Cheap Flights to Spring

If you're poorly prepared, air travel can be overwhelming. But there's no need to panic. Follow these handy hints and enjoy a stress-free start to your holiday in Spring. What to pack in your hand luggage:

• It's easy — first, put in your passport, travel documents, wallet and medications. Next, you'll need some extra in-flight entertainment to while away the hours. A juicy book and a laptop filled with your favourite movies are some terrific options. If you intend to catch more than just forty winks, a neck pillow and some noise-cancelling headphones will also be useful. Finally, leave some space for a toothbrush and some cleansing wipes to ensure you touchdown feeling fresh and ready to go.

Do not pack the following items in your hand luggage:

• Check carefully that you don't have a sharp object hiding in your hand luggage. Other restricted items include explosive or flammable substances, such as bleach and fuel, and liquids and gels in containers with a capacity of more than 3.4 ounces (100 millilitres).

What to wear on a flight:

• You'll want to go for comfort over style. Prepare for temperature changes by wearing layers, and opt for flat, slightly roomy shoes like sneakers.
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can pose a risk on long-distance flights. It results from blood clotting due to inactivity and poor circulation, so do some gentle foot and leg exercises in your seat and consider wearing compression socks.

It's all about being organised. We've rounded up some handy tips and tricks for a stress-free trip through security. Look out Spring, here you come:

• Have your passport and travel documents within close reach. They're the first items you'll be asked to present to airport security.
• After that, both you and your carry-on luggage will be X-rayed. To make the process quick and painless, remove anything that is likely to trigger the alarm. Personal belongings like your belt, coat and earphones will be required to go through the machine.
• All electronic gadgets, including your phone and laptop, will also need to be separately scanned.
• Remove all gels and liquids from your hand luggage. They often need to be sent through the X-ray machine separately. Each product should be no larger than 3.4 ounces (100 millilitres) and everything must fit inside a single quart-size (one litre), clear zip-close bag.
• Lightweight sneakers are a great footwear choice as you're less likely to be required to remove them when passing through security. Safety boots and other heavy-style shoes are usually subjected to extra screening.
• Pocket knives and other sharp items are prohibited in the cabin. They'll be seized at security, so pack them in your checked bags.