trick

Paying for the extra fees on a flight is a big no-no, but former check-in agent Ashley Bautista revealed this one travel hack that will guarantee a seat charge at no extra cost

When it comes to travelling for long hours, especially on a plane, comfort is the number one priority to start the holiday on the right foot.

The first challenge comes whilst booking your ticket. Airlines charge for almost everything, including seat selection – and there’s nothing worse than being stuck in the middle seat, or at the back of the plane away from your family and friends, especially on a long-haul flight.

As a former check-in agent at one of the world’s busiest airports, Ashley Bautista revealed what you can do instead to get your seat changed at no extra cost – and it works almost every time.

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Everyone has a preferred seat, whether it’s the window to take pictures of the sky, the emergency exit row for extra legroom, or the back of the plane to be close to the toilet. For that reason, airlines then began to implement charges for passengers to reserve their seats. The other option is to deal with your allocated seat, which is given based on the weight and balance of the aircraft.

According to MSE, a few airlines allow passengers to select their seats free of charge as soon as they book their flight. For example, Japan Airlines and Qatar Airways do this, with some exceptions. Virgin Atlantic also allows passengers to choose their own seat once check-in opens, and British Airways allows those with checked luggage.

If you’re travelling with a big group, the seat allocation system will always try to seat groups on the same booking together. However, if the bookings are, that’s a whole different story. But don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world.

READ MORE: Flight attendant names the best time to use the toilet during a flight

Ashley’s advice is to head to the airport check-in counter as soon as it opens, and politely ask the agent if there are any seats together available. Unless the flight is completely full, most of the time, the agent will put you together with the person you’re travelling with.

Another secret is that even if the flight appears to be full, airlines often don’t manage to sell their pricier extra-legroom seats or emergency rows. In fact, some airlines keep them empty and assign them to random passengers. So, it never hurts to ask for a seat upgrade.

Of course, there are no guarantees and on some occasions, you will have to wait until check-in closes or all passengers are seated. Then, you can move around as you wish, as long as you’re not causing a disturbance to other passengers on board.

Alexandra Dubakova, a travel expert with FreeTour who has visited more than 30 countries, is always on the move. She has come up with a neat trick to ensure she gets a good night’s sleep

A travel expert has mastered the art of getting a good night’s sleep in a hotel using a simple trick.

Alexandra Dubakova, a travel expert with FreeTour who has visited more than 30 countries, is always on the move.

While jet-setting has a reputation for glitz and glamour, as anyone who has been sent away to a far-flung town in a small central European nation will know, it comes with its challenges. One of them, particularly for those who enjoy their home comforts, is sleeping in a hotel.

Different bedding, the strange whir of a lift mechanism, and a room that is either too hot or too cold can all knock the sensitive sleeper off kilter. Luckily, Alexandra has a trick that can help you sleep through the night.

“Changing time zones, dealing with jet lag and the annoying strip of light between hotel curtains is a nightmare. I always grab the hangers from the hotel room closet and use them to pinch the curtains shut. It creates a blackout room and I get proper rest irrespective of the time zone,” she told the Mirror.

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Sherry Martin Peters, a veteran flight attendant, has similar advice. She told the Mirror: “Some flight attendants travel with rolls of black electrical tape, not to fix anything, but to smother light sources that feel microscopic until you’re sleep-deprived.

“The green dot of a TV on standby. The piercing blue glow of a USB charger. One by one, the light sources disappear until the room looks lifeless. Towels get stuffed under the crack of the door to block out hallway light, because even a sliver of brightness can convince a jet-lagged brain it’s still daytime somewhere, which it usually is.”

The curse of a bad night’s sleep is something that many hotel guests suffer from. In a 2020 paper published in Tourism and Hospitality Research, it was found that only one in three travelers reported being satisfied with their sleep while on the road.

Dr. Rebecca Robbins, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an associate scientist at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, has been hired by Hilton as a sleep expert. Recently, she shared her tips for getting a good night’s kip with National Geographic.

Dr Robbins argues that “finding the familiar in the unfamiliar” is key. “The truth is that when we are in an unfamiliar environment, we fundamentally have a harder time unwinding,” she said,

When we’re at home, our bodies are able to relax more easily. When staying somewhere new, our brains are put on higher alert by the different sounds, smells and other sensory factors. One way to trick your brain into calming down is to spray smells with a positive or homely association. There is proof in the process. In 2024, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center published a study that showed familiar scents helped to break negative thought-cycles and overcome depression.

Another cause of bad sleep is a restless mind. While whirring cogs is an ailment that can strike anywhere, the stresses of travel mean you’re more likely to have things on your mind when away. Dr. Robbins suggests writing all of these worries down on a piece of paper as a way of relieving your mind of too many things to think about.

Recreating your routine at home is another top tip for entering the land of nod. “Being religious about these things is actually really important because your brain starts to understand that what comes next is sleep,” the sleep doctor said.

WE all know gardening is good for you.

But did you know that when you’re getting older, it can also help with arthritis?

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Research published in the Journal of Ageing and Physical Activity also found gardeners were 30 per cent less likely to report falls than non-gardeners, with improved gait and balance helping you along the way.

World Arthritis Day is celebrated on October 12th, so why not get out there and garden – safe in the knowledge that you’ll actually be helping your aching joints.

Dr Wendy Holden, Arthritis Action’s Medical Advisor and Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist at North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, told Sun Gardening: “Being active and incorporating exercise into your life helps arthritis .

“Even if joints are hurting, they can’t be harmed by exercise.

“Getting outside in the fresh air, being close to nature and nurturing plants also improves both mood and mental health.

