• Reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis by taking simple precautions on long distance flights. Exercise your legs while seated and go for a walk at least once an hour. Dehydration can increase the risk of DVT, so drink plenty of water or other fluids. Pregnant women and people with a family history of thrombosis should talk to their doctor before flying.

• Wear sensible clothes and shoes. Make sure clothes are made from natural fabrics and are roomy and comfortable. Avoid sandals and high heels. Sensible clothing and shoes will make an emergency evacuation safer and easier.

• Keep carry-on baggage to a minimum. There are restrictions on carry-on baggage and the more you carry the harder it is to get on and off the aeroplane. Keep medication in your carry-on bag.

• Remember turbulence can happen at any time. Always keep seatbelts fastened when seated and sit down when instructed by the crew. Turbulence is the leading cause of injuries in aircraft, outside of accidents. It occurs in clear weather and is common at high altitudes.

• Go easy on alcohol and avoid drugs. The lower-than-normal air pressure in aircraft cabins means your body reacts differently than on the ground. If you behave badly on an aircraft expect tough action. You could be arrested, fined and even sent to jail for threatening the safety of an aircraft, crew or passengers.

• The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has issued travel warnings on:

Korea: Australian citizens travelling to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) should keep themselves informed of local developments and maintain a high level of personal security awareness. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula can escalate with little warning. Australians are advised that there are continuing serious energy, pharmaceutical and other shortages that may impact on their visit. While food shortages are widespread in the DPRK, there are hotels and restaurants which serve food that can be purchased with hard currencies. Banking facilities are limited and travellers may experience difficulties in exchanging currencies. Travellers are advised to carry US dollars cash.

Namibia: Australian citizens are advised to defer all holiday and normal business travel to northern Namibia, especially to areas bordering Angola, and to the Kavango and Caprivi regions of northeast Namibia until further notice. The decision by the Namibian Government to allow Angolan Government forces to conduct cross-border operations against UNITA forces has resulted in an increase in military activity, including the fatal shootings of tourists in the Caprivi Strip. Malaria is endemic in the north of Namibia.

Zamibia: Australians travelling in Zambia should maintain a high level of personal security awareness and remain vigilant at all times. Visitors should exercise caution and avoid large public gatherings or political rallies. Travellers are strongly advised to avoid travel in those areas of Zambia bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola. This is due to continuing conflicts in those countries and numerous instances when the conflict has spilled over the border into Zambia. There have been occasional reports of landmines in the Sinazongwe area of Southern Province.

Malawi: Australians travelling to Malawi should maintain a degree of personal security awareness and remain vigilant at all times. Visitors should exercise caution and avoid large public gatherings or political rallies. Australians should be alert to muggings, bag snatching and swindlers, particularly from local residents offering to act as tour guides. They should also be wary of drugs being planted in their luggage and should not leave their luggage or personal items unattended. Travellers are advised to exercise caution in Senga Bay, Nkhata Bay, Cape Maclear and in Blantyre where attacks on tourists have occurred.

• Adrian Rollins reported in the Age on January 17th that Ansett was accused of exploiting cheap labor over plans to shift almost 70 Victorian jobs to Mexico. The article reported that the Australian Services Union claimed the airline was planning to axe its Melbourne-based revenue accounting division at a cost of 109 jobs, including 67 data-entry positions to be filled in Mexico. The remaining 42 jobs would be moved to Auckland.

• Impulse Airlines announced an increase in the number of jet services along the nation's main eastern seaboard corridor, with the introduction of three new Boeing 717 aircraft into its existing fleet. The new services will start Monday, February 12. Impulse will fly 19 return flights daily between Sydney and Melbourne and 10 between Sydney and Brisbane.

• The national broadband wireless network SkyNetGlobal announced the completion of deployment of its broadband wireless network covering all of Qantas Airways and 13 Australian airports including: Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, Hobart, Launceston, Coolangatta, Townsville, Cairns, Alice Springs, and Darwin. From today, Qantas travellers subscribed to the SkyNetGlobal service will be able to check their emails or go online via the network using their own laptop or PDA. Qantas Airways is a shareholder in SkyNetGlobal with an equity stake of approximately 5%. The network will also cover key hotels in Sydney's CBD such as the Westin, W Hotel and All Seasons. A complete list of network locations will be available on www.skynetglobal.com .

• From the U.S: On January 4 British Airways announced new mobile Internet services, in order to take advantage of the wireless technology. Examples of the tech gadgets include graphical seat selection - users view a design of the seating chart - and departure and arrival information from WAP phones. * Virgin Blue announced direct Adelaide-Sydney flights will begin from March 1, due to the popularity of its Adelaide-Brisbane and Sydney-Brisbane routes. For the first nine days of the leg, Virgin is offering all seats on flights on the route for $99. 

