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Hang on to your Pants! Long-Haul air travel is sheer hassle from the moment you enter the airport, so here are some tips to lessen the pain. But whatever you learn reading this, for gawd's sake get a grip on your boarding pass and make sure you've darned your socks!

Think when you pack! Be aware of the weight allowance and use an appropriate suitcase. Airlines will allow anything from 20 kilos to 30 kilos per person depending on the carrier. The days of sharing the weights with travelling companions are over. In other words if there are two of you, and you're on an airline with 25k baggage allowance this means you do not have an allowance of 50k between you. It means you have only 25k each. Stick to it!

If you're not sure about weighing your bags at home, the simplest way is to use regular bathroom scales. Weigh yourself, then do it again carrying the bag. Subtract the difference and voila! If you are out by a kilo or two, the chances are you'll be forgiven. Don't panic! Remember, it is a false economy to use larger suitcases, because the weight of them alone will affect the allowance.

Get some wheels! Whilst you may access a trolley to trawl your bags, think about the arrival. You might have to lug them manually after that, so buy a suitcase with wheels. Write your name and destination on one side of a piece of paper, and your home address and contact number on the other. Place it on top of your belongings before you secure it. Why? Sometimes you may find your luggage opened by officials without your knowledge (it happens, especially in the USA). This way, if the external details are damaged, at least your property can be identified. If this unfortunately happens to you, it means your padlocks are already destroyed as well, so carry a couple spare. Be prepared!

Also keep a photocopy of your passport and travel insurance separate. Keep them in your hand-carry. Speaking of which, adopt the same principle. The standard is 7k with specific dimensions. Again think about a lightweight trolley bag. Some departure gates at international airports can be very far apart, Heathrow, Hong Kong and Dubai for example, and lugging 7 kilos over the shoulder or by the grip can be quite exhausting. Not all terminals have travelators or transit trains, so be prepared for a long trek (unless you end up in somewhere like Brunei, where the six gates are no more than 20 yards from each other).

The tricky bits! Lose you vanity! Currently all liquids and creams have to be presented

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