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Former pilot shares tips for fighting jet lag

<p dir="ltr">A former pilot has shared his fool-proof tips for beating jet lag when you’re flying to the other side of the world. </p> <p dir="ltr">As an ex-airline pilot, Jeremy Burfoot knows a thing or two about dealing with dreaded jet lag. </p> <p dir="ltr">After his years flying Qantas planes to every corner of the globe, Captain Burfoot has revealed to <em><a href="https://travel.nine.com.au/latest/how-to-beat-jet-lag-ex-airline-pilot-shares-hack-for-flights-to-europe/656b0602-9cd2-4923-b3b4-1310a2613235">9Travel</a></em> the unique way he would combat the condition while he was working.  </p> <p dir="ltr">"I used to try and stay in a time zone of where I was living," he told <em>9Travel</em>. "So I went to London, I would just sleep during the day and go out at night."</p> <p dir="ltr">However, for those who need to be up during usual hours, he advised trying to avoid one thing.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The first day you get there, spend all day in the sun, in the daylight," he says. "Resist having an afternoon nap so you're really tired when you go to bed."</p> <p dir="ltr">Captain Burfoot went on to share his hacks for anyone flying from Australia or New Zealand to Europe, which can be some of the most gruelling flight paths in the world. </p> <p dir="ltr">"If I was planning to go to Europe, I would try to split it into two, try to fly both of the days in the daylight," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You'd want to be on a flight to Singapore out of Australia that leaves in the morning, so you're basically doing a daylight flight to Singapore, then you have an overnight, eat some curry or something.”</p> <p dir="ltr">"And the next day catch a daylight flight to Europe. So it doesn't actually feel like you're up in the middle of the night."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Captain Jeremy Burfoot</em></p>

Travel Tips

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Beloved teddy bear left in airport lounge rescued by airline

<p dir="ltr">Staff at British Airways have rescued a child’s stuffed teddy bear that was left behind in an airport lounge, documenting the toy’s safe journey home. </p> <p dir="ltr">The treasured teddy was found in the British Airways lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport by nine-year-old Alex, who accidentally left the toy behind before boarding a flight home to Dubai. </p> <p dir="ltr">After staff found the stranded toy, a new flight and boarding pass was created for Postman Bear, while members of the BA team gave the teddy the”'VIP treatment”  with a journey on an airport buggy to “catch up” with the Cabin Crew Operations team in the Crew Report Centre.</p> <p dir="ltr">Postman Bear was then taken to meet the cabin crew on his new flight to Dubai and was pictured “patiently” waiting for his flight at the gate, drinking a cup of coffee and enjoying “some great views of the aircraft” while waiting to board. </p> <p dir="ltr">The teddy’s journey home was lovingly captured by British Airways customer manager, Ed Tumath, who sent the snaps back to young Alex to assure him his beloved bear was being looked after. </p> <p dir="ltr">After touching down in Dubai, the cabin crew took Postman Bear to reunite with Alex and the rest of his family for a “bear-y happy reunion”. </p> <p dir="ltr">Stuart, Alex's parent, recalled the moment they knew the teddy was missing, while praising British Airways for their tireless journey to reunite Alex with his bear. </p> <p dir="ltr">Stuart said, “My son had left his teddy bear - huge sentimental value as he has had the teddy since birth - in the British Airways lounge ahead of the flight. We noticed as the aircraft doors were closing so nothing could be done at that point.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“This was very distressing to my son who uses the teddy as a calming item, especially when flying. This was incredibly stressful and we feared that his beloved teddy may be lost forever.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Whilst onboard the flight, I took to a series of Facebook groups to seek help in finding the teddy. A member of the group contacted Ed who came to the rescue. I managed to communicate with Ed on the flight and received a picture showing that the teddy had been found, which calmed my son.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Not only did Ed go out of his way to find the teddy but he communicated so well throughout. He genuinely cared about the situation and worked so hard to get the teddy back to us.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“He arranged for the teddy to board a flight to Dubai a couple of days later and a crew member handed the teddy back to us. Not only did Ed excel in his caring manner and communication, he even provided a few pictures of the teddy's journey, which my son will treasure forever.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“My son was so relieved - words could not express how grateful we are to Ed for his kind act and dedication to getting the teddy back to us. I have been flying with BA for many years - this is the best experience I have had by far and I am overwhelmed by Ed's efforts.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Sometimes amazing people do incredible things and show such kindness along the way... these things matter. This meant a huge amount to my family and I, and we will be forever grateful.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: British Airways</em></p>

International Travel

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Doctor shares his top tips for tackling jet lag

<p dir="ltr">Dr Nick Coatsworth has shared his fool-proof hacks to tackle jet lag on your next international flight. </p> <p dir="ltr">The TV host and doctor often travels around the world for work, and as a result, knows a thing or two about feeling jet lagged. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I hate jet lag. I suffer from it a lot," he told <em><a href="https://travel.nine.com.au/latest/flight-tips-how-to-avoid-jet-lag-dr-nick-coatsworth/37872af3-ff61-48c1-810d-4b20f4d2bde2">9Travel</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite being prone to jet lag, Coatsworth has honed his own tips for tackling the dreaded side effect of travelling across time zones.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Stay awake for as long as you possibly can to try and reset your body clock," he advises.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another go-to hack to overcome jet lag is a simple change you can make as soon as you board the plane. </p> <p dir="ltr">"As soon as I get on the plane I change my watch to the destination time," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">While there are many tips and tricks floating around that people use to beat the dreaded jet lag, Dr Nick said all you can do is try to adjust to a new time zone as soon as possible. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Ultimately you've just got to push through the fatigue and try and resync yourself as quickly as possible," he says.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Nine / Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Tips

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The one in-flight activity to avoid to conquer jet lag

