Jet Lag

independenttraveler.com

A comprehensive guide to jet lag, prevention tips and jet lag remedies.

Jet lag is a physical reaction to a rapid change in time zones. It affects most travelers, including seasoned fliers like flight attendants and pilots. Common symptoms include disorientation, irritability, fatigue, swollen limbs and eyes, headaches, cold-like symptoms, and irregular bowels.

It doesn't help that long-haul flying is so debilitating. Dehydration, unfamiliar foods, cramped spaces, recycled air, lack of sleep, uncomfortable clothes, continual low-level noise and connections that disrupt sleep all add to the misery of jet lag, and can even make you feel jet lagged when you're just a little beat up.

Flying from, say, New York City to Santiago won't produce jet lag in the true sense because both cities are in the same time zone -- but the effects of the long flight might feel quite a bit like classic jet lag. In these cases, you're just tired from the flight, and a good night's sleep and perhaps some exercise will set things right.

On long flights -- especially red-eye flights -- you can lose several hours of sleep time, which can set you back considerably even without the jarring time change. If you live by a regular schedule (up at 7 a.m., in bed by 10 p.m. every night), watch out. Jet lag hits those with rigid body clocks the hardest. For parents, be sure to bring along books and toys your child can play with on his or her own, in case the jet lag hits you differently than it does your little ones.

A general rule of thumb to keep in mind before any long trip is the 1:1 ratio: allow yourself one day to recover for every hour of time difference that you experience. So for Californians visiting the Big Apple, give yourself at least three days to fully adjust to the new time zone.


Before You Go

Treat your body well before you fly. Exercise, sleep well, stay hydrated and stay sober. The worst thing you can do is get on a long-haul flight with a hangover.

Some travelers like to exercise before they go to the airport. (This can actually help you sleep better on the plane.) Once you're at the airport, avoid the escalators and moving sidewalks. Instead, walk and take the stairs on the way to your check-in area and gate connections. You can even get a workout in at some airports; see Pump Up Your Layover for tips.

Adjust your habits before you leave. If you are traveling from the East to the West Coast of the U.S., you're facing a three-hour time change and you should try to adjust your internal clock. Three or four days before you leave, start to stay up a little later than usual, and sleep in a little longer. That way, if you become accustomed to falling asleep at 1 a.m. and waking up at 9 a.m. on the East Coast, it will be the same as falling asleep at 10 p.m. and waking up at 6 a.m. on the West Coast. Traveling west to east, do the opposite: get up and go to bed earlier.

Wearing two watches, one set to the current time, and one to the time at your destination, can help you prepare yourself mentally for the coming time change. Many business travelers also use this tactic to stay in touch with what's happening back at the office.


During the Flight

Perhaps the most effective way to combat jet lag while in flight is to treat your body well. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated fluids. Don't be afraid to ask your flight attendant for extra water.

Get up out of your seat at regular intervals to walk and stretch. You can also do exercises like toe raises, isometric exercises, stomach crunches and shoulder shrugs right in your seat. This keeps your blood flowing and prevents it from pooling at your extremities, a common phenomenon in pressurized cabins.

Other tips: Get up to wash your face, brush your teeth or just stand for several minutes. Wear loose-fitting clothing that breathes. Bring a neck pillow, eye mask, ear plugs or noise-canceling headphones -- these can be invaluable on red-eye flights. Also, avoid any snug footwear (high heels or wingtips); it is quite possible that your feet will swell in transit, making your post-flight trek to baggage claim a nightmare.

Medications and Vitamins

Melatonin is a chemical in the body that helps regulate sleep cycles. It can be taken in pill form, and many travelers swear by it for fighting jet lag. However, as popular as melatonin is, it's also controversial. Studies have indicated that incorrect melatonin usage can make you feel even more fatigued, so be sure to read all instructions and consult your physician before taking the product.

One widely available homeopathic remedy is the aptly named No-Jet-Lag. The company claims the chewable tablets address all jet lag symptoms, and offers testimonials from flight attendants and other frequent fliers. A bag of dried cherries is another natural remedy that some travelers use, as these are a good source of melatonin.

Some travelers use sleeping pills, antihistamines and motion sickness pills to induce sleep on planes and at hotels after arrival. While they work for some, others are left feeling miserably groggy. For more information, see Medications for Travel, and consult your doctor before taking any medication.

