Skip the pretzels: starving may fend off jet lag
Thursday, May 22, 2008, 06:22 PM - Jet Lag
Starving yourself before a long flight may help prevent jet lag, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.Normally, the body's natural circadian clock in the brain dictates when to wake, eat and sleep, all in response to light. But it seems a second clock takes over when food is scarce, and manipulating this clock might help travelers adjust to new time zones, they said.
"A period of fasting with no food at all for about 16 hours is enough to engage this new clock," said Dr. Clifford Saper of Harvard Medical School, whose study appears in the journal Science.
He said a person from the United States traveling to Japan must adjust to a 11-hour time change.
"Because the body's clock can only shift a small amount each day, it takes the average person about a week to adjust to the new time zone. And, by then, it's often time to come home," Saper said in a statement.
Saper and colleagues knew that when food is scarce, animals are able to override their normal biological clock to improve their chances of finding food.
Studies have shown that mice fed only during the time when they normally sleep shift their body clocks to this new schedule. "They would be awake and alert and ready to go an hour or two before a meal was due to appear to have maximal chance of getting the food," Saper said in a telephone interview. - See Skip the pretzels: starving may fend off jet lag for the full report.
2 comments American Air to Cut `Thousands' of Jobs, Capacity
Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 01:53 PM - Warnings
AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, the world's largest carrier, said it will cut ``thousands'' of jobs as it slashes U.S. capacity and retires as many as 85 jets to blunt surging fuel prices and slowing demand. AMR plunged the most since 2003 in New York trading, slicing its market value in half since the start of this year to $1.53 billion. The carrier also added a $15 fee to check one bag, the first in the U.S. with such a charge.
Chopping domestic seating by 12 percent ``is the right and necessary thing for American to do with oil at $130,'' said Doug Runte, managing director at RBS Greenwich Capital in Greenwich, Connecticut. The move will help American boost fares, he added.
AMR's retrenchment went beyond steps taken by peers, and comes as analysts predict possible bankruptcies among the biggest airlines amid an 84 percent jump in jet fuel in the past year. Chief Executive Officer Gerard Arpey said the job losses would be in the ``thousands,'' without giving an exact figure.
Paring flights and charging for checked luggage may hurt customers' views of American, which exceeded the industry average for consumer complaints in 2007. Extra-baggage fees at other big U.S. carriers start with the second piece, and flight cuts will trim options for travel times and destinations.
Arpey didn't say how the cutbacks would affect specific flights or cities; American now has operates about 2,200 daily flights with its main jet fleet. The reductions are the third this year and are more than twice what AMR announced in April. - See American Air to Cut `Thousands' of Jobs, Capacity for the full report.
Traveling with Children - Make Security Clearance a Breeze
Saturday, May 10, 2008, 06:39 PM - Children
In these days of hyper airport security, the rules have changed, and getting through security can be a patience testing process. Add to this, the hassles of traveling with kids, and you have a challenging procedure ahead.Make sure you're on the proper page regarding what you can take on board the flight. Prohibited items don't just include weapons and inflammatory items, but also liquids and some other items that may be essential in your carry on luggage. Check out the Transport Security Administration website to be updated on the list of items you can take aboard, especially the liquids allowed. Check for shampoos, liquid soaps, toothpaste and other essentials that you might not think twice about before packing in your bag. Remember, the point is to breeze through security as quickly as possible to avoid making your kids edgy and anxious. The lesser prohibited items you have in your bag, the faster you'll be on the plane.
Make sure your kids don't wear anything that contains metal, like the buckles on their belts. That goes for other members of your family.
If your kids are old enough to understand, explain the security procedure to them before you get to the airport. Kids are liable to find the whole shoe removing procedure quite puzzling. Explain that it's only a temporary thing, and that you will get your shoes back.
Explain to them that their personal stuff like their bag, blanket and stuffed toy will also be put through an x ray machine. Reassure them, that they will get it back.
Tell your child before you leave for the airport not to make jokes about things like bombs and explosives. This is especially true for older kids who might want to fool around, not realizing the consequences for your family. You could be fined if your child plays pranks like this.
At the airport, see if you can find kid friendly lanes. These are specially equipped with cartoon and dinosaur mats, and other accessories to make kids more comfortable with the tedious screening process. Officers may even use hand puppets to entertain your child!
If you are traveling with more than one child, allow plenty of time before the flight to arrive at the airport. Check in times might be especially tedious when there are many younger kids involved.
