Flying for the first time this summer...

ryanjoachim

As the title says, I'll be flying from Fort Wayne, IN to PDX this summer. I'm driving down there with my cousin for his wedding (Aug. 6th), and visiting my sister while I'm on the side of the state.

For those of you who fly, do you have any tips/suggestions for airlines, baggage, etc? I just want to make my first (and probably last) flight be something less than a nightmare.

bobman1235

Flying is unpleasant, but there's a helluva lot of world out there that you're missing if you're avoiding flying your whole life.

Jstas

That's a long haul for your first flight! You're arms are gonna get tired!

skipf

DFW to PDX isn't a bad flight at all. You might run into some thunderstorms around DFW that time of year though. Try to sit on the left side of the plane in front of the wing. The view of Mt. Hood coming into PDX is awesome.

ryanjoachim

I have a thing about heights (looking at tall buildings gives me vertigo) so chances are I'll stick to an isle seat if possible.

Anyone have suggestions of airlines to avoid? I'm looking at Delta right now for my flight.

steveinaz

Pack light, be flexible, bring plenty of magazines. Picking an Airline is like picking a president; you don't pick the best person, you pick the least worst.

mrbiron

I always fly Southwest.

bobman1235

ryanjoachim wrote: »

I have a thing about heights (looking at tall buildings gives me vertigo) so chances are I'll stick to an isle seat if possible.

You got a doctor? Get some Xanax or something.

Outfitter03

Flying has changed a lot in the last 10 years, mostly for the worst. But if you want to see things in this world and don't have unlimited time and money it is a necessary evil.

The screening and boarding process has gotten more difficult. It is best to wear slip on shoes as you will need to take them off and don't carry any metal you don't have to. There is information at all the airline websites on what is permissible to carry on.

Most of the airlines are similar. Southwest being the only real difference as it is more laid back, nicer seat size in coach but no reserved seating.

If you have the bucks, first class is really the only comfortable place to travel with more personal space and usually service that is pretty good. Coach travel of today on airlines has become more like bus service of 30 years ago, but with less room. A good travel partner helps the flight go quicker or else I usually take interesting magazines to read. Mostly flying has become something to be endured.

On my first plane flight as a 4 year old child, the person in the row ahead of us brought along a parachute. This was a DC-3 and I have no idea if there ever was a situation where he would have been allowed to use it. Not really ancient history, talking 1963. It was cool to watch the props fire up though, always wanted to be next to the window!

AsSiMiLaTeD

Regarding the fear of heights thing...
One thing to keep in mind is that when you're up that high it doesn't look or feel like it. Most people that I know with a fear of heights fly just fine. The thing about heights is that perception is based alot on a reference for size. So you're standing on top of a building and it looks and feels high because there are objects around you that you can use as a reference - I know what size a car or person should be and when I'm higher up I know it because that car or person looks much smaller, so I have a reference point.

The thing about flying is that you're high enough up that you don't have many reference points, when you're at 30,000 ft everything below just looks flat for the most part.

I don't know if that's the case for everyone, but it is for the folks that I know. I have a friend who literally gets dizzy looking down when we're on the upper deck at the driving range, but flies just fine even in a window seat.

Regarding general flying tips...
It's really all about avoiding stress where you can.

If you can afford to fly first class, do it. It takes alot of the stress out of flying. It's more comfortable and you generally have better accomodations. Most importantly, you're the first one off the plane. The thing I hate most about flying is unboarding the aircraft which takes a long time, so I use my first class upgrades when I can.

If you can't afford to fly first class, alot of times you'll have the option to upgrade your ticket to one of the first two rows behind first class, this will vary based on the jet and airline you're on as well as how crowded the flight it is. I fly American and mostly MD80 jets, and when I can't or don't want to use a first class upgrade, I always pay an extra ten bucks to get a seat on the first row behind first class, and almost always have that option unless I'm running late. These seats usually go fast, so depending on your airline either try to grab those when you book or try to get to the airport early and grab one then.

If you can avoid checking your bags that'll save you the hassle of waiting for those when unboarding and the stress of worrying if they'll get there safely.

Get to the airport early. I fly so much these days that I like to play a little game where I see how close I can cut it without missing the plane :-). This being your first flight though, you're going to be nervous as it is, having an added stress of worrying whether or not you're going to make the plane isn't going to help.

If you can wear slip on shoes that'll help you get through the line quicker (you'll have to take your shoes off). If not, wear shoes that are easy and quick to untie, wearing full combat boots that take 5 minutes to untie isn't a good idea.

When you get to the line, everything out of your pockets. If you've got a laptop, it needs to come out of your bag.

Alot of these are minor things, but knowing this stuff before hand will reduce stress. The security checkpoint line is already a cluster and everyone always seems to be in a hurry, knowing the rules and doing things to make that go smoother will help out.

Jstas

Yeah, if you have anxiety about heights, talk to your doc. They can give you some tranquilizers to settle you down and let you sleep or something on the flight. Lotsa people do it and some airlines even recommend it for long flights over seas.

Also, don't fly on an empty stomach. If you've never flown before you don't know how it will affect you but if your stomach is full, you are less likely to be queasy cause there's something in there. I know, if you feel like you're gonna be sick, it's not intuitive to fill up but most people get sick from turbulence. They get sick because it can be jolting at times and your stomach juices bounce around and make you feel nauseous. Same idea behind sea sickness. A full stomach will also give you that sleepy food coma and it helps you relax. Besides, airline food sucks and since you have to pay extra for it now, it's better to fill up before you leave than to try and fuss with the "snacks" they give you on the plane.