If all else fails, try an alternate therapy. Light therapy has become a popular treatment for jet lag. At its heart, jet lag means you're out of step with the rising and setting of the sun, so exposing yourself to light at the appropriate time can theoretically help you align your body with your new time zone. Unfortunately, the jury's still out on the effectiveness of this. The debate centers on precisely what kind of light is best -- natural, artificial, bright or dim. Some researchers and enthusiasts recommend simply spending 15 to 20 minutes in direct sunlight without sunglasses as soon as possible after landing.


Dietary Tactics

The so-called "jet lag diet," an alternation of feasting and fasting for three days leading up to a long-haul flight, was very popular a few years back. The military tested the diet and concluded, basically, that it is bunk. Nonetheless, Ronald and Nancy Reagan used it during their White House days, and some travelers still do. If you'd like to try it out for yourself, check out the diet regimen.

Restrict your diet to foods that are easily digested, like those that are relatively high in fiber but not too rich. If you're trying to stay awake in order to get your body in step with the local time zone, caffeine can be useful -- but don't go overboard. While it might seem tempting to guzzle several cups of coffee when your eyelids begin to droop, you could end up wide awake at 1 a.m. Be sure to implement all dietary changes in moderation.

There's an App for That

Several smartphone apps have been developed to help travelers fight jet lag. Enter your flight details into JetLag Genie or Jet Lag App, and they'll create a suggested schedule of when to sleep, eat and/or take melatonin to prepare for the time change. Both apps are currently only available for iPhones.

Avoiding the Airplane Cold

independenttraveler.com

Many travelers would swear that they get sick after every trip or vacation. They wonder if it was the food, the water, the pina coladas -- or, like me, the airplane ride. While I don't think you can count out the pina coladas (or that burrito you bought on the street), it turns out you could be right about airplanes.

Airline carriers are also formidable carriers of the common cold. A recent study says that colds may be more than 100 times more likely to be transmitted on a plane than during normal daily life on the ground, according to the Journal of Environmental Health Research.

Why this is the case isn't perfectly clear, but the publishers of the study investigate a panoply of possible causes, including close quarters, shared air and, as I will explain, the most likely culprit: extremely low cabin humidity.

On to the Numbers

The study found that "When the scenarios of 6 days, 24 hours or 5 hours were taken as the relevant flight exposure times to colds, passenger transmission rates for colds of 5, 23 and 113 times the normal daily ground level transmission rate were obtained." (Ominously, transmission rates for tuberculosis were also found to be dramatically increased as well.)

Thus, the common perception that flying causes colds seems to be based in fact -- maybe even 113 times over.

The Culprit: Low Cabin Humidity

The study runs through several potential sources of higher transmission, but settles primarily on a single likely cause: extremely low cabin humidity caused by low humidity at high elevations. (A review of the study reveals the conclusion that aircraft that actively recirculated air actually showed slightly lower transmission rates than those that did not.)

Most commercial airlines fly in an elevation range of 30,000 to 35,000 feet, where humidity typically runs at 10 percent or lower. At very low levels of humidity, the "natural defense system" of mucus in our noses and throats dries up and is crippled, creating a much more tolerant environment for germs to infect us.

This protective system, called the Mucociliary Clearance System, is your first line of defense against harmful germs and bacteria. To wit, if the common cold is pounced on by a sufficiently moist and percolating proboscis and throttled by your throat, you remain uninfected. Shut down those systems, and you'll be suffering within days.

Tips to Avoid the Airline Carrier Cold

1. Stay hydrated. It turns out that drinking plenty of water will not only counter the overall dehydrating effects of air travel, which can lead to headaches, stomach problems, cramps, fatigue and more, but can actually fortify your preemptive natural immune mechanisms to function considerably better. Of course, this is the case in normal daily life -- when exercising, during prolonged sun exposure, etc. Even caffeine and alcohol consumption can dry you out. However, in an airplane, where your nose and throat are on the front lines of the war with exceedingly dry air, these are the first places to suffer.

Sipping water or some other fluid regularly throughout the flight may be more effective than drinking a lot of water at one time before or during the flight; this will keep your protective system from long dry spells. (And we do mean to single out water here -- as noted above, alcohol and caffeinated drinks such as coffee or sodas can actually dehydrate you.)

Nasal mists have been found to be very effective in keeping this system working in your nose. Additionally, hot drinks are a good way to keep your protective mucous membranes working -- first, to assist in keeping you generally hydrated; second, by triggering the system into gear; and third, by directly providing moisture in the form of steam. Note that this is not a treatment per se. Rather, it just keeps your defenses strong and functioning.