• CASA has announced that they require amendments to procedures within Ansett Australia as a result of problems discovered in the airline's maintenance area. Ansett will be required to record in detail its handling of recommendations issued by aircraft manufacturers for changes to maintenance and inspection procedures.

CASA's initial investigations revealed shortcomings in Ansett's maintenance systems in a number of areas. Work is continuing on identifying any other problem areas. CASA has also uncovered concerns about the relationship and communications between aircraft manufacturers and airlines. It is clear that there may be room for improvements in the way manufacturers communicate important changes to maintenance procedures and inspections. This follows three major air safety concerns by Ansett in two months:

*  On January 29, it was revealed another one of its 767 jets was grounded after the discovery that it had been flying with a wrong part fitted into the wing. The plane had been flying on the Australia to Hong Kong route for a week with the incorrect part fitted before being grounded on Friday.

*  Two days before Christmas Ansett grounded seven of its Boeing 767 fleet as it came to their attention they had not performed mandatory manufacturer’s safety checks on the fleet.

*  On January 18 three of Ansett’s Boeing 767-300s were grounded - two due to cracks in the aircraft. These were three of the same 767s that were grounded at Christmas time.

Mick Toller, director of aviation safety at CASA announced ‘The grounding of the aircraft is part of our continuing review of what are the immediate safety concerns. And I think by grounding the aircraft obviously we have taken a very firm action in this basis. The investigation into Ansett as to why no checks were undertaken when they should have been is continuing. ‘

• A survey undertaken by CASA indicates that:
  93% of people flying on the major airlines are confident about arriving safely at their destination
  86% of people are confident about the safety of regional airlines
  70% of people state they want CASA to keep a closer safety watch on the major airlines
  87% of people believe airlines should be grounded immediately if they are found to be breaking important safety rules, even if this means essential services will be lost.

• I think it is important the make special note of another topic that has been hot in travel circles for at least the last six months - deep vein thrombosis, or DVT. DVT has commonly been called ‘economy class syndrome’ by the wider media, even though it equally affects business and first class passengers. It is a clotting of the blood in the deep vein of the lower leg. If a clot develops in the veins, the sufferer can usually tell by an intense pain in the affected calf.

Ansett and Qantas have ‘addressed’ the issue by providing warnings on airline tickets of the increased risk of forming DVT during flights. Experts say you should be especially mindful when your plane flight is 4 hours or longer - and these flights occur even domestically in a country the size of Australia. If you think you may be pre-disposed to DVT (for example, if you are pregnant, a smoker, on the pill, have undergone recent surgery, are on HRT, or have a family history of blood clotting), please see a doctor before booking a flight. Try to walk around at least every half hour on a long flight, and don’t cross your legs.

• ACCC investigation into frequent flyer schemes: In June last year it was announced that as a result of the steadily rising number of complaints into frequent flyer schemes (especially the complaint that having built up points under a frequent flyer scheme it is actually difficult to receive the benefits because of seat unavailability), the ACCC is seeking to assess whether these frequent flyer programs raise any issues under the Trade Practices Act 1974. Based on feedback received from our viewers, we submitted our comments to the ACCC on 31 January 2001. This is a re-visited issue - the ACCC originally looked into frequent flyer schemes as early as May of 1996.

• Impulse Airlines will temporarily suspend its direct Armidale to Sydney daily regional air service from Sunday 11 February. This particular route began last March, as part of the onset of widespread deregulation of regional air markets throughout New South Wales. It operated three return flights each weekday, along with weekend services. Simon Westaway, Corporate Affairs Manager, said the decision to temporarily suspend services on the route, was a result of the carrier entering a mandatory structural maintenance program with some of its Beech 1900D, 19 seater aircraft, that would require partial rationalisation of total flight hours by its 13 aircraft fleet.

• Virgin Blue Airlines has lodged a formal complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission believing that Qantas is engaging in illegal predatory pricing practices. The complaint follows a move by Qantas to increase its capacity on the Brisbane to Adelaide route by 50%, after Virgin Blue announced a greater than 90% capacity increase last September. 

• According to Infochoice last week Virgin Blue announced they will begin flying Sydney/Adelaide from March 1 with a special starting fare of $99 for travel until March 9. This week Qantas has matched the Virgin offer $99 for 9 days.

• Impulse Airlines will be servicing Tasmania by the end of 2001. Simon Westaway, Impulse corporate affairs manager remarked that if Impulse is able to secure more aircraft as intended, the opening of new markets in places such as Tasmania should be completed by the end of the year.

• There are two bonus offers from Fly Buys this month: if you go to a Shell roadhouse, you can buy a hot drink of your choice with a slice of carrot cake and collect 10 Fly Buys bonus points. From Gifts to go: Collect 500 bonus points for every order over $100.

• Qantas has what they call red e-deals on their site for Internet only users: (all one-way) Adelaide-Brisbane: $116.60, Melbourne & Brisbane: $107.80, Sydney & Gold Coast $68.20, Sydney & Melbourne $71.50.