Land on your feet

Long-haul flights are hard enough. Airport chaos makes it worse. But a little extra money will not only save you time, it can also buy you Business-Class perks

- By VIR SANGHVI

When people hear that I travel every week, they usually ask: Isn't it exhausting? Well, yes it is, I say. The destinations are nearly always fun, but getting there can be a drag.

The next question usually is: How do frequent travellers like you cope? Are there any hacks/tricks you can pass on?

There are three answers to that question. One: We cope only up to a point; otherwise I wouldn't be so tired after every long flight. Two: The only hack that really works is to spend more. This requires no elucidation. If you travel First Class on Emirates, you will have a better experience than someone who travels Easy Jet. It's brutal but it's true.

There is a third answer. There are small things you can do to make your experience less tiring.

Airports: Ninety per cent of the pain of travelling comes from airports, not the aircraft.

So, it's worth spending a little more money on them. If you are travelling economy, then try to pay for priority check-in, a service most international airlines offer around the world. That way, you don't have to spend an hour in the queue. At many international airports, you get fast-tracked at security at a small charge. This allows you to use the priority queue, which can save 30 minutes.