Basic Travel Conveniences get a price tag!!!

I have seldom traveled in air. The longest air journey I have undertaken thus far in my life was when I came from my home country. Since then I have flown three times within the US, once each to California, New Jersey, and Detroit. Every time I flew I was offered a courtesy blanket and pillow to relax in the pretty basic economy seats. Today I read on MSN that one of the leading airlines in the US, American is going to charge a fee of $8 for this basic necessity.

Luckily this is only applicable for domestic flights. International travelers, specially my compatriots who have to endure the 14-18 hour flight will get these basic necessities without having to pay more. This is apparently an "economic decision"... of course to make more money at the passengers expense. In the recent decade more airlines have come into the market and hence large airlines like American had to drop prices. I don't know whether this price drop is hurting American or not, but I definitely understand that the financial guys are smart. They know how to make money on the sly and they will do it.

Flying using party balloons

Ever heard of someone flying using party balloons? Does it sound crazy and outlandish... well it might for you but not for Kent Couch, a resident of Oregon. He has been using helium filled party balloons to fly from place to place since a long time. Yesterday he created a record of sorts when he flew 235 miles from Bend, Oregon to a small village in Idaho.

According to a newsreport in today's Dallas Morning News Kent has been doing this kind of crazy stunts on and off and this time he took the adventure a little far. Strapped to his lawn chair, he lifted off from his gas station with the help of his ground support crew and flew of 9 hours across the Oregon Desert and landed in the middle of a field in a farming community in Idaho. A flier, sky diver and adventurer Kent hopes to do many more flights soon.

I found some pictures of this amazing balloon flight on the internet and a youtube video which I am posting here for your information. To know more about Kent Couch and his adventures you can visit his website.

Jet lagged after your latest long distance flight? Read on...

A study being conducted about people who suffer Jet Lag is seeking volunteers so that effective ways and means of combating jet lag can be discovered. As a token of appreciation participating volunteers will receive Free Instruction in a Rapid Jet Lag Prevention Method.

Before deciding about participating or volunteering Jet lag sufferers can take an online survey is aimed at assessing the effectiveness of a new way of combating jet lag. Interested volunteers should read a brief booklet to participate. Apart from reading this booklet there is nothing else that a volunteer needs to do, no taking of drugs or mechanisms or schedule changes are suggested.

Preliminary research by Dr. Patricia Carrington, Ph.D., Associate Clinical Professor at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, NJ (USA) has revealed that by using a modern version of the ancient Chinese art of acupressure, one can drastically cut down jet lag, sometimes it can be elimiated too.

Daimon Sweeney who studied Chinese acupressure and evolved this method comments: "Individual travelers who have used this method are very pleased with how rapidly and easily they adapt to time zone changes, sometimes with no jet lag symptoms at all."

According to Sweeney the method works, very well and requires only small adjustments in the user's 'personal time zone settings' during the flight, so by the time a flier lands they are in tune with local time at the destination.

Dr. Carrington believes that evolution of a reliable non-drug method to relieve jet lag would benefit travel professionals, vacationers, business travelers, flight crews, military personnel, athletes, performers and others who cross multiple time zones frequently. And since this procedure is short and can be performed inflight. Moreover it takes only a few minutes of reading to prepare for the flight it would be easy.

Individuals who experience jet lag and would like to be part of this study are invited to get more information and take a short qualifying survey at http://www.MasteringEFT.com.

So if you are one of those who end up feeling miserable after a long flight, just log on and take the survey. You never know what benefits might accrue due to this investment of few minutes of your time.