away those boring hours of long haul. And who can resist the idea of sending emails to friends and family telling them how good it is to be above the clouds?

No doubt competitors will be carefully watching this move as the opportunity to use the internet while flying will give any airline a serious edge and attract passengers. So how long will we have to wait before this trend makes its way across the Atlantic?

Meeting Santa in the Land of the Midnight Sun

Christmas is well on its way, a sure sign being that I walked into my local supermarket to see glittery decorations and a life size model of Santa, as well as hearing jingly music. Some love it, and some hate it. But if you are one of the people that just can’t get enough of Christmas, then you may consider a trip to see Santa.

It’s quite funny that the original Saint Nicholas was from Myra in Turkey, but in the nineteenth century he suddenly morphed into the fat red-coated gentleman who lives in the north, and it seems that now Lapland is thought to be his traditional home. It could have something to do with the wonderfully snowy environment of the north that people so associate with Christmas.

If you want to see Santa Claus Village, this is just outside the town of Rovaniemi which has its own airport. Santa Claus Village at Rovaniemi is actually open all year round, and here you can meet Santa and his elves. Rovaniemi Post Office receives letters to Santa from children all across the globe, and they even send out replies on colourful, Christmassy notepaper!

Rovaniemi is not just about Santa though, it is also good for shopping with designer stores stocking various top Finnish brands such as Marimekko and Arabia. There are also Santa outlets of course.

But if you feel like a more rural and slightly less commercialised environment, then other airports to head for are Ivalo, Kittila and Kuusamo.

And, in case you are wondering, what or where exactly is Lapland? It is home to the Sami people who were originally a nomadic group roaming the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. They lived in tents that were similar to native American tepees, and by the 16th century their economy was largely based on agriculture and reindeer. Obviously today the Sami live in modern houses.

They refer to their land as Sapmi, and this northern area has beautiful fjords, lakes and wilderness. The winters are dark with little sunlight but what little light there is gets reflected from the bright, white snow, and there is also a chance of seeing the aurora borealis. In the summer the place becomes the Land of the Midnight Sun with wonderfully light nights.

The area offers some great opportunities for enjoying winter sports and the great outdoors, and makes a great place to visit summer and winter, Santa or no Santa.

Brits looking for winter sun, despite recession

The nights are getting darker, summer is well and truly over, it’s still moderately warm, but no doubt soon the British weather will be turning to the rain and cold that we expect of the winter in these parts. And I don’t even want to talk about the clocks going back, which will make nightfall seem even earlier. So, what with the recession you might expect that people will be tightening their belts, gritting their teeth, and facing the long cold winter months without selfishly splashing out on a winter break. Wrong! Well, wrong that is according to some travel agents.

The word among the travel agencies seems to be that people are still on the look out for their winter holiday abroad. As has been true to form since the recession kicked in, many people are now looking for their holidays outside Euroland, with destinations such as Turkey, Tunisia or Morocco proving popular.

These predictions are despite the fact that significant numbers of Brits chose to holiday in the UK this year, which has been charmingly called "staycation".

So is this a case of the travel agents trying to talk up a storm of people heading out of Blighty over the winter? Are they hoping for good holiday sales this winter after what may have been a poor showing over the summer?

Time will tell. Meanwhile, if over the dark, cold months ahead you yearn for some winter sun, there are plenty of cheap flights available to get you where you want to be.