2. Keep your hands clean. Your hands are the most consistent point of first contact with cold, flu and other germs. It is a direct line from armrest/ handshake/seat back to fingers to fork to mouth to full-blown fever a few days later. Scientists report that the viruses that cause colds and flu can survive for hours on your skin or on objects such as armrests, TV remote control handsets, tray tables and other similar surfaces. However, the simple act of washing your hands with hot water and soap is a formidable rampart against this transfer of harmful microorganisms.

Hand washing is not just for restaurant workers and travelers; health professionals and researchers working to combat communicable diseases in many developing countries are waging a fierce campaign to encourage residents to adopt this simple practice into their daily routines. If possible, wash your hands before any in-flight meals, and after your flight as well.

Of course, airplane cabins are tight places; getting out of your seat to wash up before and after every snack time can be almost impossible, as the flight attendants command the aisles, your seatmates are trying to eat, tray tables are down cabin-wide, and no one involved really wants to have folks getting up and down and roaming around the cabin. (Even on the ground, the water in many locations can carry water-borne bacteria that may not agree with all Western constitutions.) In these cases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends alcohol-based products made specifically for washing hands.

3. Don't forget the dental hygiene. Just as keeping your hands clean can prevent transmission of germs, using a germ-killing mouthwash in-flight may add another layer of protection while simultaneously helping to keep your throat moist. Just make sure your mouthwash bottle is three ounces or smaller to comply with the latest carry-on rules for liquids and gels.


4. Take your vitamins. The rapid response effect of vitamins is unproven, but many travelers swear by them. Charles Westover, a retired VP of fleet management for a major shipping company, starts taking vitamins two days before flying. "I have no idea if it helps at all, but of the hundreds or thousands of flights I have taken, I rarely get colds," he said. "I just take a standard multivitamin, and it has never let me down." The NIH concurs, sort of, offering that no conclusive data has shown that large doses of vitamin C will prevent colds, although it may reduce the severity or duration of symptoms.

5. Wear a face mask. The NIH cites airborne germs as one of the top two sources of cold virus infection; some travelers have taken to wearing masks either to prevent infection, or when they themselves are already infected. Personally, I would not last more than a half-hour or so behind a hot mask, but this may be an effective prevention tactic nonetheless.

As the proverb goes, an ounce of prevention may be worth a pound of cure -- or perhaps 113 cures.

Alaska Airlines Cancels One Flight to Mazatlán

The airline sent a written notification that the Tuesday Los Angeles-Mazatlán flight is cancelled.

by Maureen Dietrich
10 Jan 15
mazmessenger.com


Alaska Airlines, which has been flying from Los Angeles, California to Mazatlán six times a week, notified the Atamsa secretary general that the airline is cancelling one of those flights.

Jesús Román Aguayo Hernández of Atamsa explained to media that the airline sent a written notification that the Tuesday Los Angeles-Mazatlán flight is cancelled. The airline will continue to fly on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The notification surprised him, said Aguayo Hernández, since the six day schedule was programmed until March 7.

The Alaska flight leaves Los Angeles at 1:45pm for Mazatlán. The Mazatlán-Los Angeles flight departs the city at 2:40pm.

The secretary general said he hopes the cancellation is temporary and will not affect those planning on visiting Mazatlán. At the moment flights are almost full and on the weekends often over-booked, he commented.

Although he was not advised of the reason for the cancellation, Aguayo Hernández did point out that Delta Airlines also flies from Los Angeles to Mazatlán.

(from Noroeste)

From Pat-Downs to Full Body Scanners: The TSA Firestorm

independenttraveler.com


Editor's Note: Since this story was published, the TSA announced that pilots and flight attendants in uniform will be exempt from going through the new full body scanners at the airport. They will still need to go through a metal detector and present two forms of photo ID. Pilots and flight attendants who are not in uniform or on official business will have to go through the same security procedures as all other travelers. These procedures are described below.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) certainly has a firestorm on its hands as the agency continues to roll out its full body scanning machines (which are now labeled with the bureaucratically neutral name Advanced Imaging Technology machines). The use of these scanners has precipitated extremely aggressive pat-downs for those travelers who choose not to go through the machines, whether for health or privacy reasons.

These past couple of weeks, it seems like it is almost every day that a traveler has another bruising encounter with the TSA. On November 6, John Tyner was kicked out of the San Diego airport for refusing both the full body scanner and a pat-down. Tyner's blog post and film of his experience have turned into a media sensation.

It's one thing when uber-privacy advocates, bloggers and even regular (if deservedly) recalcitrant travelers refuse to go through the scanners, filming their experience the whole way -- but it is another thing entirely when a growing number of professional pilots refuse to submit to the scans.

