5 strategies for beating jet lag

by Jessica Festa on

When traveling, jet lag can really put a damper on plans. Instead of struggling to make it through the day and spending sleepless nights tossing and turning in your hotel room, try these five strategies that help to beat jet lag.

Practice before you leave

Before you leave for your trip, begin resetting your biological clock for the time zone you will soon be entering. About three days before your are set to fly, shift your bedtime by and hour or two in the appropriate direction. If you do this, it will be a lot easier to adjust once you land.Don’t sleep until bedtime

This is the most important rule when it comes to battling jet lag. Until it is nighttime in the city you are in, do not lay down. Go for walks, take in some sights, try out a new restaurant…anything but sleep. On the other hand, do not let your body stay up all night if it is not tired. You need to work to get yourself adjusted to the time difference.

Take care on yourself during the flight

There are many things travelers should be doing while on an airplane to keep themselves healthy. Drink lots of water and limit alcohol so that you stay hydrated and make sure you get up to stretch your legs frequently to avoid blood clots. While international flights often offer free beer and wine, skip it and opt for good old H2O. Your body will thank you when you are not dozing off during your afternoon bus tour.

Know your body

There are a few things to consider when booking your flight. Most importantly, how well do you sleep on planes? If you are not likely to get shut-eye during your flight, book your itinerary so that you land during the evening of your destination and can go right to sleep. However, if you know you’ll be able to sleep soundly in the air, it is wise to land at your destination during the day so you will be energized and ready to explore.

Think positive

Remember, you are in a new city and there is a lot to do. Think positive and stay excited about learning about a new culture, trying new foods, and taking great photographs. Sign up for tours that you find exciting and book excursions that will keep you active while quenching your curiosity.

Video of the Day: Demystifying airplane bathrooms

by Mike Barish on

“The toilet is interesting. It’s something that fascinates a lot of people.” There’s not much more that we can add to that. Well, we certainly do appreciate the reminder that you can’t get sucked into the toilet. Though, for accuracy, they probably should have explained that you will probably find that the entire bathroom is oddly wet…everywhere…from indeterminate liquids.

First domestic 787 begins construction

by Grant Martin on

Production and delivery of the 787 jumbo jet is starting to shift into high gear, and as ANA shows off its new Japanese aircraft the focus is now turning to the domestic carriers. Delivery of the new Boeing aircraft to its first domestic carrier is slated for the merged Continental/United airlines — it was Continental’s order (in 2004!) before the two giants joined forces.

Planned for delivery in the beginning of next year, the 787 is scheduled to begin service between Auckland, NZ and Houston, Texas.

In its current state, the aircraft is just having its wings attached at the Boeing plant in Washington. If you look closely, you can see that the fuselage is in multiple pieces and the tail isn’t even in sight. Either way, that fact that the airplane is on the production line is exciting news — we look forward to seeing the inside.

VIDEO: Curb Your Enthusiasm coachy vs. first class

by Meg Nesterov on

On this week’s episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David returned to New York, home of Seinfeld. On the plane, he got into an argument with a coach passenger on using the bathroom in different classes. Larry claims to still be “coachy” even when flying first class. This isn’t the first time Larry David has tackled the class issue, here’s a classic scene of Elaine suffering in coach on Seinfeld, and here’s why you can’t just move up to an empty seat up front.

Do you consider yourself first class or coachy? What other sitcoms have had great airplane scenes?

Interior photos of the ANA Boeing 787 released

by Grant Martin on

The airline nerdery have been waiting with baited breath for clues about how the interiors of the new Boeing 787 will be designed. Sure, we’ve seen mockups at the Paris Air Show and renderings here and there, but a full, comprehensive tour and photo shoot hadn’t really been completed.

With All Nippon Airways receiving their first equipment this year, however, it was only a matter of time before photos began to circulate. Fortunately, we just got a dispatch from our old friend The Airline Reporter in which several great new photos show facets of the airplane.

Most notably, you can see the new fancy windows that are both larger than the current state of the art and that dim at the push of a button. There’s also a window in the lavatory and what appears to be the next generation in mood lighting.

You can check out the full spectrum of photos at David’s website, Airlinereporter.com. For a few more photos, read on.