Tips about Air Travel

Just a word to Canadians traveling to WDW... We were looking forward to taking advantage of the Resort Airline Check-in service at WDW resorts for our trip home so we could travel hassle-free with our boarding passes in hand. However, we were disappointed to find out that even though we were traveling with Delta, and our first stop was New Jersey, we are still considered an international flight and international travelers (though welcome to use Magical Express) cannot get their boarding passes and have their luggage checked through. We would have appreciated knowing this ahead of time, but we had a great trip nonetheless. - Lori

Adam and a number of others observed a slight problem with last's week tip on jet lag: I was just reading through the newsletter about time changes. While the information is correct about adjusting your body clock, the reader indicates that Florida is five hours behind the UK... that part is also correct. However, when you wake up in Florida at 7 a.m., your body does not think it is 2 a.m... it thinks it is noon. We in Hawaii would actually be five hours behind, and have trouble getting up early.

Don't forget to factor in the time difference! After a long journey by road, air, then road again, it is easy to attempt to hit the ground running and do masses on your first full day in the World. Be realistic! Remember that Florida is five hours behind our time, so when you get up on your first morning at 7 a.m., your body will still think it is 2 a.m.! I know there is a lot to do and never enough time to do everything you want to, and also that you need to try and act as though it really is 7 a.m. or you will never adjust, but equally do try to take things a little easy on your first day there - be kind to yourself! Nap in the afternoon if you need to. - Carolyn from the UK

I just returned from WDW and while there I purchased a couple of "sippy" cups for my grandchildren. The cast member told me to make sure that I packed these items in my suitcase and not in my carry-on because like the snow-globes they will not make it through security since they have liquid in them. - Linda McCullough

I just got back from WDW and wanted to let everyone know the Department of Homeland Security does not allow snowglobes through the security screening point or in the cabin of the aircraft. This was printed on the bottom of our WDW receipts. - Julie

Flying the red-eye from Las Vegas to Orlando (three-hour time difference) on the first day of your vacation, after exhausting months of work earning this vacation, guarantees that when the excitement wears off you will hit the wall hard! I love the researching and planning and getting the most for my time and money, but stop! Think! After three eight-day vacations, I've learned that the best time I ever had was when I didn't hit the parks on the first day, but instead went to a water park for some exercise and sunshine (to reset my clock), then to World of Disney in Disney Srpings to get my pin collecting/souvenir shopping out of the way (check for discount deals from Disney Visa), then to an early seating at 'Ohana at the Polynesian. Trust me, a slow start will give you tons more energy over the next few days. - Leslie Seibert

Regarding your tips on priceline.com, here is a tip for those who don't live in or fly out of major cities. (Example: my husband and I live 2 1/2 hours south of Chicago, but usually fly out of O'Hare going to Orlando.) We tend to take early flights before 10 a.m. Allowing for the two hours they recommend to be there before your flight plus driving time, it makes for an early morning departure. For a great way to save some morning hours, stay the night before near the airport. We have gotten rooms near O'Hare for as little as $40 a night (in a 3 star hotel) via Priceline, and it has saved us from being too tired the next day! - Sara

EDITOR'S NOTE: Last week we printed a tip about bringing along a pair of nail clippers in your carry-on luggage to cut electrical ties used to "lock" your luggage. Several readers wrote that nail clippers were prohibited in carry-on luggage and would be confiscated when you went through airport security. We thought we'd heard that this rule had changed, so we went to the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) website which has a list of prohibited and permitted carry-on and checked items for air travelers. According to this list, which is apparently current as of April 2011, nail clippers ARE permitted in carry-on luggage:
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm

Things do change, though, so we suggest that you keep current and check the TSA website every time you travel.

Our trips to Disney are always by plane. I usually check bags because there is too much to fit in a carry-on. I got this tip from my sister: If more than one person is checking baggage, divide your clothes, etc. between the bags. That way if one suitcase is "lost," each of you will have something to wear. (I also make sure to take toiletries, PJs and such in my carry-on.) - Debe Leafe

When booking airfare check the fares during the day, but check again at night after 8 p.m. Sometimes they are less. I am flying from Orlando to Atlanta in October. The one-way fare was $99. When I checked later that night, it was down to $69. The next morning, back to $99. And so on. I checked this three different days until I finally booked at the $69 rate. Michelle

For our past couple of trips to WDW and elsewhere we have double labeled our bags. One set of labels we had pre-maid with just our last name on them in a bold green color. The other luggage tags we bought at the hardware store and they are in neon colors - pink, yellow, orange and green. We can't miss our luggage as it comes around on the conveyor belt. Michele M. McQuillen

Whenever we traveled with the children we would make up "airplane bags". I would pack snacks and small surprises for them and things they could do during the flight. The rule for the bags was that they could not open them until the seat belt sign went off. This kept them attentive during takeoff and patient for the first part of the trip which was always the hardest. We kept seat belts on during the entire flight and if there was in issue with unusual turbulence so the sign would remain on we would pick an appropriate time and let them open the surprise bags. They loved it and so did we!

Want some help passing the time while traveling? Try Puzzlemaker from Discovery.com. (http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/ ) You can make your own crosswords, word searches, math puzzles, and tons more! They can be easy or tough, and you can print them directly from the site or import them into a spreadsheet so you can add graphics for a bit of fun. I've made word searches easy enough for my kindergarten-aged daughter and hard enough for my grandmother.

If you have the Disney Trivia game, you can take a few packs of trivia cards with you to Disney. Some of you may have a long road trip ahead of you, so the Disney trivia cards help you pass the time. You don't need the game board. Take a few stacks of cards and put them in a Ziploc bag.

Even if you fly to WDW, pack a stack of trivia cards anyway. Unless you're in a dark queue like Pirates of the Caribbean, you can pass a long wait quickly with trivia, and you may get an added side benefit... new friends in the queue line grateful for the diversion, too! - Timeless Tip o' the Week brought to you by www.themouseforless.com and Lori Wagner

Instead of signing up for each airline's weekly fare specials, visit www.smarterliving.com and subscribe to their weekly email. It gives you weekly fare specials from most airlines, including Southwest, in a single email. You can even customize your emails by choosing up to three departure cities in which you are interested -- then you'll only be notified of the fares departing from those particular cities. - Timeless Tip o' the Week brought to you by www.themouseforless.com and Jackie