• First, ExpressJet/Continental Express pilot Michael Roberts refused to go through a scanner; he quickly became the poster man for the issue, and garnered considerable support from other pilots.
  
  
• Last week, Continental pilot Ann Poe refused to be subjected to the new pat-downs; Poe has an artificial hip that always trips the metal detectors, so she ould have to undergo a mandatory pat-down for every single flight she flies. With the pat-downs now much more invasive, she refused.
  
  
• In somewhat less dramatic but no less disconcerting fashion, author/pilot Patrick Smith of Salon's Ask the Pilot also refused to enter the scanning machines this month, and wrote about it here, the punch line being that there were no actual body scanning machines at the airport -- the agents seemed just to be practicing on Smith.

As red flags go, the refusal of the very people flying the planes to submit to the new security procedure is a pretty big one. That the TSA has a problem with pilots edges into the absurd -- you have to think that if a person who is driving a plane wants to take it down, he or she is going to figure out a way to do so. And with more than all due respect to the countless very professional TSA and other government security agents doing their jobs well and correctly, nearly every casual traveler has encountered agents who are not so professional in one way or another -- whether in their demeanor, comments, abuse of power or even just wearing a bad mood on their sleeves. So it's not hard to imagine not wanting to subject yourself to the whole thing every day just to be able to go do your job.

On the other hand, the flying public is reasonable in feeling that what is good for the goose is good for the gander: if the current system is good enough for us mere tax-paying citizen travelers, it should be good enough for pilots, and airport workers, and everyone, really. If the system were in fact safe and respectful of folks, the pilots wouldn't have a beef.

For the record, I have no problem with scanning machines (and have gone on record saying as much), as long as they do not pose a health problem -- which is still under debate, as I will show below. On a privacy basis, I really don't care if some security guard sees me quasi-naked; people see each other in various states of disrobe all the time, not only in hospitals and doctors' offices 24 hours a day, but in non-medical situations at the local pool, the gym and public restrooms. Trust me, I am no exhibitionist; I just couldn't really care less if one more person happens to see me sort of in my birthday suit, especially if the person in question is in a separate booth and can't actually associate my face with the body on the screen.

Currently, TSA has 385 imaging technology machines at 68 airports and plans to deploy approximately 500 units this year. TSA plans to purchase and deploy an additional 500 units in 2011. Unless pilot and traveler complaints really gain traction, these machines are not going away, so in hopes of cutting through the media noise and rising anger on the subject, I have tried to address most of the major issues below, with comments and clarifications from Sarah Horowitz of the Transportation Security Administration.

The Machines
The TSA currently uses two different scanning machines; the first uses a millimeter wave technology, which Horowitz of the TSA writes "bounces harmless electromagnetic waves off of the human body to create an image resembling a fuzzy photo negative."

The other uses backscatter X-ray technology: "Backscatter technology projects an ionizing X-ray beam over the body surface to produce an image that resembles a chalk-etching."

Radiation
Irrespective of your position on privacy issues, radiation risks are and should be of serious concern to everyone.

I asked the TSA about the risks, and received the following from Horowitz, which I reproduce here in full:

Imaging technology is safe for passengers, and the technology meets all national safety and health standards. Backscatter technology was evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). All results confirmed that the radiation doses for the individuals being screened, operators, and bystanders were well below the dose limits specified by the American National Standards Institute. Each full body scan with backscatter produces less than 10 microREM of emission, the equivalent to the exposure each person receives in about 2 minutes of airplane flight at altitude. The energy emitted by millimeter wave technology is thousands of times less than what is permitted for a cell phone.

Before TSA purchases technology, the technology is validated by manufacturers to ensure it meets national safety standards. TSA also conducts site acceptance testing of [Advanced Imaging Technology] to ensure individual AIT units meet safety standards. Once installed, TSA ensures the required manufacturer's preventive maintenance is performed by qualified personnel. Certified Health Physicists with the U.S. Army Public Health Command (Provisional) are performing additional radiation safety surveys and area dosimetry studies to ensure continued compliance with radiation safety standards.

Having extensively reviewed both scientific statements and utter rants about this issue, I would say that the jury is still out to some extent. For a look at some of the facts and concerns, which lack of space and my own lack of expertise will not permit me to address at length here, I suggest starting with the Wikipedia articles about the technologies, which will point you to a number of resources (with the standard caveat that Wikipedia is an open source encyclopedia, and is not necessarily vetted by experts).