<p dir="ltr">While many people love to travel and explore new destinations, there’s no doubt that the worst part of a holiday is often the long-haul flight. </p> <p dir="ltr">With many holidays, especially ones overseas, a drastic change of timezones can mean jet lag is unavoidable, but there are a few things you can do to make life easy when you land. </p> <p dir="ltr">According to one travel expert, how you feel when you disembark often boils down to your in-flight activities. </p> <p dir="ltr">Sarah Built, who has worked up a lifetime of long-haul travel as the Etihad Airways Vice President of Sales for Australasia, told <em><a href="https://travel.nine.com.au/latest/flight-tips-how-to-avoid-jet-lag/db8fbda1-2318-44c0-b9fe-e14d11dec70c">9Travel</a></em> that there is one thing she always avoids onboard in order to land at her destination feeling fresh: alcohol. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Whilst the allure of coffee, cocktails and snacks is real (particularly if you're travelling with kids), they can actually contribute to dehydration and worsen jet lag," she says.</p> <p dir="ltr">Instead of that in-flight beer glass of wine, Sarah says to drink water (with lime added for a twist) or herbal tea to boost your hydration and lessen that groggy mid-flight feeling.</p> <p dir="ltr">Drinking water is obviously also the key to staying hydrated, as Sarah says it's important to start drinking extra water the day before your flight, so you're going in prepared.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I carry a reusable water bottle to keep fluids up during the journey (most airports will have water stations for you to refill easily)," she says, which means you won't need to pay for an overpriced bottle at the airport.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Dehydration can cause headaches and fatigue, and you want to be able to hit the ground running on arrival, so always remember to drink plenty of water," she advises.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Travel Tips

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The unique travel hack that is guaranteed to help beat jet lag

<p dir="ltr">Experts have revealed how to beat jet lag on your next overseas holiday, and it all comes down to your modes of transport. </p> <p dir="ltr">Sleep researchers said it's good news for cruise lovers, as exposure to sea air and bright natural light improves sleep to cure the annoying condition quickly.</p> <p dir="ltr">Some experts say to avoid travelling by plane all together, and always opt for cruising holidays instead. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, if you have to travel to your cruise by plane, being on board is a great way to tackle the dreadful feeling, compared with holidaying on land, Panache Cruises said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Dr Lindsay Browning, expert at Trouble Sleeping said exposing yourself to bright lights at the right time after a long-haul flight is one of the most powerful things we can do to boost and help shift circadian rhythm, and being on a ship is the perfect place for that.</p> <p dir="ltr">"As a general rule, you want to get lots of bright light exposure during the daytime and avoid light at night," Browning said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When travelling on a cruise ship, you will naturally get a lot of bright light exposure during the day, helping your circadian rhythm.”</p> <p dir="ltr">"Further, when travelling by ship you will have a cabin with a proper bed and curtain, enabling you to sleep at night when you want to."</p> <p dir="ltr">The company claimed research showed how prolonged exposure to sea air can improve blood oxygen levels, boost vitamin D, and improve breathing leading to higher-quality sleep, helping to rid travellers of pesky jet lag so they can enjoy their holidays. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Travel Tips

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Tom Cruise’s unconventional acceptance speech

<p dir="ltr">Tom Cruise has given one of the most unique acceptance speeches at the 2023 MTV Movie &amp; TV Awards.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 60-year-old, who famously performs his own stunts and is a licensed pilot himself, delivered a pre-recorded speech on May 7 while flying a World War II propeller plane.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cruise won best performance in a movie for <em>Top Gun: Maverick</em>.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Things we'll never forget: <a href="https://twitter.com/TomCruise?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TomCruise</a>'s performance in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TopGun?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TopGun</a>: Maverick 🎥</p> <p>Congrats to Tom Cruise on winning Best Performance in a Movie at the 2023 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MTVAwards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MTVAwards</a>! <a href="https://t.co/dZr3Wglpdq">pic.twitter.com/dZr3Wglpdq</a></p> <p>— Movie &amp; TV Awards (@MTVAwards) <a href="https://twitter.com/MTVAwards/status/1655367059994456065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr"> “Hi everyone, thank you so much for this award,” he said from the cockpit. “I make these films for you. I love you. I love entertaining you. To know how much you enjoy it, how much you appreciate it, there’s just no better feeling.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In his acceptance speech, Cruise appears to be piloting the P-51 Mustang plane that he owns, which was featured in Top Gun: Maverick.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You have a wonderful summer," Cruise said in his speech. "Thank you again for letting me entertain you. It’s an absolute privilege. We’ll see you at the movies.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Cruise also recorded a similar message from the same plane that was played for King Charles II during the coronation concert on May 8. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Pilot to pilot," Cruise said. "Your Majesty, you can be my wingman any time.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Twitter</em></p>

Movies

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This house is out of this world

<p>Tiny houses can act as the perfect passion project for anyone with the drive - and resources - to give it a try. Even, as it turns out, those who dream of soaring to new heights with their success. </p> <p>And for one property in southern Hungary, that’s exactly where it looks to be heading! </p> <p>Dubbed the ‘Jet House’, this aeroplane-shaped home invites all who stay there to “fasten your seatbelts, [and] get ready to take off with our newest cabin”. </p> <p>Described by its creators, the team at Hello Wood, this “not-so-everyday tiny house” is said to have “flown out of a cartoon and landed on the meadow.” </p> <p>Boasting “friendly arcs and curves and round windows”, it seems something straight out of a child’s wildest fantasies. And, it turns out, it is! </p> <p>The team’s brief was simple, and came directly from their “youngest client ever - 12-year-old Lujzi”. Lujzi wanted something that could double as a playhouse for time with her friends, and for sleep, before later being “converted into lodging”, as explained on Hello Wood’s project page. As they put it, “the concept was to create a full-fledged, functional tiny house that is more reminiscent of a beautiful design toy than a building.”</p> <p>The team noted on social media that the house is “fitted out with a kitchen, bathroom and a bedroom with [a] built-in desk and bench”. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnjmMi4oJVn/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnjmMi4oJVn/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by HELLO WOOD (@hellowood)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Though, since the shape of the home is not typical, “it had design questions as well as building challenges” that the team were faced to overcome to complete their ambitious project. And luckily for Lujzi, they found a way. </p> <p>The jet home was constructed with wings made from “spacious terraces”, a circular window that covers its nose, and airport stairs to get to the front door. Comprising more than a thousand structural pieces, the property could not feature the likes of junctions or sewers on its exterior if the team hoped to “maintain the clean silhouette”. To combat this, they employed the use of “a ‘protective coating’, an innovative waterproofing layer that secures the durability of the tiny house.”</p> <p>Inside the cabin, which can sleep two, the team achieved a retro feel by implementing rounded shapes at every opportunity, and wooden elements wherever made sense. Two real aeroplane seats sourced from Sky Art completed the vision. with a series of other “aviation relics” that Lujzi and her father had collected - including, but not limited to, boarding passes, inflight brochures, plane-shaped trinkets, and a Pan Am model plane. </p> <p>"We were happy to accept the unusual assignment,” said Tamás Fülöp, the Jet House’s project architect. “As an architect, it is an inspiring task to design a structure that has to be cute. It was also a challenge to incorporate traditional architectural elements into the sculptural shape, such as waterproofing, vapour barrier, and thermal insulation.”</p> <p><em>Images: @hellowood @@zsuzsa.darab / Instagram</em></p>

