Flights to San Antonio, Playas from NT$14,917

If you're poorly prepared, air travel can be tough. But there's no need to hit the panic button just yet. Follow these tips and tricks for a comfortable start to your getaway in San Antonio. What to pack in your hand luggage:

• Traveling on a plane can be a cruisy experience if you bring the right gear. Firstly, you'll need toiletry items, such as toothpaste, a toothbrush and some deodorant, a spare change of clothes and a good novel. Next, make room in your bag for your mobile phone, a charger, your medications and perhaps a cozy neck pillow too. Lastly, and most importantly, be sure to take your passport, travel papers and some money.

Do not pack the following items in your hand luggage:

• Check carefully that you don't have a Swiss Army knife hiding in one of the zippers of your carry-on luggage. Other restricted items include flammable or explosive substances, such as fuel and matches, and liquids and gels in containers larger than 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters).

What to wear on a flight:

• Choose comfort over style. Prepare for changes in cabin temperature by wearing layers, and opt for flat, slightly roomy footwear like slip-ons.
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can pose a risk on long-distance flights. It's the result of blood clots forming due to poor circulation, so do some gentle foot and leg exercises in your seat and consider wearing compression tights or socks.

A little pre-planning before you arrive at the airport can make your trip to San Antonio easy and painless. We've compiled some useful tips and tricks for a swift journey past security:

• Airport security personnel first need to know that you have a valid passport and matching boarding pass before anything else. Have them within easy reach, ready for inspection.
• Next up, both you and your carry-on luggage will be X-rayed. To speed things up, remove anything that might trigger the alarms. Items such as your jacket, belt and headphones will be required to go through the machine.
• For just a few minutes, you'll have to unplug from technology. Your tablet, phone and any other electronic gadgets will need to go through the scanner.
• Don't forget to remove gels and liquids from your carry-on bag. They usually need to be sent through the X-ray scanner separately. Each product should be no larger than 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) and everything must fit inside a single quart-size (one liter), clear zip-close bag.
• Slip-on shoes are a good footwear choice as you're less likely to have to remove them when going through security. Hiking boots and other heavy-style shoes are often subjected to extra screening.
• Airlines will not allow any sharp objects in your hand luggage. If you must bring these kinds of items, check them in.