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Gradually shifting your body clock, largely regulated by the liver, by slowing digestion with nuts can help reduce jet lag after a long flight overseas.

Most nuts (and peanuts, which aren’t nuts) slow the digestion of carbohydrates by an average of two hours. For a 2-hour shift ahead, for example, simply eat 8 peanuts prior to eating at your regular mealtimes.

A 3-hour shift ahead requires eating an hour later than you normally would, with a small handful of nuts. For greater time differences or if you’re just bad at math, a short fast will engage your “feed clock”.

“If, for example, you are travelling from the US to Japan, you are forced to adjust to an 11-hour time difference.

“Because the body’s biological clock can only shift a small amount each day, it takes the average person about a week to adjust to the new time zone.

“A period of fasting with no food at all for about 16 hours is enough to engage this new clock.

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Purchase round trip airline tickets for you and those traveling with you one at a time to take advantage of reduced fares. Most airlines only offer the cheapest coach fares on a limited number of seats which round trip book systems may ignore.

When you shop for multiple tickets, and there aren??t enough seats available at the lowest ticket price, the reservation system automatically kicks bookings up to the next price level.

On a recent search for flights from Dallas to Frankfurt for a July trip, Mr. Seaney turned up a round-trip ticket at www.americanairlines.com for $1,431. When he searched for multiple tickets, the lowest ticket price jumped to $1,536.

To make sure that you are in fact getting the best deal follow this search routine based from the least to most amount of planning time available. Start by opening 3 Internet browser windows.

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Despite the overwhelming odds against it, many travelers, even frequent ones, have a fear of flying. To be more accurate I worry those travelers fear crashing although the chances of being killed in a plane crash are 1 to 10.64 million.

Comfort doesn’t come from the numbers, simply because the human brain doesn’t evaluate modern risks very well.

Accept The Risks

First off, determine if flying to your destination is worth it. Would you rather spend 18 hours in a car to Miami than take a 3 hour flight? If you can’t get over this consider the following.

• Driving Makes Increases Belly Fat - Prolonged hours sitting behind the wheel increase your chances of developing a tire around your waste. Belly fat lowers sex hormones and increases your chances of cancer and heart disease.

Of course, flying may be the only way to get to your destination. Once you accept that you’ll be getting on a plane, begin by preparing yourself.

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Many of you vagabonds, college students, and corporate workers have been waiting to get your tickets for that upcoming vacation are have been shocked by what you’ve found. Long gone are the cheap fares and good deals of last year.

Why are we paying more for the same flight now?

A combination of economic recovery, downfall, and a weak dollar are making a good deal scarce.

• If You’re Just Realizing Now That Prices Are High, You’re Looking Too Late - This isn’t the time to be looking for a summer vacation package - that was February.
• Fuel - Airplanes run on kerosene-based commercial grade jet fuel (which is about 115 octane). The increasing price of oil has the same effect on drivers and pilots - increased costs passed on to you. Airlines are becoming more fuel-conscious however and slowing down to save gas.

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The turmoil in the US economy, rising fuel prices, and merger-for-survivals will cause airfare hikes and additional charges for now free services. As I predicted at the beginning of the year, mergers between the major airlines are happening to keep them in business.

According to the International Herald Tribune expect higher fares as a result of fewer airlines.

“It’s a very bad idea,” said Oberstar, whose state is home to Northwest’s headquarters. He said he expected “a cascade of carriers finding partners” if the Delta-Northwest combination was allowed to go forward, with fewer choices and higher prices for consumers.

Low-fare airlines will begin to creep their prices up and the fares of the large, newly merged companies increase. They won’t be “low fare” anymore, but lower fare. Expect to pay for things you now take for granted as well.

[photo by: Fuseman]

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Airports can be wonderful places to spend unexpected recreational time. With airlines canceling flights left and right, chances are you’ll be stuck in Minneapolis, Atlanta, or Minneapolis again.

If your flight is canceled, take a deep breath and enjoy all of the relaxing things you probably don’t get to do in regular life when you want to.

• Get Drunk - Airports aren’t littered with bars for nothing. Have a few drinks somewhere near your gate. You don’t have to drive anywhere and if you’re lucky there will be enough alcohol left in your system when the plane takes off for a solid block of sleep.
• Read Tabloids For Free - Many people spend a few minutes each time they are in grocery store lines reading celebrity gossip, dirt, and sex. Read as many as you want for free or buy a couple. When you’re done reading place them next to you with a piece of paper that reads: “For Sale: $1″. People will buy them, trust me.

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In case you’re wondering how that 2 flight-a-day airport in the middle of Kansas supports international flights, to call themselves an “international” airport, they don’t have to.

Airports in the United States (and some abroad) are designated as an “international” airport if they have a customs service.

These customs services often are closed or on standby if there are no international flights. They remain there so an airport can be ready to handle a flight from another country. The designation is a small prestige boost and likely small tax burden. If anyone know more about this, tell us in the comments!

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Passengers in the United States have very little protections in place to compensate them in the event of lengthy delays or flight cancellations. Even if you’re not a European citizen, several laws, in particular Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 state what airlines (in Europe) have to do if your flight is screwed up.

Feel free to poke around on the European Commission’s Transport site where you see these regulations spelled out. Once there, click on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11?February?2004 which is a PDF file. This regulation was put in force on February 17, 2005. If you’re traveling from a European airport you’d do well do download this document, print it out, carry it with you, and present it to your airline in the event of a cancellation or lengthy delay.

Considering that 30% of flights are delayed here in the United States, travelers should contact their representative in Congress so that travelers in American have the same rights.

[via Consumerist]

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Most of us avoid flying anything other than coach unless the company is paying. The New York Times reports that the holiday season may be the time to upgrade.

With most business travelers on hiatus for the holidays, those cushy seats at the front of the plane can be relatively empty. Rather than give those seats away as upgrades, airlines have increasingly been trying to fill them with sales.

Frequent flyer miles are almost impossible to redeem for anything other than upgrades. Take advantage of sign-up bonuses, or if you already have a bunch of miles, redeem them before they expire.

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Savvy travelers should book their flights as early as possible to avoid the ripple effect caused by delays at other airports. Flying early can also prevent you from having to stay the night.

Avoid the last return flight so you won’t risk having to spend the night, often without compensation for hotel and transportation.

To stay ahead of the game, research the average delay time for a particular flight, check the length of the lines at security checkpoints before you leave, and review airport statuses across the country.

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