Real Estate

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"Someone give them a raise": Hilarious way ground crew entertained trapped passengers

<p>Two very creative ground-crew air marshalls have enjoyed a brush with instant viral fame after hilarious footage of them entertaining passengers stuck on a delayed plane was shared to TikTok.</p> <p>Fortunately for the poor passengers stranded on the British Airways plane last month due to engineering issues, two nearby air marshalls were determined to pass the time and distract them following the tediously long delay, using their glowing marshalling wands to put on an entertaining performance.</p> <p>Air Marshall Quinten Moshy posted a video of his antics on TikTok, which quickly racked up close to 1 million views.</p> <p>"Put this in every ramp agent's job description," he joked in the caption.</p> <p>The video showed the two airport workers using their marshalling wands as if they were light sabres and acting out dramatic battle scenes. Committed to the performance, the marshalls ducked and weaved, while one pretended to die after he was 'struck'.</p> <p>Other antics included creating glowing smiley faces and hearts on the tarmac and dancing the moves to the song 'Y.M.C.A'.</p> <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@quintenmoshy/video/7117811535212301614" data-video-id="7117811535212301614"> <section><a title="@quintenmoshy" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@quintenmoshy?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@quintenmoshy</a> Put this in every ramp agent’s job description <a title="airport" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/airport?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#airport</a> <a title="airplane" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/airplane?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#airplane</a> <a title="travel" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/travel?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#travel</a> <a title="rampagent" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/rampagent?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#rampagent</a> <a title="pilot" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/pilot?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#pilot</a> <a title="bayarea" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/bayarea?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#bayarea</a> <a title="california" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/california?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#california</a> <a title="london" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/london?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#london</a> <a title="787" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/787?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#787</a> <a title="vacation" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/vacation?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#vacation</a> <a title="work" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/work?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#work</a> <a title="fyp" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#fyp</a> <a title="ymca" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ymca?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#ymca</a> <a title="minions" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/minions?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#minions</a> <a title="starwars" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/starwars?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#starwars</a> <a title="lightsaber" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/lightsaber?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#lightsaber</a> <a title="happy" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/happy?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#happy</a> <a title="aviation" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/aviation?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#aviation</a> <a title="love" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/love?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#love</a> <a title="♬ Y.M.C.A. - The Minions" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/YMCA-6795407731260917762?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ Y.M.C.A. - The Minions</a></section> </blockquote> <p>TikTok users really enjoyed the goofy act and one person said they should find a video from someone stranded on the plane so we could see what THEY were seeing out their windows.</p> <p>"Someone find the passengers POV," they wrote.</p> <p>Sure enough, fellow viewers pulled through and pointed to TikTok user Abi Smith, who had created her own video of the dramatic antics of the air marshalls.</p> <p>"POV: [Point of View]: Your plane gets delayed so the marshalls put on a performance." she captioned the video.</p> <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@abi_smithxxx/video/7117374061935676678" data-video-id="7117374061935676678"> <section><a title="@abi_smithxxx" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@abi_smithxxx?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@abi_smithxxx</a> <a title="britishairways" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/britishairways?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#britishairways</a> <a title="delayed" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/delayed?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#delayed</a> <a title="marshallers" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/marshallers?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#marshallers</a> <a title="♬ Angeleyes (Sped Up Version) - april aries bae (SVT)" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Angeleyes-Sped-Up-Version-7089425867910236954?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ Angeleyes (Sped Up Version) - april aries bae (SVT)</a></section> </blockquote> <p>People commented, saying the entertaining pair deserved a reward for their dedication.</p> <p>"Give the performers an applause," wrote one person.</p> <p>"Someone give them a raise," another added.</p> <p><em>Image: TikTok</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Beat jet lag with these tips and tricks