Motion sickness pills won't hurt either. Dramamine will help you sleep too. Motion sickness is different from sea sickness. Motion sickness usually occurs when you can't see the horizon clearly but you know you're moving and your body gets all out of whack trying to compensate for a balance issue that isn't there. Sea sickness usually occurs because of the rhythm of the waves messing with your equilibrium. Turbulence and the oscillation of the plane engine droning can have the same effect. I like the window seats because of this. I get sea sick but not necessarily air sick. If I can look out the window and watch the horizon for a bit though, I can get myself to calm down so I don't ralph. If you do take motion sickness pills, take them BEFORE the flight starts, like an hour or more before. They don't work if you're already sick.

A window seat isn't bad if you plan to snooze the entire flight. You can put the shade down so you can't see directly out the window and freak yourself out.

Oh and booze affects you differently at altitude. It's very easy to over-indulge on a plane, especially if you take tranqs or other pills that alcohol can affect. Besides, who wants to pay $9 for a Budweiser anyhow?

That has been my experience with flying. For the most part, people suck and it's even worse when they are all crammed in to a long aluminum tube. Patience and an even temper go a long way. Be courteous to the flight attendants and gate attendants. They will be more than happy to help you out if you are a pleasant individual to deal with. If you need help, ask, that's why they are there. The only consolation is that he flight won't last forever. I used to average 88,000 miles in the air a year when I was doing remote support for the Navy. Some of it was pre-9/11 but most was post-9/11. Things were easier pre-9/11.

ryanjoachim

On the airline webpage, they listed the sizes that are allowed as carry-on/check-in...can someone give me a visual as to the kind of size they're talking about? I'm terrible with measurements like that.

And thanks for the tips Jstas and Assimilated - I've never been higher than a 4 story building in my life, but I do know that I tense up when driving over tall bridges. I'll talk to my Doc about it.

jamesguthrie

Bring your iPod and a decent pair of noise-isolating earphones. While it's nice to have music, it's even nicer to not have to hear babies crying, people coughing, and other such sounds that can cause anxiety.

James

AsSiMiLaTeD

You usually get a carry-on and what they call a personal item. The carry on is going to be the smallest piece of luggage you'd typically find with wheel and a handle - couple feet tall or so. If you hvae a luggage set it's likely going to be the smaller piece with wheels. The personal item would be something like a laptop bag.

John brings up good point on eating before you go, but I'd avoid anything too heavy, get yourself a good sammich or something before you board.

Also, +1 on the noise cancelling headphones.

TECHNOKID

ryanjoachim wrote: »

I have a thing about heights (looking at tall buildings gives me vertigo) so chances are I'll stick to an isle seat if possible.

Anyone have suggestions of airlines to avoid? I'm looking at Delta right now for my flight.

Heights are no big deal in a plane since as mentioned there is not much reference for you to trigger the fear. Travel light and enjoy the ride.

mrbiron wrote: »

I always fly Southwest.

Yep, great way to travel on a plane, IMO it beats the bungee jumping experience :cool:

Coach travel of today on airlines has become more like bus service of 30 years ago, but with less room.

You are right about this, my only beef with air travel nowadays, the crappy and uncomfortable seating of some of the cheap airlines. IMO, my 13 hours trip in a Hercule aircraft was more comfortable than some of those cheapo airplanes.

To the OP, do your self a favor and book some like first class if budget allows you to do so. Airplanes are still the safest method of travel and it should be enjoyable.

ryanjoachim

First class for my trip is anywhere from $800-1000 more than a standard ticket, so that's out of the question.

Danny Tse

I flew JetBlue about 6 years ago from San Francisco to Washington, and it was quite pleasant. Didn't sat in first class or anything like that, but comfy seats with DirecTV available.

Perhaps someone with more recent experience on JetBlue can chime in?

ryanjoachim

JetBlue doesn't fly to where I'm going though, I checked. I've heard good things about them recently also.

So far, it looks like I'll be flying Alaskan Airlines, with one stop in Minneapolis.

thesurfer

Ive flown many times,, working for the railroad,, Your first time,, you might feel your ears pop,, Thats normal,,, The fun part is you can feel the takeoff thrust,,, Bad part is running into bad Turbulance,,, that is air currents,, you feel them,,

bobman1235

Funny, I always feel MORE comfortable with soem turbulence.... something about it feels more real. Smooth flying was always disconcerting to me.

Sherardp

Been flying around the world with work a ton. So much now that I actually hate to fly. I've been on some rough flights and it's just down right scary at times. As for your 1st flight, you should be fine, some mags to pass the time; Ipods/Ipad, and anything I-something, surely help pass the time.

ryanjoachim

If I have a layover of 3 hours in Minneapolis, is it worth my time to try and find something to do in the town? Or should I just hang out in the terminal?

bobman1235

3 hours? Are you crazy? Stay in the terminal.

AsSiMiLaTeD

With 3 hours I'd just hang around in ther terminal

ryanjoachim

bobman1235 wrote: »

3 hours? Are you crazy? Stay in the terminal.

Good answer.

bobman1235

Sorry, forgot this is your first time flying. Three hours, while it seems like an eternity, is really not much. By the time you de-plane, it'll be more like 2.5 hours, and boarding usually starts like 40 mins before departure, so you're down below two hours. If you leave the airport, you have to go through security again, and while it can sometimes be quick, you always want to leave an hour or so in case it's not, so you are down to less than an hour. Airports aren't downtown, so you'd never have time to leave, get a cab / take public transpo somewhere useful, and come back. Certainly not enough time to make it worth the hassle.

nadams

3 hours is just enough time for you to refuel yourself at the airport bar.

ryanjoachim

nadams wrote: »

3 hours is just enough time for you to refuel yourself at the airport bar.

Pretty sure a couple white Russian's will help settle my nerves.