Cheap Flights to Santos from HK$537

If you're not prepared, travelling can be a real challenge. But don't hit the panic button just yet. Follow these helpful hints and enjoy a pleasant start to your time in Santos. What to pack in your hand luggage:

• The trick to having a great flight experience is to pack in advance. First up, the essentials: passport, official ID, bank cards and important medications. Next, bring on board items that'll help keep you entertained, like some electronic devices or a thrilling book. It's also smart to pack your chargers, a quality neck pillow and a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. Finally, be sure to pop in toiletries like a toothbrush, lip balm and a clean T-shirt.

Do not pack the following items in your hand luggage:

• Make sure you don't have sharp objects (like a pocket knife) hiding in one of the compartments of your hand luggage. Other banned items include flammable or explosive goods, such as aerosol cans and bleach, and liquids and gels in containers with a capacity of more than 3.4 ounces (100 millilitres).

What to wear on a flight:

• The aisles of a plane are no place for a fashion parade. Layer your clothing and go for shoes that are flat, enclosed and easy to remove.
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can pose a risk on long-haul flights. It's the result of blood clotting due to poor circulation, so do some gentle leg and foot exercises in your seat and consider wearing compression socks or tights.

As seasoned travellers know, the secret is to be well organised before you arrive at airport security. That way, you'll be hopping onto that plane to Santos in a flash. Follow these tips and get your trip off to a terrific start:

• Your travel documents and ID will need to be inspected by airport security personnel. Keep them at hand to avoid fumbling around for them.
• Next up, both you and your hand luggage will be X-rayed. To speed things up, remove anything that might trigger the alarms. Items such as your belt, coat and headphones will be required to go through the machine.
• For just a few minutes, you'll need to unplug from technology. Your laptop, phone and any other electronics also need to go through the scanner.
• Remember to remove liquids and gels from your carry-on bag. They often need to be sent through the X-ray separately. Each product should be in a container no larger than 3.4 ounces (100 millilitres) and everything must fit inside a quart-size (one litre), clear zip-close bag.
• The right choice of footwear can save you several precious minutes. Hiking or heavy-style boots are often required to be removed and X-rayed separately. Slip-on shoes are usually not.
• Knives and other sharp items are not allowed in the cabin. They'll be confiscated at security, so put them in your checked bags.