<p>Tossing and turning, eating because you’re bored and trying to pry your eyes open after a long-haul flight. If you’ve experienced one of these while flying, I am sure you’re well aware of the woes that, unfortunately, come with jet lag. While jetting off is an exciting time, the out-of-whack body clock is most certainly not!</p> <p>The key to beating jet lag is understanding what it is and what is going on with your body. Put simply, jet lag means your circadian rhythm (a fancy name for body clock) is out of synch with its new environment. It’s likely to occur when you cross four or more time zones at once. While travel in the westward direction is said to be kinder on the body clock, either which way you fly, jet lag is an annoyance I am sure everyone would prefer to do without.</p> <p>If your trip involves travelling across five time zones, you might want to consider a stopover. Here are some other helpful little tricks that actually work.</p> <p><strong>Sleep bank</strong><br />Prior to flying ensure you are getting enough sleep. Don’t stay up the night before a flight thinking you’ll sleep on the plane because if you can’t get to sleep on the plane you will be out of whack. Instead, in the days prior to take-off, try and get as much good quality sleep as you can.</p> <p><strong>Time-zone trickery</strong> <br />The key to beating jet lag is all the smooth transition between two time zones. Map out a plan before you get on board and set your clock to the time at your destination as you get on board. You’ll want to divide your flight time to accommodate time zone transition. Tailor the inflight services to your needs, even if that means missing a meal (often breakfast) so you can sneak in an extra hour of shut-eye.</p> <p><strong>Dress right</strong> <br />Although being able to easily fall asleep does have a lot to do with how comfortable you are, there are other factors, ones within your control, which you should consider. For instance wearing a good quality eye mask to block out light and choosing light, comfortable clothing made from a nice natural fabric that breathes (such as cotton) will help you get comfy and ready for sleep. Obviously lying down helps but failing be able to fly business class, at least try and choose your seat.</p> <p><strong>Eat light</strong> <br />You should watch what you eat not only before you fly but also on the flight too. Before you jet off you’ll want to steer clear of rich, heavy foods. Instead opt for lighter meals that include veggies. This is so your stomach doesn’t have to go into heavy-duty digestion mode once you’re on-board. If you can, make your pre-flight meal your main one and then eat light on the flight, leaning towards foods that are easy to digest. It’s better for your stomach to have two smaller meals when you fly allowing yourself ample digestion time in between rather that quickly eating a three-course meal.</p> <p><strong>Say no to drugs</strong> <br />Try to avoid using sleeping tablets as they tend to disrupt normal sleep cycles and may prolong jetlag.</p> <p><strong>Drink H20</strong> <br />Water is your best ally when fighting jet lag. It’s best to buy a bottle before you board so you always have a supply with you. Most planes (unless you’re in business or above) only serve water by the glass.</p> <p><strong>Limit caffeine and alcohol</strong> <br />You should minimise, if not cease, your intake of caffeine and alcohol and ensure you are well hydrated before and during the flight. You might think a couple of glasses of wine will send you off into a nice deep sleep, but not only alcohol dehydrate you, it also tends to result in inefficient sleep.</p> <p><strong>Keep active</strong> <br />Regular physical activity – such as walking around the plane and stretching – may also be beneficial.</p> <p><strong>Stop-over strategy</strong> <br />If you have a stop-over take advantage of what is available to you. If this is not a good time to sleep for the timezone you’re heading to, don’t! Instead have a shower (they’re often at big airports and can be used by anyone for a small fee), stock up on another light meal and avoid sitting around. Going for a walk around it a good way to stay awake and stimulated. If you can get some fresh air, do!</p> <p><strong>Landing strategy</strong> <br />As soon as possible after landing you’ll want to take a shower and have breakfast – if it’s breakfast time. Look for high protein options avoiding the easy carb route and get a good portion of salads or greens. A fresh juice is also a good option. And if you like your coffee, go for it. A good shot of coffee will reboot your energy levels. Berocca can also be helpful. If it’s daytime when you land, go out and expose yourself to daylight – the stimulus will help reset your body clock by regulating melatonin. And although you may feel like going to bed, stay awake and be somewhat physically active at least until sundown. Immediately adopting the local time is the best way to crush jet lag in just a few days: don’t go to bed before 10pm when you land, and get yourself out of bed before 10am on the first morning. Nothing quite kills motivation as much as jet lag, and when you land, the last thing you want to do is head out for a nice long walk or light jog, but pushing yourself to doing just that is one of the best things for you. It will help you revitalise your numb muscles after the flight, and give you more energy during the following days. If you have a beach or pool nearby, go for a swim. It is sure to give you a revitalised feeling. The general rule is you should exercise a night if you travelled westwards, and in the morning if you travelled eastwards.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Travel Tips

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Queen’s private jet forced to abort landing

<p dir="ltr">A plane carrying Queen Elizabeth II was forced to abandon its initial landing due to severe weather conditions.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pilot was due to land at RAF Northolt, about 20km from Windsor Castle, after leaving Aberdeen but was unable to because of a severe electrical storm, rain and hail.</p> <p dir="ltr">The plane remained in the air for an extra 15 minutes before the pilot successfully pulled off a second attempt at landing.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 96-year-old monarch was then taken to Windsor Castle to prepare for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations that will run until June 5.</p> <p dir="ltr">Revellers have already begun camping outside the castle hoping to get a glimpse of the royals during the exciting days ahead.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Platinum Jubilee will kick off with Trooping the Colour Parade on Thursday.</p> <p dir="ltr">It remains unclear how many events the Queen will attend due to her mobility issues, with the Palace no longer announcing whether she will attend an event in person until the day.</p> <p dir="ltr">Instead, it is assumed that her son Prince Charles, 73, will take her place as he has been doing for quite some time.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Terrifying final moments of crashed passenger jet emerge