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backscatter_X-ray#Health_effects
  
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millimeter_wave_scanner#Possible_health_effects

It does appear that the backscatter machines are more of a cause for concern, at least so far, so if you are really worried, you might ask what kind of machine is in use before you walk through. Note that some travelers have reported that TSA agents on site did not know which kind of machine was in use at their own security stations, so have been unable to answer the question.

Privacy: The Scanners


The privacy issue is proving to be a thicket of problems for the TSA, to the extent that the ACLU is involved. Concerns arise due both to the images displayed by the scanning machines and seen by TSA agents, and to the new aggressive pat-down procedures.

To address the scanned images, as I suggest elsewhere in this report, the scanner images do show travelers in a sort of quasi-naked state. The image at right is an example from one of the backscatter machines.

It is clear that specific body parts can be detected, if in a sort of "line drawing" rendering; the TSA describes these as a "fuzzy photo negative" for the millimeter wave machine, and resembling a "chalk etching" for the backscatter machine. Both types of machines do apply filters to attempt to enhance privacy; the millimeter wave machine blurs facial features, and the backscatter machine has a privacy filter applied to the entire body.

Editor's Note: Since the publication of this article, the TSA has changed the way images are captured so that threats are shown on a generic gray outline of a body. See Are the TSA's New Body Scans Less Embarrassing?

As for storing the images, Horowitz writes, "Imaging technology cannot store, export, print or transmit images. All images are deleted from the system after they are reviewed by the remotely located operator. All machines have zero storage capability because they are disabled by the vendor before they reach airports. No cameras, cellular telephones or any device capable of capturing an image is permitted in the resolution room." Also, it is my understanding that the images are deleted before the next passenger can be scanned.

The public's confidence that the images are being deleted are not helped by reports that a courthouse in Florida, which used extremely similar machines and made similar claims that nothing was being saved, was discovered earlier this year to have archived thousands of these images. The TSA says its machines are different, but many travelers remain skeptical.

Privacy: Pat-Downs
The new procedures now allow TSA agents doing pat-downs to use the front of their hands and to conduct what turn out in practice to be unarguably intimate searches of travelers' entire bodies. For some revealing video of how aggressive these pat-downs can be, see this video from a recent Today Show. As many have reported, agents really are touching folks' "private" parts.

Unfortunately, this pat-down is the only alternative to the full body scanner. If there is a scanner in your security lane and you prefer to opt out, you are in for a very aggressive pat-down. Herein lies the problem for many travelers -- potentially unsafe X-rays or a full groping are now part of the cost of taking a flight to attend a bat mitzvah or beach vacation these days.

Also, going through the full body scanner is no guarantee that you won't have to go through a pat-down as well. If any anomalies are detected during the scan, officers may take you aside for a pat-down; the same applies if you are selected for random screening.

Pat-downs are conducted by officers of your gender, and you have the right to request a private screening at any point. And for worried parents, Horowitz tells us, "After a thorough risk assessment and after hearing concerns from parents, TSA made the decision that a modified pat-down would be used for children 12 years old and under who require extra screening."

Editor's Note: In September 2011, the TSA announced further changes to the screening procedure for children 12 or younger. They will no longer have to remove their shoes before going through the checkpoint, and if the metal detector or full body scanner detects any anomalies, the child may be able to go through the machine again in lieu of a pat-down. The screener may also choose to swab the child's hands for explosives before resorting to a pat-down.

For disabled travelers who are unable to stand unassisted for five to seven seconds in a full body scanning machine with their hands raised above shoulder level, a pat-down will be required, Horowitz tells us. "Passengers who can neither walk nor stand are ineligible for advanced imaging technology screening and receive alternative screening using a pat-down procedure while passengers remain in the wheelchair," she says. "Regardless of the degree of mobility, passengers' wheelchairs are thoroughly inspected and any removable items are required to undergo X-ray screening. As with all passengers, travelers with special needs, or their caregivers, can request private screening at any point during the screening process."

Security: Do The Machines and Procedures Make Us More Secure?

I don't consider myself a TSA apologist by any means, but I have to admit that I buy into the notion that careful passenger screening is a deterrent to terrorist activities. It will not work all the time, and the TSA has definitely not done a great job of explaining themselves either on a macro policy level, or when face-to-face with travelers. They seem to dither on silly stuff (iPad out of bag or not?), and overreach egregiously on important stuff -- threatening to lock up people who do not want to be groped is the stuff of police states, not of safety enhancement.

