BOOZE YOU LOSE
Why you should always avoid the pre-flight airport beer – or risk ruining your holiday
There's one thing you can do to reduce any risk
BOOZING at the airport before your holiday should be avoided or you could run the risk of ruining your break, an expert has said.
Having that pre-flight drink is almost the best part of any vacation as it marks the moment you can kick back and relax.
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There's something about sitting in an airport bar having gone through customs knowing you don't have work tomorrow that makes the beer taste better.
But some experts have poured water on that whether it is a good idea to have a drink at that point of your holiday at all.
Personal trainer Stephanie Billingham said that pre-flight drink is a fun tradition but flyers need to be smart and think about their entire holiday.
She : "The first is that alcohol is a sedative and leads to you feeling lethargic in both your body and mind.
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"While this is true at any time of day, if you have a drink in the evening it's much more aligned with your circadian rhythm and won't disrupt your sleep as much as starting at the crack of dawn."
Your circadian rhythm is your natural sleep pattern, so having a beer early in the morning or at a strange time of day could make you sleepy on arrival to your destination.
It will also mean you have poorer quality sleep, which in turn could mean you recover slower from jet lag.
That's a recipe for not being able to keep up with the kids and not getting the most out of your break.
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Dr Kevin Huffman meanwhile said drinking pre-flight can make you feel more intoxicated than you are due to the pressurised cabin.
He said getting drunk faster could affect your decision-making ability in a high-stress situation on a flight.
Map reveals cheapest airport pints in UK - where does your closest hub rank?
Huffman said: "Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning that it increases urination and thus fluid loss.
"Paired with the already drier air of an aircraft at altitude, this is a recipe for rapid dehydration.
"Once dehydrated, you can expect to suffer from headaches, fatigue, and to experience jet lag more intensely upon arrival."
Huffman didn't rule out having drinks pre-flight, instead the doctor said flyers just needed to remember to drink lots of water.
Meanwhile, a study has revealed where Brits can find the cheapest pint before jetting off on holiday.
They don't come cheap with most punters paying more at airports than they would at their local.
Luxury travel platform Velloy shared its "Airport Pint and Prosecco index" which looked at the average cost of a pint and glass of prossecco across the UK's busiest airports.
Glasgow International took the number one spot, where the average price of a pint at the airport's bars was the cheapest, but still came to a whopping £6.06.
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Punters searching for the cheapest drink in the airport can order from Tennent's Pier Bar which offers pints from £4.79.
Unsurprisingly, the most expensive pints could be found in London's airports, with Luton, Heathrow and London City taking the bottom three spots.
I did a Wetherspoons pub crawl around Gatwick Airport – here’s the best one for a pre-flight pint
By Ryan Gray
THE pre-flight pint is something of a tradition for British holidaymakers, no matter what time they're at the airport.
Wetherspoons is arguably the most visited of the airport boozers, with bars in most of the country's big travel hubs.
Included in that is Gatwick Airport, where there are no fewer than three Spoons pubs, spread out across its two terminals.
So I thought I'd pop along to the airport for a little Gatwick Wetherspoon pub crawl to find the best place to kill time with a pre-flight pint or two.
They're pretty reliable with the quality of the service and food comparable to the typical Wetherspoons experience, so you know exactly what you're getting.
My favourite of the three was the Flying Horse, with it's more chilled atmosphere and calmer location a winner for a pre-flight drink.
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