<p dir="ltr">Less than a minute of flight data has stumped aviation experts who have been trying to retrace the last minutes of the China Eastern airlines MU5735 flight before it crashed.</p> <p dir="ltr">The passenger airplane departed from Kunming at 1pm local time (6pm NZDT) on Monday, with 123 passengers and nine crew onboard.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though it had an expected arrival time of 3.05pm in Guangzhou, the Boeing 737 plane crashed at approximately 2.20pm local time over Wuzhou city, nose diving into a hill and erupting in flames.</p> <p dir="ltr">After analysing the plane’s flight data taken from its computers and sensors, FlightRadar24 was able to show the plane stabilising during the stable auto-pilot section of the trip.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1d5c0fa6-7fff-7d49-b4d7-98c7f2b66247"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The flight path monitoring then abruptly drops, the vertical rate increases again, and the aircraft dramatically drops a second time - correlating with a reported altitude drop from 29,100 feet to 9075 feet in two minutes and 15 seconds, 10-20 seconds of stabilising, and another drop.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/graph.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="768" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: FlightRadar24</em></p> <p dir="ltr">No more data was recorded from 2.22pm onwards, when the plane was recorded as travelling at 3225 feet.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the drop and brief stabilisation has stumped experts, with NSW-based aviation expert telling <em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/china-eastern-flight-5735-aviation-experts-call-boeing-737800-flight-pattern-unusual/b080c7bd-563c-4114-940b-3ca9dd20714b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a></em> he found it hard to explain.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is unlikely, unless it was absolutely catastrophic like the wings falling off, for it to have fallen from the sky in the way that it did,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This has gone straight down. It’s likely when you go through the causes it has been hit in flight with military ordinance or there’s been a pilot intervention or collision.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Along with the plane’s blackbox, Boeing 777 pilot and aviation blogger Juan Brownes believes there is another piece of evidence that could explain the crash.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Browne claimed that the condition of the plane’s elevator trim jackscrew could help investigators understand how and why the plane was locked in a near-vertical nosedive, explaining that it could only happen if the aircraft’s elevator was locked in a specific position.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There’s really only one thing that can get the aircraft in that vertical descent and keep it there, and that is the elevator or the stabiliser trim,” he told the <em><a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3171336/china-eastern-airlines-flight-mu5735-air-safety-experts-study-video-and?module=lead_hero_story&amp;pgtype=homepage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South China Morning Post</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c9c65c5e-7fff-9ddc-e9fc-d0fb5cac683d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“If you can find where the nut on the jackscrew was located, you can get an idea of what the trim state of the aircraft was on impact.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/crash-event.png" alt="" width="979" height="919" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: FlightRadar24 (<a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/plane-carrying-133-crashes-in-china-casualties-unknown/news-story/283d107abceae4c132f821d15bf060a3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>)</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Another aviation expert claimed the pilots would have been powerless to rescue the plane as it plummeted from the sky, explaining that the dramatic drop in altitude would have rendered the passengers and crew unconscious.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, flight commentator Sally Gethin told <em><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/18014251/china-eastern-airlines-crash-jet-mountain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a></em> that flight data may have shown the “10 to 20 second spell where one or more of the pilots regained consciousness and tried to save the plane”.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also said it was “too soon to speculate” on whether the crash could have been caused by a safety issue.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nevertheless, China Eastern Airlines has grounded their fleet of Boeing 737’s, with Ms Gethin suggesting they could be concerned “about the safety of that aircraft”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other experts have said the crash shouldn’t have occurred when it did, as the autopilot stage is the point when accidents are least likely to occur, and that the Boeing 737 was one of the safest planes ever made.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The 737 NG has been in operation for 25 years and has an excellent safety record,” the director of aviation consultancy firm Cirium told Bloomberg.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m not going to speculate on what happened but if the FlightRadar24 logs are accurate, something seems to have happened abruptly and the plane nose dived from cruising altitude.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Graphic footage of the aftermath of the crash has since emerged online, including <a href="https://twitter.com/TheInsiderPaper/status/1505824981950816259" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this clip</a> from Insider Paper on Twitter.</p> <p dir="ltr">State broadcaster China Central Television reported that rescue teams were dispatched to the scene of the crash, while one local villager told a news site the plane had “completely fallen apart”.</p> <p dir="ltr">No survivors have been found as of yet.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-dec1c5d3-7fff-b9cb-2d6d-7f50c103c66d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: news.com.au</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Meet the teen tracking Russian billionaires’ jets

<p dir="ltr">A 19-year-old who shot to fame for tracking billionaire Elon Musk’s private jet has taken on a <a href="https://happymag.tv/elon-musk-jet-tracker-russian-aircraft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new target</a>: the aircrafts belonging to Russian billionaires.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jack Sweeney first garnered attention after creating a Twitter account that tracked and updated the world about the movement’s of Musk’s jet.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d9c397e4-7fff-f046-554d-8756a6158040"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Now, as Russian billionaires attempt to move their yachts and aircrafts out of Russia to prevent them from being confiscated thanks to widespread sanctions, Sweeney started a new account exposing their movements.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Roman Abramovich's Jet LX-RAY Landed in Ankara, Ankara Province, TR. Apx. flt. time 35 Mins. <a href="https://t.co/8mBVcRf47Q">pic.twitter.com/8mBVcRf47Q</a></p> <p>— Russian Oligarch Jets (@RUOligarchJets) <a href="https://twitter.com/RUOligarchJets/status/1498964543564922882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">A new Twitter account, called Russian Oligarch Jets, appeared on February 28 and began posting automatic updates about the take-offs and landings of various Russian jets.</p> <p dir="ltr">On March 3, the account shared a list of the oligarchs it is tracking and their planes.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3fcdaba4-7fff-1865-e4aa-e8f9626c291b">The list includes several belonging to Roman Abrahamovich - a confidant of President Vladimir Putin - and Alisher Usmanov, who has been blacklisted and has his $800 million yacht <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/luxury/russian-oligarch-alisher-usmanov-yacht-seized-germany" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confiscated</a> by German authorities.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The latest list is below. Trying to stay the most accurate, red removed green added. <a href="https://t.co/WjZV2J9Tib">pic.twitter.com/WjZV2J9Tib</a></p> <p>— Russian Oligarch Jets (@RUOligarchJets) <a href="https://twitter.com/RUOligarchJets/status/1499088188463202306?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">When he was still tracking Musk’s jet, Sweeney was offered $5,000 by the tech founder to stop.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8269dd3d-7fff-40a1-30ec-7f4a0efbe011"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">However, Sweeney said the sum wouldn’t be enough to replace “the enjoyment factor” and instead asked for an internship.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">This account has every right to post jet whereabouts, ADS-B data is public, every aircraft in the world is required to have a transponder, Even AF1 (<a href="https://twitter.com/AirForceTrack?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AirForceTrack</a>) Twitter policy states data found on other sites is allowed to be shared here as well. <a href="https://t.co/Wol8O1DRiq">pic.twitter.com/Wol8O1DRiq</a></p> <p>— Elon Musk's Jet (@ElonJet) <a href="https://twitter.com/ElonJet/status/1483587836053909504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">With Musk seeming to disapprove of the counter-offer, Sweeney was soon offered a job with Stratos Jet Charters.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sweeney runs several other accounts that post automatic updates about various aircraft, including <a href="https://twitter.com/PutinJet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russian VIP jets</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/weatherplanes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">weather planes</a>, and VIP jets belonging to the <a href="https://twitter.com/USAirForceVIP" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US Air Force</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/CelebJets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">celebrities</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c686f9c1-7fff-61aa-3e2f-ccf2c0792aeb"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @jxck.sweeney (Instagram)</em></p>

Technology

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How does a jet engine work?

