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Travel Talk: Jet Lag, Low Fares,Travel Insurance

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As you wake up this weekend to a slow morning of coffee and relaxation, perhaps you’re thinking about your next trip. Here’s what I’m reading and considering as I do the same:

Why Does Flying Make You Tired?

Travel & Leisure took a scientific look at why flying in an airplane makes you tired. It points out the many tolls a trip takes on your body, including increased dehydration, exposure to germs, and the effect of cabin pressure on your body. Give it a read for some advice about how to reduce the effects of jet lag and prepare your body for long journeys.

Low Fares: Now Might Be the Time to Go to the UK, or Anywhere for that Matter

CNN mixes politics and travel with its recent story about low airline fares into the United Kingdom, suggesting it might be a good time for U.S. travelers to take advantage. The UK is set to pull out of the European Union on October 31st, leaving in doubt what is to come in November. When it compared airline ticket prices from a year ago, it found a big reduction in cost - 72% of longhaul flights to the UK, for example, were cheaper than a year ago.

And though it may be hard to believe, the article also reported that airline fares across the board are down worldwide, a fact it attributes to “added airline capacity, fierce competition, the expansion of low-cost carriers and favorable fuel prices.”

Should You Buy Travel Insurance?

This is hardly a new debate, but Forbes (that’s us!) takes a new look at the conversation, comparing it to other “bets” we make in our life. Is buying travel insurance a good bet? As with any other bet, it depends - which is by itself a frustrating answer. But the article digs deeper to look at different kinds of insurances, and different kinds of trips, to analyze when it might be appropriate to purchase, and when it’s shrewd to avoid.

The Mentality of Travel: Getting Past the Frustrations

Sure, travel has its downsides. There’s a lot of waiting, it’s expensive, and sometimes things go wrong - the hotel underwhelms, you experience delays, you get ripped off. Airplanes are uncomfortable. Indeed, there are some of the less-glamorous sides of travel, and they are pointed out in this article.

But, reader beware - don’t fall into this trap of discouragement. We live in an age where we can, quite literally, go anywhere in the world in the matter of a day’s time. The world is more accessible and open than ever, and adventure awaits. We should be celebrating, counting our blessings; not complaining. True, no one is fanning us with a palm leaf while we spend six hours on an airplane, and sometimes things don’t work out as smoothly as we plan.

But is that really why we travel? Is not having a power outlet on an airplane really going to derail your trip? If so, then you’re missing the big picture.

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