One of the most persuasive elements of pilot objection to the procedures derives from the fact that while pilots must go through the scanners, potentially hundreds of other airport employees, from food vendors to maintenance crew, apparently may not. If the whole point of the process is that anyone who is on the airplane side of the security checks is considered safe, it is hardly reassuring that cleaners, caterers, fuelers and other people with full access do not have to go through the same scanners as do pilots, flight attendants and passengers, according to Patrick Smith. I asked the TSA about this, and Horowitz said only that "all airport vendors are subject to the TSA approved airport security screening plan," but did not say specifically one way or the other if they had to go through the scanners.

Conclusion
There are a lot of reasons why the TSA is having a particularly rough time at the moment. To outline a few -- first, the machines are very new and far from ubiquitous, so travelers on an outbound flight might do the usual shoes- and sweaters-off routine, and on the way home find themselves being roughed up by someone wearing blue latex gloves, with little or no warning about what to expect where, when or why.

Second, it appears that the TSA has not truly completed its due diligence -- or very importantly marketing -- on the safety of the machines.

Third, regular travelers and airline professionals alike are tiring of the machinations of an inefficient, impersonal and bullying bureaucracy, particularly one where the people applying the rules so often don't even know the rules, or seem to make them up as they go along.

In truth, a backlash on this issue has been brewing for nearly a decade. I don't think many honest commentators would disagree that the TSA has bumbled and bungled its way to this impasse, even if those same folks would agree that the efforts of the TSA almost certainly have foiled or at the very least discouraged some form of terrorist activities in airports.

The TSA's obligation is to the safety of the public who employs them -- but this must extend not only to keeping terrorists off of planes, but also to keeping travelers safe from potentially harmful X-rays and extremely invasive pat-downs by sometimes unprofessional agents. The word that keeps coming up on all sides of the debate is "balance" -- in the links above you will find that pilots, aggrieved travelers and the head of the TSA alike all use the word to support their very much opposing positions. Everyone agrees that balance is what we need -- but they are standing on opposite ends of the beam.

Air Connectivity to Mazatlán to Increase

mazmessenger.com

by Murry Page

19 Dec 14 

 

Francisco Córdova Celaya, the Secretary of Tourism for the state of Sinaloa, told reporters that for 2015 the number of flights into Mazatlán from the U.S. and Canada will increase 44 percent, while the number of passenger seats will increase by 39 percent.

The Secretary said that Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Sun Country Airlines and US Airways will be arriving in Mazatlán from six different cities in the U.S, increasing the number of flights into Mazatlán from 29 to 45 flights a week.

Córdova Celaya noted that next year American Airlines is expected to double the number of flights per week and the number of passenger seats, which are currently stands at 14 and 700, respectively.

Flights from Canada by the carriers WestJet Airlines and Sunwing Airlines with routes from Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Vancouver will grow by 4 percent next year to seven flights a week with a total of 1,149 passenger seats.

Westjest is projected to double the number of passenger seats in its Mazatlán routes in 2015.

(from RíoDoce)

5 Common Air Travel Mistakes

by Jeanette Foster

travel.aarp.org

Ensure extra time to make flight connections to avoid a common air travel mistake.

GETTY IMAGES

When it comes to air travel, so many things can go wrong. Sometimes we create the problems ourselves by doing such things as packing carelessly (resulting in extra luggage fees) or scheduling a too-tight connection (resulting in a missed flight). Below are some common air travel mistakes — and tips on how to avoid them.

1. Not allowing enough time for connections

It's a miserable feeling to be in transit on a delayed plane, knowing that when you land you will have missed the next flight and will have to scramble to make alternate arrangements — arrangements that might also warrant an overnight hotel stay.

How to avoid: Allow — or insist on, if the airline books it — at least 90 minutes between connecting flights; some experts recommend two hours.

2. Not doing your packing homework

Planning to fly with carry-on luggage only? Size limitations vary by airline and type of aircraft. And, yes, Hawaii should be beautiful in June, but will there be rain? What about the temperatures at night? Will you need a jacket or wrap?

How to avoid: Check the daily forecast in your destination and look on your airline's website for luggage information; while checking carry-on dimensions, look into what it will cost to check bags, including weight limitations and the fees for exceeding them.

3. Not preparing for your arrival

Do you know where your accommodations are in relation to the airport? Do you know what your transportation options are and what getting to your hotel will cost?

How to avoid: Determine your hotel's proximity to the airport. Is it a five-minute cab ride or a 50-minute endeavor? What's the going rate for cab fare? Are fares fixed or metered, or do you have to agree on a price with the driver before heading out? You should also find and price out at least one other mode of transportation to the hotel; shuttles are often available.

