Whether your flight’s been delayed or you need to grease a border official’s palm, Charlene Fang and her ‘been there, done that’ sources have a survival guide for those worst-case travel scenarios

Q: What do you do when you’re crossing a border and the officials are expecting a bribe?
A: ‘You have two options: pay them off or just sit it out. Crossing borders can be particularly tricky. Once, on a trip across Tajikistan, a soldier tried to bribe us. He stopped us and insisted that all foreigners had to pay him a certain amount of money. He showed us this piece of paper with no logo, no official stamp – clearly unofficial. We refused to fork over the money so he insisted on searching every bag. The search went on for hours. Meanwhile, my partner and I refused to budge, and we didn’t lose our temper. There was no point in showing our annoyance even though the guard was clearly p*ssed off. Individuals who lose their temper are usually bluffing and will eventually back down out of sheer frustration when they cannot get a rise out of you.’
Dr Simon Davis, 29, head of nonprofit Pain for Gain (www.painforgain.com), has a severe case of wanderlust

Q: I love to travel but somehow always end up next to screaming children on a plane. Personally, I think children (and their parents) should travel in their own soundproof compartment. But until that happens, what can I do?
A: ‘Ahh…the perils of travelling. Here’s the thing: you can’t stop a child from crying itself blue in the face, and a pacifier only works until they spit it back out again. What you can do is pack a set of earplugs and an eye mask to ensure semi-decent sleep. If that fails, another good idea is to carry one of those paper fans you can flip open and shut. The movement (and sound) works like a charm with toddlers. Fingers crossed, they’ll get preoccupied with the fan, tire and fall asleep soon after.’
Hwei Ai, 30, travel journalist

Q: You’ve hired a car and a driver, but the driver has stopped mid-journey, demanding more money. What should you do?
A: ‘Once again, this is one of those “pay him off or sit it out” situations. In our case, our driver made a point of stopping the car and getting out for a smoke. After five minutes, we realised he was not budging, so we decided to join him and talk calmly about what he wanted. While it took close to two hours to get moving again, there was some satisfaction in getting him down to a much lower price than the one he’d originally asked for – that, and he spent the rest of the journey grumbling loudly. There is no failsafe, magic solution for dealing with problematic situations; it varies depending on the culture of the country. For instance, losing your temper might work in Africa, but you should never lose your temper with Asians. Remain completely calm, because the moment they see you get emotional, they’ve won. I’ve found that the trick is to have a big smile on your face and say the same phrase over and over again: “I don’t understand” or “Your country is very beautiful”. You’ll wear them down eventually.’
SD

Q: How do I find out if my flight has been delayed?
A: ‘Most airports have a number you can check regarding your flight status. In Singapore, the Changi Airport hotline is 1800 542 4422; but it still helps to have your flight number handy. If you’re close to a computer, check www.flightstats.com, which tracks flights all over the world according to flight number, route or airport. If there’s a typhoon brewing, keep calling right up until you leave for the airport so you’re not stuck waiting in a metal chair for hours. Note: if a typhoon signal has hit T9 or T10, it means you’re not going anywhere for at least 24 hours.’
Laura Dannen, 27, editor and travel junkie

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7 wonders of the world
Ex-banker DANIEL BUTCHER quit his job to tour the world for 15 months. Here are his golden rules of hassle-free travel

1 Never jump into a non-metered taxi without first negotiating a price.
2 Try not to show you’re scared even when people are yelling at you. There is a difference between someone who yells for the sake of it and someone who means to do you harm.
3 Do not travel with any contraband or illegal items at any time – and certainly not when crossing borders, when they’re likely to check your bags.
4 When in a crowded space (eg, in the streets for Pamplona’s Running of the Bulls), avoid carrying valuable items or wearing expensive jewellery – backpacks and pockets are easily accessed (or slit). Buy a disposable camera for those Kodak moments.
5 When facing testy immigration officers, answer all questions calmly. They’re looking for nervous people whose stories don’t add up.
6 Always keep US$20 (or the equivalent in local currency) for exit tax. You can also buy food and drink in case you’ve missed your flight or it’s been delayed. At some airports, the money may even buy you a shower and a warm bed – a blessing if you’ve been travelling halfway around the world.
7 Print out your flight itinerary and carry it with you at all times. Make sure the electronic itinerary is sent to your personal – and not work – e-mail. This seems like common sense, but you’d be surprised how often people get stuck without access.