“Just remember to pace yourself, take breaks when you need them and make use of many types of adaptive tools available to assist you.”

She added: “Whatever type of arthritis you have, staying active, keeping your joints moving and looking after your sleep and mental wellbeing are all vital to help beat pain.”

Naomi Patrick, Clinical Director at Medella Home Physio & Occupational Therapy, based in Dorset and Wiltshire, added: “Pruning requires controlled movements that work through the full range of motion in shoulders, elbows and wrists.

“These actions can help maintain joint flexibility and may reduce stiffness in people with early-stage arthritis.

“The reaching and snipping motions help maintain the upper body mobility that’s essential for everyday tasks like dressing, cooking and personal care.

“Research shows these movements can be as effective as targeted exercise therapy for certain conditions.

“For those with painful joints, we recommend using lightweight, ergonomic secateurs and taking regular breaks,” she said.

TOP TIPS FOR ADAPTING YOUR GARDENING

Make access easier by using raised beds, vertical gardens, hanging baskets, or containers
Reduce stress on joints and muscles from repetitive movements by using garden tools that keep hands and wrists in a good position
Minimise bending and stress on back, neck and shoulders by using special long-reach easy grip tools – this includes bulb planters
Reduce the amount of weeding you do by applying a weed barrier with mulch
Reduce the amount of force required to trim plants by using power assisted tools

ADAPTIVE TOOLS FOR ARTHRITIS

Essentialaids.com is a website selling adaptive tools for gardeners. They include tools like easy grip gardening tools with arm supports, and long handled tools for those who struggle bending down. Great for easier weeding and digging. From £29.99

Stiga.com has a cordless, battery powered electric pruning shears and saw. I’ve tried both of these and the pruning shears especially, are fantastic for those with limited strength, as they require no effort to cut. From £129

Flexon Guard N Grip Hose, which earned an Arthritis Foundation Ease of Use certification, makes connecting it to outdoor faucets less strenuous on hands and wrists and stops the need for lugging around heavy watering cans.

Safetygloves.co.uk has a whole range of gardening gloves for arthritis from £3

Amazon.co.uk sell Bionic ReliefGrip Premium Leather Gardening Gloves which are good for arthritic hands. From £29.99

New company www.rootup.co.uk has launched a new product perfect for people with limited reach. Called the Growyo Hanger, it is endorsed by thirteen-time gold Chelsea Flower Show winner, Medwyn Williams MBE. The hanger organises individual yo-yos used to lift the branches of heavily-laden plants — such as tomatoes, aubergines, cucumbers and apple trees — allowing users to more easily and efficiently support and train them. £14.99

Also in Veronica’s Gardening Column this week…

Top tips, Gardening news, plant of the week, and a competition to win a year’s subscription to 123Flowers

For more gardening content and competiitons, follow me @biros_and_bloom

WIN! 123 Flowers is a UK-based online florist designed to make flower delivery ‘as easy as 1-2-3’, with a commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing. They’re offering one Sun Gardening reader a whole year flower subscription.
To enter, visit www.thesun.co.uk/123FLOWERSCOMP or write to 123 Flowers Competiton, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. October 18, 2025. T&Cs apply

PLANT OF THE WEEK! CORNUS ‘Midwinter Fire’ AKA Dogwood.
This is a perfect plant to see you through Autumn and Winter. Not only does it provide lovely green leaves over summer and into Autumn – they fall to reveal stunning vivid orange red and yellow stems which look like fire through Winter.

JOB OF THE WEEK Don’t throw away all your raked up leaves – they can be turned into leaf mould – literally chop them up, pack them in binbags hidden away – and eventually after a year or so, they’ll turn into lovely usable nourishing compost.

Joseph Paintsil had a hat trick by halftime and the Galaxy cruised to a 4-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night.

Paintsil scored goals in the fourth, 25th, and 43rd minutes for his first hat trick and the fastest in club history. Paintsil has nine goals this season. Defender Mauricio Cuevas notched two assists for a career-best five this season.

Diego Fagúndez used assists from Paintsil — his fifth — and Gabriel Pec to score his fifth goal and cap the scoring for the Galaxy (5-17-9) in the 60th minute. Pec assisted on Paintsil’s final goal and has eight this season. Fagúndez picked up his third assist on Paintsil’s first netter.

Dejan Joveljić scored in the 28th minute for Sporting KC (7-19-6). It was his 18th goal of the season after scoring 15 times for the Galaxy last season in their championship run.

Novak Micovic saved five shots for the Galaxy.

John Pulskamp had five saves for Sporting KC.

Shapi Suleymanov will miss the next match for Sporting KC after he subbed in in the 70th minute and was tagged with a red card in the 83rd.

Sporting KC travels to play Minnesota United on Saturday. The Galaxy travel to play FC Dallas on Saturday.

Son Heung-min secured his first MLS hat trick on a sliding finish in the 82nd minute and LAFC beat Real Salt Lake 4-1 on Wednesday night.

Salt Lake (10-15-4) has lost four of its last five matches.

Son, who joined LAFC (13-7-8) a month ago from the English Premier League, scored on a breakaway in the third minute for a 1-0 lead. He was left wide open in the middle of the field in the 16th and scored from distance to make it 2-0.

Son ran with Denis Bouanga from midfield on a 2-on-1 breakaway and scored an easy tap-in for a 3-1 advantage. Bouanga scored six minutes later on another breakaway to break a tie with league legend Carlos Vela for the most goals in club history with 94.

RSL missed a penalty kick in the 45th when Rwan Cruz’s attempt hit off the right post and went across the goal line to goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who had gone the other way.

Teenager Zavier Gozo scored on a beautiful bicycle kick for RSL in the 76th.