<div> <div class="copy"> <p>Modern aviation owes its success to the jet engine. The technology was originally developed in the late 1930s and early 1940s for military use in <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II" target="_blank">World War Two</a>, but it has since powered the passenger aircraft revolution.</p> <p>There are many different variations on the jet engine, but the one most commonly used in passenger planes is called a turbofan (because it contains a turbine and a fan). The description below is about turbofans in particular, but much of it applies more generally.</p> <h2>So how does a jet engine work?</h2> <p>At the simplest level the way a jet engine works can be reduced to just four words: suck, squeeze, bang, blow. Let’s break down what that means.</p> <h3>Suck</h3> <p>When you look at a jet engine, the first thing you will generally notice is that the front is a giant many-bladed fan, inside what is known as the intake. The blades act in exactly the same way the blades on a propeller or desk fan work, sucking air in and shoving it out the other side at high speed. The fan in a jet engine does have a lot more blades than a desk fan, though: often more than 20. Think of the fan as a propeller on steroids.</p> <p>In most modern jet engines, the fan alone can generate up to 90% of the thrust, or ‘pushing power’ of the engine. To find out where the other 10% comes from, we must continue to follow the air on its journey.</p> <h3>Squeeze</h3> <p>We are now leaving pre-jet engine technology behind. Once the fan sucks in the air, some of it is not just forced around the engine, but is funnelled to what is known as the compressor. Inside, air is pushed along by many spinning disks loaded with small blades along a tube that gets smaller and smaller. This quickly squeezes the air, making it much denser, hotter and more explosive when fuel is added.</p> <h3>Bang</h3> <p>For the pyromaniacs out there, there is where the fun begins. Fuel is added to the compressed air, creating a highly volatile mix requiring a simple spark to burn. This is what happens in the combustion chamber, where the fuel/air mix is sprayed and ignited, rapidly expanding the air and generating the rest of the thrust of the engine.</p> <h3>Blow</h3> <p>The rapid expansion of the air during combustion generates a massive amount of pressure that needs to find a way out.  The way out of a jet engine is at the end of another tube full of spinning disks bristling with blades that are spun by the force of the expanding gas. This part is known as the turbine. Once at the end of the turbine, the gases leave the engine at high speed, exerting a force on the engine in the opposite direction. (In accord with Newton’s third law: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.)</p> <p>The ingenious part of the modern jet engine is that the intake fan, compressor, combustion chamber and turbine are linked by a single shaft running along the inside of the engine. So when the expanding gases spin the turbine at the back, it helps spin the fan at the front, which keeps the process going and generates more thrust.</p> <em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/how-does-a-jet-engine-work/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Jake Port. </em></p> </div> </div>

Technology

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British Airways introduces gender neutral greetings

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">British Airways are adopting new tactics to make their journeys more inclusive to all travellers. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The UK airline giant is joining a growing list of travel companies that are implementing more gender-neutral language, by ditching the traditional "ladies and gentlemen" greeting.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the move falls in line with an industry-wide global trend, the decision is also due to a change in the airline’s clientele, with the carrier reporting more children onboard since COVID-19 restrictions have been lessened. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to the </span><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/10/09/hello-passengers-inclusive-welcome-announcement/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Telegraph</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the new policies would adhere to changing social norms, as well as make younger customers feel more included. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The airline is just one of many to make the important change. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Japan Airlines was one of the first major carriers to ditch the traditional “ladies and gentlemen” titles for inflight announcements back in 2020. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">German carrier Lufthansa also changed their language to a more inclusive tone in July, as they pledged their commitment to diversity. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Qantas has also made strides towards inclusivity in 2018, as they changed the use of “mother and father” to “parents” on all flights to include parents of different sexualities. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the time, the airline introduced a new staff booklet highlighting language geared towards the</span> <a href="https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-releases-video-to-celebrate-the-spirit-of-australia/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Spirit of Inclusion"</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">which advised against using language that could be deemed offensive to the LGBTQ+ community. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: Shutterstock</span></em></p>

Travel Tips

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"I want to get out": Panic as man tries to open door mid-flight

<p>A man who was suffering from a panic attack was restrained by fellow passengers after attempting to open the door of the plane mid-flight.</p> <p>Without warning, an agitated man tried pulling on the lever on the door at the back of the plane screaming “I want to get out!” in broken English.</p> <p>It was here that his fellow passengers intervened, but it wasn’t until half a dozen air stewards rushed down the aisle with one carrying handcuffs that the passengers felt safe.</p> <p>Ian McNally, who first spotted what was happening, was shaken up by the incident, but praised the efforts of another passenger.</p> <p>“I was mightily relieved when I saw him rushing to help,” he added.</p> <p>Another witness who did not want to be named was frozen in panic, according to <em><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/dec/03/man-restrained-after-trying-to-open-door-of-ba-aircraft-in-midair?CMP=aff_1432&amp;utm_content=The+Independent&amp;awc=5795_1575396722_23a2856c3503f3524c8a7f4b83339901">The Guardian</a></em>.</p> <p>“I thought that was it,” he said. “Everyone who intervened were heroes.”</p> <p>Passenger Dean Whyte, who is a shocking 2 metres tall and a boxer, also intervened with the anxious man, telling him to “calm down”.</p> <p>“It was like something out of a movie. When I got there, he was shouting ‘I want to get out’ in broken English.</p> <p>“I managed to grab him and was preparing to slam him hard if necessary but myself and the steward could see he wasn’t quite right in the head, so I held him and tried to calm him down. Eventually it worked.”</p> <p>Whyte later took a screenshot of the article from <em>The Guardian</em> and said that he was just “happy I was there to help”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Just Happy I Was There To Help<a href="https://t.co/613bYU1ZRi">https://t.co/613bYU1ZRi</a> <a href="https://t.co/TlrtXY7RRm">pic.twitter.com/TlrtXY7RRm</a></p> — Dean Whyte (@DeanWhyte8) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeanWhyte8/status/1201791740409241600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>A British Airways flight attendant said that they had “never seen anything like that before”.</p> <p> </p>

Travel Trouble

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Natural therapies for jet lag