Finally, even with the increased security, don't make the entire procedure sound dangerous or frightening. It will only put your kids off travel in the future.
By: Caroline Miller
This author lives in Flemington, NJ with her husband and 5 month old daughter and is an expert contributing author for a luxury baby shower party favors boutique offering variety of baby shower favors, coffee baby shower favors, handprint footprint kits and more. This author and Babygiftstation is also dedicated to providing valuable and informative articles on childcare, baby safety tips, pregnancy health, parenting, potty training and more.
Frontier Airlines Files for Bankruptcy Protection
Friday, April 11, 2008, 07:57 PM - Warnings
Frontier Airlines Holdings Inc., the U.S. discount carrier that serves 70 destinations from Denver, filed for bankruptcy, becoming the fourth U.S. airline to seek court protection in less than a month. Frontier took the step after its credit-card processor, First Data Corp., began withholding proceeds from ticket sales, the Denver-based carrier said in a statement today. Frontier pledged to continue flying and keep paying workers while it seeks additional financing.
Frontier's troubles add to the turbulence in the U.S. airline industry. AMR Corp.'s American Airlines canceled more than 3,000 flights this week to inspect and repair wiring on its Boeing Co. MD-80 jets. U.S. carriers will post combined losses of $1.2 billion in the first quarter, according to Ray Neidl, a Calyon Securities Inc. analyst in New York.
``We do not see a future for Frontier as it faces tough competition in Denver from United on the network side, and Southwest on the low-cost side,'' Neidl said in a research note.
Frontier has cut staff and sold off aircraft as it fights for market share with Southwest Airlines Co., the largest discount airline, and Ted, the low-fare unit of UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, while its costs balloon from record fuel prices.
The cost of jet fuel, soaring 78 percent in the past year, and a slowing economy were blamed for the bankruptcy filings of Skybus Airlines Inc., Aloha Airgroup Inc. and ATA Airlines Inc., and the shutdown of Champion Air in the past three weeks. - See Frontier Airlines Files for Bankruptcy Protection for the complete article.
Skybus Airlines goes bankrupt
Wednesday, April 9, 2008, 09:06 PM - Warnings
Skybus Airlines, a US low- fare carrier that started operations less than a year ago, filed for bankruptcy after stopping service.The airline is the third carrier to seek bankruptcy in the past 2 1/2 weeks on rising fuel costs and a slowing economy, joining Aloha Airgroup and ATA Airlines. Skybus started service on May 22, with some tickets as low as $US10 for a four- hour flight.
''Our financial condition is such that our board of directors felt it had no choice but to cease operations,'' Skybus said in a statement on its Web page yesterday.
The closely held Columbus, Ohio-based airline has assets of $US100 million to $US500 million and debt of $US50 million to $US100 million, according to a Chapter 11 petition filed yesterday in US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. The largest unsecured creditor is Chicago-based World Fuel Management, with an $US8.5 million claim, according to the filing. - See Skybus Airlines goes bankrupt for the complete article.
American Cancels 1,100 More Flights for Jet Checks
Wednesday, April 9, 2008, 09:01 PM - Warnings
American Airlines, the world's largest carrier, canceled almost 1,100 flights today to reinspect jets grounded two weeks ago for checks on wiring. An estimated 120,000 travelers were left stranded, and parent AMR Corp. fell the most in a month in New York trading as the airline parked its 300 Boeing Co. MD-80 jets for another review of their compliance with a federal safety order. American said it would have ``significant'' costs from the groundings.
Today's cancellations followed 460 from yesterday and erased half of American's schedule. About 900 flights will be scrubbed tomorrow, and more may be dropped on the next day, too, American said.
``The safety system has been broken, and it will take some time for it to be repaired,'' said Jim Hall, managing partner of Hall & Associates LLC in Washington and former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. ``Unfortunately it's going to happen on the backs of passengers.''
The Federal Aviation Administration found lapses in American's compliance with an earlier order for how wiring bundles on the planes are attached to the jets' wheel wells, leading to the airline's decision yesterday to ground the jets.
Amid criticism in Congress of FAA oversight, ``everyone is bending over backward to make sure it's done right and it looks right,'' George Hamlin, managing director of New York-based consulting firm ACA Associates, said of the latest checks at American. ``What this results in is serious delays.'' - See American Cancels 1,100 More Flights for Jet Checks for the complete report.