4. Not checking immigration requirements

There are still a good number of countries (Russia and Brazil, for instance) that require a visa for entry, and many countries require that your passport be valid for at least six months from the date of your entry. Still other countries require that there be a blank page in your passport for their stamps — in some instances, even the location of this page matters (for example, it might need to be the last page).

How to avoid: Well in advance of your trip, contact the embassy or consulate of your destination country and determine its immigration requirements.

5. Paying high credit card foreign transaction fees

With some cards, both the credit card company and the issuing bank charge foreign transaction fees. In addition, there are fees for having charges automatically converted to U.S. dollars at the point of purchase (called "dynamic currency conversion"). These fees add up quickly.

How to avoid: Read the small print on your credit card agreement to determine what fees are charged. If there are multiple fees or the percentages are high, shop around for a card with better terms. When charging items abroad, be sure to ask those you are paying to make charges in the local currency.

More Flights to Canada and the U.S.

 by Murry Page

13 Dec 14  

mazmessenger.com

 

In a press release Air Canada announced that beginning next May 2 and through its subsidiary Air Canada Rouge it would offer a new route for its passengers between México City and Montreal with up to five flights a week.

Two days later Aeroméxico will begin flying between México City and Toronto. The Mexican carrier said the route would have daily flights between the two cities. Toronto will be Aeroméxico’s second Canadian destination; it already flies into Montreal.

Last November Alaska Airlines began offering flights between Portland, Oregon and San Jose del Cabo. Alaska Airlines flies the route four times a week during the winter season and currently plans to end that route the last of April. Alaska Airlines was already flying to San Jose del Cabo from Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, San Diego, and Seattle-Tacoma.

Beginning on Monday, December 15, Seaport Airlines will initiate its first international route when it opens a route from San Diego to San Felipe. Initially, there will be one flight a day four days a week on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Beginning on December 20 Delta Airlines will add a route from Seattle’s Sea-Tac Airport to San Jose del Cabo. There will be four weekly flights through January 10, 2015, then a fifth weekly flight will be added.

Also on December 20 Delta Airlines will add Mazatlán as a destination from Los Angeles. There will be one daily route trip flight through the winter season. Delta said that if demand is there, the route may become year-round route.

Next year Spirit Airlines will make its first international flight from Houston, Texas when on May 7 it will begin a route from Houston to Cancun and from Houston to San Jose del Cabo. The Cancun route will begin with three flights a week and will become daily on June 11. The San Jose del Cabo route starts with two flights a week, increasing to four by June 11.

(from The News)

10 Best Holiday Travel Tips

travel.aarp.org
By Christopher Hall | AARP

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The holiday travel season is expected to be hectic, but with a little careful planning these tips can help you navigate and save time. ALAMY

It's that time of year again, when we hear how grim the upcoming holiday travel season will be. Yes, planes, trains and roads will be crowded, especially now that the economy is perking up. And there's always the chance that snowstorms will gum up the works. But your holiday travel fate is partly in your own hands. Here are 10 tips — some new, some time-tested — for headache-free traveling during this busy season.

1. Don't Travel on Peak Days

There's no getting around it. Peak travel days are the worst! You've heard it before, but it remains true that traveling the day before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after — whether by air, rail or road — greatly increases your chance of travel woes. Consider adjusting your dates by even a day. This year, the Christmas and New Year's crush should be more spread out because the holidays fall on Wednesdays.

2. Leave Lots of Extra Time

Depart from home far earlier in the day than you would at any other time of year, whether you're starting a road trip or heading to an airport or bus or railway station. Wouldn't you rather not be panicked if you run into traffic congestion, crowded public transit or long security lines? Relax and read or listen to music while you wait for your plane or train; take a restful pit stop if you're driving.

3. Rethink the Airport Experience

An airport is no longer just a transit hub to be rushed through. Many terminals are amenity-filled malls, some with terrific art exhibitions, shops, restaurants and even spas and yoga rooms. Arriving three hours before a flight is a lot more pleasant when you know you can browse, savor a glass of wine, exercise or get a massage.

4. Reserve Airport Parking

Airport parking often fills up during the holidays. But at many lots — especially private ones a short shuttle ride from the terminal — you can prebook, sparing yourself a mad scramble to stash the car before your flight takes off.

5. Avoid Airline Ticket Counters

There is no need to wait in line if you print out boarding passes at home, pull them up on your smartphone or get them at an airport kiosk. If you have an e-ticket, carry a printout of your itinerary. And if you're checking bags, use the skycaps at curbside (remember to tip them generously).

