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How to stay travel calm

THE inevitable summer travel delays are back in the news - including one unlucky traveller who faced a 30-hour marathon to fly from France to Manchester.

French teacher Andy Parson's epic journey with Irish airline Aer Arann included two flights, two coach trips and a taxi journey through Ireland, covering six airports in three different countries - all of which took around the same time as a flight to Australia.

And another planeload of passengers recently ended up being diverted via Spain on their way back to London from Portugal, finally arriving home over 24 hours late.

Of course, most travel delays are not quite so severe - or involve such a long round trip - but with yet the next Bank Holiday approaching and the school summer holidays just around the corner, it is vital to know your consumer rights if you do get delayed.

Know before you go

"First and foremost, always get travel insurance wherever you are going and whatever you are doing," advises Tom Hall, travel information office at Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com)

"There are also new regulations, brought in by the European Union in February 2005, which set out the amount of compensation that air passengers are entitled to in a lot of detail.

"This could be anything from providing refreshments such a meal and drinks if your short-hop flight has been delayed for two hours, and goes right up to overnight hotel accommodation and reimbursement of ticket costs if your flight has been delayed for over five hours," he adds.

So, if you are on a flight to or from an EU airport or are travelling on an EU airline, then you will be covered for compensation if anything goes wrong, according to Hall, which could range up to 600 Euros (around £400).

"The new regulations are actually quite controversial because the airlines thought they would lead to price hikes, but the key point is that in order for a passenger be entitled to compensation the airline has to be able to prove that the circumstances which led to the cancellation or delay were not beyond its control," he explains.

"This could be anything from strikes, mechanical failure, weather conditions, or political unrest for example."

Beyond the EU

"The situation outside the EU is different again - essentially the airline operators will give you what they term a `reasonable amount of help'," Hall explains.

"If you are delayed overnight they should provide a hotel, if you are delayed for a few hours they should give you food and drink, they should provide alternative transport where possible or give you a refund, and they should keep you informed about delays.

"There are no hard and fast rules though - it really is up to each airline - although generally very few will ever give you voluntary compensation," he warns.

Coping with travel chaos

Anita Naik, author of Travel Calm, advises that you make sure your insurance cover includes the cost of your return trip in case of an emergency at home, health and medical expenses, adequate cover for damages, cancellation cover, and an option which covers dangerous sports if you need it.

However, if you are stranded at the airport when your plane is delayed you'll need more than travel insurance to make your time there as painless as possible.

"Pack a variety of toiletries in your hand luggage. That will ease your mind if you suddenly end up with lost luggage or an overnight delay," she advises, adding that wet wipes, toothbrushes, travel calm tablets, sunscreen for arrival, and aspirin are essential.

"Getting stressed out at airport terminals will only raise your blood pressure, shorten your temper, and make you a nightmare travel companion - so let go of what you can't control," she suggests.

If you're travelling with children, Naik also advises taking books, music and headphones to keep them occupied - and in order to keep their noise and activity levels at a reasonable rate, she suggests avoiding giving them too many fizzy drinks.

Finally if you can feel your own stress levels rising, de-stress yourself by breathing deeply, walking around the airport, and snacking on bananas, nuts or carrots to give you energy without the blood-sugar highs and lows.

"Other people's moods and stress can all affect your energy and concentration levels. Walk up and down for 10 minutes and you'll instantly feel better, calmer and more able to deal with the hassle around you."

Understanding ATOL and ABTA

ATOL is the UK's only licensing scheme for travel companies selling air holidays, protecting over 27 million people each year. Most firms which sell air travel in the UK are required by law to hold a licence.

In general, ATOL protects you from losing money or being stranded abroad when a tour operator goes out of business so, for total peace of mind, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) recommend that you book all your holiday components together with an ATOL-bonded travel company.

For further travel advice and information about your rights visit the Air Transport Users Council at www.caa.co.uk.

Similarly, ABTA is the UK's Premier Trade Association for Tour Operators and Travel Agents, and are responsible for the sale of some 85% of UK-sold holidays.

For guidance on travel related subjects and to verify the ABTA membership of your travel agent or tour operator, call the Travel Information Line on 0901 201 50 50 (UK callers only) or visit www.abta.com/benefits.html

Travel Calm: Secrets For Stress-Free Travel, by Anita Naik, is published by Piatkus Books, priced £4.99. Out now.

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