Good and Bad in Air Travel

Long distance travellers who face significant wait times en route have a new option at some airports. They can rent a sleep pod for a nap or a whole night's shut-eye, which would probably beat trying to sleep in an uncomfortable chair or on the floor.

The company Go Sleep Pods (http://www.gosleep.aero/) offers rental of the pods, which are similar to some business class seats on airplanes, for periods of between one and six hours. The price is $14 for an hour, and starts at $65 for six hours. So far these devices are available at the airports in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Helsinki. If you have a long layover at any of these places, it may pay to book ahead and try them out.

On the down side, British Airways has recently decided that if you are an economy-class flyer, you will only get one meal on long-distance flights, unless your flight takes eight and a half hours or more. They are substituting a chocolate bar for the second meal. This means that on most flights between London and North America, you may arrive a trifle peckish.