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jet lag occurs when our body clock ‘lags’ behind (or in front) of local time. Symptoms of jet lag include; fatigue, sleepiness during the day, trouble concentrating, sluggishness, clumsiness and generally feeling less than fabulous. Jet lag is made worse by travel fatigue. Sitting down for hours in small seats, squished side-by-side like sardines in a can, our muscles are bound to cramp and tire. Even sardines get to lie down.</span></p> <p><strong>Reducing Jet lag</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The trick is you set your watch to the local time of your destination. This means that you try to sleep when it is night-time at your destination, and eat at your destination’s meal times. Speaking of eating, it is best to eat lightly, so you don’t feel like a stuffed trout – salads and fruit, instead of sugar and starch. The air circulating in planes is as dry as a chip and dehydration adds to jet lag, also triggering sinusitis, headaches and blotchy skin. Aim to drink one glass of water an hour while on the plane. And before you take-off make sure you are fully hydrated (this does not mean ‘tanked’) for the 24 hours prior to take off, drinking at least 2 litres of water.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The downside to drinking all this water is the need to use the bathroom frequently, which can be inconvenient when you are in the middle seat. However, the trip to the loo can double as ‘exercise’. We need to exercise to prevent swelling of the ankles and legs, and to prevent deep vein thrombosis, a potentially fatal condition that comes from being cramped in a confined space for hours. Why not make the exercise fun? If you were good at hurdles at school, use the food carts in the aisles to practice your jumping skills – the hosties won’t mind a bit. More sedate exercise involves circling your feet and ankles, hands and wrists, lifting each thigh for twenty seconds, while pulling in your tummy. Looks odd, but works a treat.</span></p> <p><strong>Other tips:</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arnica, a homoeopathic remedy, is terrific for jet lag. Take a dose every couple of hours of the flight, and for a day after you arrive.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you are an anxious flyer, take a dose of Rescue Remedy before and during the flight. Kava is also excellent for creating calm.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Take Ginseng and a B complex in the ‘morning’ to give you energy and Valerian and Passionflower at ‘night’ to help you sleep.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The herb Vitex agnus castus (Chaste tree) is thought to improve melatonin levels. Melatonin is the hormone that helps regulate our circadian rhythm. Take a dose with each meal.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">When you arrive, if it is night-time try to sleep or do relaxing things like a hot bath with lavender oil. If it is day-time spend some time outside in the sunshine to adapt to the new time zone.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you have the time, try to break up your journey with overnight stops. This will greatly reduce jet lag and your bank balance.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Travel first class. French champagne is well known to prevent jet lag and travel fatigue. When sleepy, snuggle in between those crisp white sheets and remember your earplugs to help to reduce the bleating sounds from cattle class.</span></li> </ul> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Written by Mim Beim. Republished with permission of </span><a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/health/natural-therapies-for-jet-lag.aspx"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wyza.com.au.</span></a></em></p>

Travel Tips

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Piers Morgan slams Prince Harry as “hypocrite” over private jet use

<p><span>Piers Morgan has slammed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as “hypocrites” after the prince defended their use of private jets.</span></p> <p><span>The prince and his wife Meghan have faced criticism after media reports emerged that they <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49567157">flew privately four times in 11 days this summer</a>.</span></p> <p><span>Prince Harry said “we can all do better” with sustainable travel at a launch of eco-tourism project in Amsterdam on Tuesday.</span></p> <p><span>“I came here by commercial. I spend 99 per cent of my life travelling the world by commercial,” he said.</span></p> <p><span>“Occasionally there needs to be an opportunity based on a unique circumstance to ensure that my family are safe – it’s generally as simple as that.”</span></p> <p><span>Morgan accused the prince of making false statements to defend his travel practices, saying that he has flown on private jets for the majority of his known trips since his wedding to Meghan in May 2018. </span></p> <p><span>“When he was pressed to explain why he uses fuel-guzzling private jets all the time if he cares so much about the environment, Harry point blank lied,” Morgan wrote on his <em><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7426913/Hypocrite-Harry-needs-high-horse-stop-preaching-say-not-do.html">Daily Mail</a> </em>column. </span></p> <p><span>Morgan also said the prince’s safety concerns are “completely bogus” as he noted how Prince William and the late Princess Diana travelled with commercial airlines. </span></p> <p><span>“Did you really accept a free ride on Elton John’s private plane to the South of France last month because you were worried about the safety of your family, or because you just fancied a more luxurious mode of travel?” Morgan wrote.</span></p> <p><span>The TV host argued that the Duke is “fast becoming Hypocrite Harry”.</span></p> <p><span>He wrote, “They want to be the first ‘woke’ royals – using their status as a platform to regularly dictate to us how we should live our lives, whether it’s demanding we stop using social media so much or instructing us to curb our flying – as they themselves bombard us with endless social media posts, and use private jets like taxis.”</span></p> <p><span>Speaking on <em><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/9858855/piers-morgan-slams-meghan-markle-prince-harry-defiant-rant/">Good Morning Britain</a> </em>Wednesday morning, Morgan said of the Sussexes: “Nobody wants to hate these two, but they are making themselves look like rank hypocrites and you can’t as a Royal do that.”</span></p> <p><span>A <a href="https://www.royal.uk/sites/default/files/media/final_sovereign_grant_for_website.pdf">sovereign grant report</a> published in June showed that the royal’s household carbon emissions almost doubled last year due to business travel.</span></p>

Travel Trouble

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They’re just like us! Cambridge family’s humble decision amid private jet furore