6. Pack Light for Air Travel

Take only a carry-on bag, even if it means leaving an outfit or two at home. That sacrifice will save you time on both ends of the trip, and if your flight is canceled it simplifies scoring a seat on another flight.

7. Have a Backup Plan

You can't predict travel snafus, but you can make like a Boy Scout and be prepared for anything. If you're driving, know alternative routes so you can adjust if traffic is bad. If you're flying, know the alternative flights and connecting cities to your destination in case of delays or cancellations.

8. Bring Provisions

Take snacks, games, books, magazines, portable music or DVD players and other diversions to pass the time if your flight is delayed or you're stuck in traffic. (This is vital, of course, if you're traveling with kids.)

9. Turn Your Phone Into a Travel Tool

Sign up with your airline to receive flight status updates on your phone, or load your smartphone with mobile travel alert apps from Amtrak or state highway authorities. Before leaving home, make sure your phone is fully charged and holds all the numbers you could possibly need, including family, friends, hotel, airline, rental car agency and credit card companies.

10. Think Twice About Holiday Gifts

If you'll be traveling by air, ship presents in advance or shop online and have them delivered to your destination. If you do take gifts along, make them small and packable, and don't wrap them beforehand: Even if they're in checked luggage, security personnel may need to open them for inspection.

Best Time and Website for Buying Airline Tickets

clarkhoward.com

By Clark Howard

Every day I'm asked, "What's the best time to buy an airline ticket, and what's the best website to do it on?" I've got some new answers to share with you.

The Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC), which is like the back office of ticket selling for the nation's airlines, has monitored data continually over a 19-month period and found that the magic time to buy a ticket is generally 8 weeks before you travel.

Try booking an airline ticket on this day...

So the latest ARC study suggests the old advice of booking 42 days before your departure has shifted to 57 days before travel.

Meanwhile, there's always the question of what's the best day to buy an airline ticket? Conventional wisdom held that it was Tuesday. 

Not so anymore, says ARC. Their new recommendation is book on a Sunday as your first choice, followed by Saturday. Weekend airfare shopping is in! 

Now, this is a general rule; it's not true for every ticket. But overall, if you're looking for a cheap fare, why not give it a try?

Try following airlines on social media because that's where people are getting some of the lowest fares today. The airlines want to put out unpublished fares that will not be matched by others. Social media lets them attract a customer and not have to compete with each other. 

The best website for booking your ticket is...

Now, where do you get best deal? A Wall Street Journal test reveals there is no one definitive website that will save you money every time. Whoever is cheapest one time may not be cheapest the next time. So shop and shop and shop on multiple websites to save the most money.


And remember, the best deal flows to the opportunist. When you see a screaming deal, buy it and then figure why you want to go to the city you've booked!

 

4 Gateway Cities For Cheap European Fares

If you are going to Europe, the question of when to book is important, but not nearly as much as the question of what city you depart from. I've long recommended buying one ticket to a key bargain city and then going overseas from that city.

The cheapest gateway cities to Europe include New York, Orlando's Sanford Field, Ft. Lauderdale, and San Francisco/Oakland.

If you're frustrated with European fares, start with those gateways and you may wind up saving a substantial amount. But remember, don't buy way early because you'll probably later regret it.

As just one example of a discounter that flies out of those cities, Norwegian Air Shuttle is flying New York to Oslo for about $500 RT (roundtrip); NY to London at $384 RT; NY to Copenhagen at $474 RT; and San Francisco to Oslo at $596 RT.

U.S., Mexico Agree on Greater Access for Airlines

online.wsj.com

By 

MARIA ARMENTAL

The U.S. and Mexico have reached an aviation agreement that will expand access for passenger and cargo airlines flying between the two countries, the U.S. Department of State said Friday.

The agreement is scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1.

ENLARGE

An AeroMexico jet taxis at O'Hare in Chicago earlier this year. A new agreement will increase opportunities for airlines flying between the U.S. and Mexico. GETTY IMAGES

The deal still falls short of the so-called “Open Skies” partnerships, which the U.S. has been pursuing since 1992. Under those agreements, governments have no say in commercial airline decisions on routes, capacity and pricing

The two countries have been trying to build stronger economic ties despite issues on drugs and illegal immigration. Last year, the countries formed the so-called High Level Economic Dialogue to promote economic growth. The aviation agreement, U.S. officials said, is a “key element” under that pact by easing trade and tourism.

Cargo airlines, for the first time, will have more opportunities to provide service to destinations that had not been allowed before, the State Department said.