<p>Prince William and Duchess Kate have arrived in Scotland to visit the Queen at her Balmoral holiday home. </p> <p>However, it is not their decision to visit Her Majesty that has made headlines around the world - but instead their choice of transportation. </p> <p>The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with their three children, Prince George, 6, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 16 months, travelled home with the flew budget airline<span> </span>FlyBe. </p> <p>The royal family was spotted landing at Aberdeen Airport from Norwich Airport, near their home of Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate - on a flight that would have cost them AU$139 (NZ: $147) per person on the flight. </p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1ehwQBHefl/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1ehwQBHefl/" target="_blank">A post shared by Eugenia Garavani (@eugeniagaravani)</a> on Aug 22, 2019 at 11:52am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The news comes amidst a scandal embroiling their family, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have copped a heap of criticism for reportedly flying by private jet to Nice, France to visit singer, Elton John. The flight alone is said to have costed approximately AU$36,000 (NZD$38,000). </p> <p>Media outlets and critical members of the public took turns lambasting the new royal parents for their four flights on private jets in two weeks, in the wake of Prince Harry’s recent climate change comments. </p> <p>The retaliation involved a number of high profile figures coming to the defense of the royal’s including Elton John, Ellen DeGeneres and Pink. </p> <p>John and a close friend both said Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan both flew private for security purposes - a claim which may not hold up to some considering the second and third-in-line-to-the-throne were photographed doing the opposite. </p> <p>However,<span> </span>ITV’s<span> </span>royal editor, Chris Ship suggests the photos of the Cambridge family just confirms all the more that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a wise decision. </p> <p>"The Royals are always at risk of having their privacy invaded by camera phones in the hands of other passengers," Ship wrote about the pictures taken by those on-board.</p> <p>"A smarter interpretation might be this: these images - which first found their way onto the Mail Online - support Harry and Meghan's decision to accept offers of private jets to protect the privacy they so crave when they're not on duty."</p>

International Travel

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One of the world's biggest airlines collapses

<p>India’s Jet Airways has finally collapsed after months of speculation.</p> <p>The once iconic airline has been struggling for months to stay in business and the announcement follows weeks of questions over the fate of the airline.</p> <p>Jet Airways has failed to secure emergency funding from India’s banks and is suspending all flights.</p> <p>The collapse of Jet Airways is the biggest in India since the failure of Kingfisher Airlines back in 2012.</p> <p>The blow is massive to the Indian aviation industry, as demand soars for services. However, airlines are struggling to keep the prices low.</p> <p>Jet Airways explained in a statement their sadness.</p> <p>"This has been a very difficult decision but without interim funding, the airline is simply unable to conduct flight operations," Jet Airways said in statement.</p> <p>"Above all, the airline would like to express its sincere gratitude to all its employees and stakeholders that have stood by the company in these trying times."</p> <p>The airline was informed late on Tuesday by a range of lenders that are led by the government-run State Bank of India that the airline would not be receiving more funds.</p> <p>Passengers are being informed about the closure of the airline via email and text messages and are able to claim a refund.</p> <p>The airline’s operations had shrunk to 40 flights on 5 aircraft on Tuesday, before the closure was announced.</p> <p>However, the banks are continuing to search for a private investor to buy 75 per cent of the airline. The deadline for bids is May 10th.</p>

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British Airways unveils VERY funny safety video – how many famous faces do you know?

<p>In the battle of the airline safety videos, British Airways has delivered a killer blow. </p> <p>Last year, the British airline took direct aim at New Zealand's national carrier, saying "Hey, Air New Zealand, you're not the only one with a star-studded safety video". </p> <p>Featuring Sir Ian McKellan, Thandie Newton, Gordon Ramsay and Rowan Atkinson reprising his role as Mr Bean, the video was full of classic British dry humour and clocked up almost 25 million views. </p> <p>While adopting a similar format, the sequel is arguably even more hilarious. </p> <p>Introducing the pre-flight video, its "director", comedian Asim Chaudhry (aka Chabuddy G), says British A-listers were begging for parts. </p> <p>"Chabuddy, please let us be part of the sequel," he said, mimicking them in a high wine.</p> <p>"It's pathetic really. And sure, they've got their Oscars, they've got their Baftas - but what they really want is a Sista - the Society of In-flight Safety Training Awards. They all want to get their hands on the golden wings... I quite fancy some wings actually. Can someone go chicken shop?"</p> <p>The likes of Sir Michael Caine, Olivia Colman, Naomie Harris, David Walliams and Joanna Lumley are seen "auditioning" in humorous sketches, while simultaneously delivering those essential safety messages. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FQ9Xpzi4qkU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>The hapless director mistakes three-time Bafta winner Colman, star of <em>The Crown</em> and <em>Broadchurch</em>, for a tea lady and unwittingly offends Lumley.  </p> <p>The <em>Absolutely Fabulous</em> star is required to tell passengers to remove their high heels because they could rip the emergency slide before delivering the painfully cheesy line "Don't worry, you'll all still look absolutely fabulous without them".</p> <p>Giving Chabuddy, who "directs" each sketch, a withering look, Lumley asks whether the line is "strictly necessary". </p> <p>"Yeah," Chabuddy replies. "Otherwise people won't know who you are."</p> <p>But it's not all about giving passengers a pre-flight laugh. Besides delivering the safety messages, the video promotes Flying Start, the global charity partnership between British Airways and Comic Relief which has supported over half a million children in the UK and some of the world's poorest communities since its 2010 launch. </p> <p>Unlike Air New Zealand's sometimes OTT videos (the one launched last July featured skiing down a pavlova, dipping a marshmallow in a boiling mud pit and a giant kea), the British video, which will roll out from this July, keeps things simple. </p> <p>No heavily-edited "fantastical" landscapes a la Air New Zealand, just the all-important safety information delivered with a generous helping of good humour.  </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TEsHqdA9dV0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>Air New Zealand has become increasingly intent on cramming its own safety videos with "celebrities", moving on from local actors and All Blacks to American stars Adrian Grenier, Katie Holmes and Cuba Gooding Jr. </p> <p>While intended to be a light-hearted take on what makes New Zealand unique, they have become increasingly bizarre. In trying too hard to surpass other airlines' videos, or their own, they've lost their sense of humour - to this viewer at least. </p> <p>Commenting on the latest video, which shows Grenier on a tour of Antarctica, in a <em>Stuff</em> article earlier this year, Darren Bevan says: "With its collection of bad dad jokes, goofy American tourist vibe and degree of Hollywood privilege, it simply seems to me like the bottom of the barrel being scraped."</p> <p>But you be the judge. Let us know what you think of the British Airways video, or Air New Zealand's, in the comments below. </p> <p><em>Written by Lorna Thornber. Republish with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz.</span></strong></a></em></p>

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