It's my first time to ride an airplane

[flowerandsunshine26]

I’m going to the states and visit my boyfriend I met in a foreign dating event last year. But, I’m quite nervous, it’s my first time to ride an airplane. They say it’s good inside the plane but still, you cannot deny the uneasiness a first timer will feel. Tell me, what preparations should be done (if there be any). Call me ignorant but I just want to let you know how I feel about this. Should I take some kind of pill to lessen the fright regarding my first flight? Thanks!

 

[jimntx]

1. Do not medicate yourself with anti-anxiety stuff. Waste of money. Regardless of where you are seated on the a/c, the take-off will be loud and as long as you are still on the runway, there may be some bumping. Don't worry, as the a/c climbs to cruising altitude, the cockpit will cut back on the engines which will lessen the noise. Don't worry about the cutback either. It's to conserve expensive jet fuel. Flight paths today don't require climbing straight up to reach cruising altitude quickly.

2, Boarding will begin 30-60 minutes (depending on the size of the airplane) prior to scheduled departure. If you are connecting, look at your boarding pass carefully. A lot of people--even people who have flown many times--mistake the boarding time for the departure time. Whatever time boarding begins, 10 minutes before that, GO TO THE REST ROOM in the terminal. You will probably have a cleaner environment and for sure, you will have more room to do your business. Also (trade secret) it really annoys the flight attendants for people to get on the plane and then immediately they have to go to the rest room because they have been sitting for two hours in the gate area without moving a muscle with a completely equipped rest room across the concourse from the gate about 15 feet away. These people also seem oblivious to the fact that they are delaying boarding going to and from their seat when they should be sitting in it.

3. If you are seated in coach, and it is not an International flight, there will not be a meal service in your cabin. There will be snacks and (depending on the length of the flight) sandwiches for sale. This is the expensive option. (That sandwich alone will be $10 or more). I suggest you spend some of that terminal wait time looking at the various food establishments and what they offer. In most airports (in the U.S) you will see brand name restaurants--Chili's, Applebee's, Au Bon Pain and local specialties. They ALL can prepare food to go. It will be fresh and it will be good, and probably will be less expensive than buying the stuff on the airplane. Don't bother buying drinks or food outside the airport. It will be confiscated by airport security when you go through security screening. Whatever you do, do NOT argue with airport security about anything. Especially in the United States, they have the upper hand and can deny you passage through the security portal.

4. Take magazines, books, Ipads,Kindles with you for entertainment. There may be a movie offered on the plane. There may not be a movie. Do not load yourself up with luggage Everyone moans about having to wait for their luggage at their destination. It's not more than a few minutes more, and you don't have to schlep it through the airports. (I would love to know what focus group they talked to when they started building airport terminals, and were told "what I really want is long, endless corridors to drag my luggage down and can you put some meaningless steep ramps in the concourse that will require dragging the luggage up a slope and then right back down? And, I know I'm asking a lot, but could you also carpet the concourse so that it will be really hard to drag those wheeled bags?".

5. Go to a luggage/travel store and buy everyone in your party a neck pillow. Some you blow up. Some have a pebbly stuff inside. Try more than one and get the one you like. It is a godsend on longer flights. You can't really recline your seat all the way (it's not fair to the person behind you, and you wouldn't want someone to do it to you). However, your neck still needs relief and those neck pillows are made for just that--to make up for the fact that the seat is just not quite right. Also, with the neck pillow, you will probably find yourself falling asleep due to the white noise of the engines. Do it. At 30,000 feet there's not much to see, and no, the flight attendant doesn't know the name of that town down there that has one stop light and 5 parking spaces on Main Street.

6. Above all, enjoy your flight. As Abraham Lincoln once said, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." You can be as miserable as you want or you can enjoy the experience. Your choice..

 

[jimntx]

Forgot to add...

I went back and re-read your original post and realized that you will be traveling to the United States from a foreign country--presumably one in Europe. When traveling to the United States on an International flight, be aware that the laws are a bit different. For instance, you may not use a restroom in any cabin except the one where you are seated. You may be in the first row in coach, but you cannot use the restrooms in Business Class or First Class. This does not apply when you are flying home from your trip--only inbound into the U.S.

When you book your flight, if you are connecting to a domestic flight at your first airport in the U.S, allow yourself as much time as you can stand to make your connection. You may get sick of waiting, but when clearing Customs there can be a delay in processing passengers through Customs and Immigration that might cause you to miss your connection. Allow at least 2 hours between your scheduled arrival time in the U.S. and the departure time of your connecting domestic flight. You must claim all of your luggage upon arrival, then once you clear C&I you have to re-check your checked luggage to your U.S. destination. Allow yourself at least 2 hours if at all possible.

 

[williamthomus]

In my first flight, I got a window seat. There was lots of excitement in my mind. The flight started and the airplane was moving slowly. I was sitting quietly and thinking about how amazing this is going to be. Speed suddenly increased and as the flight was going high in the sky. I was scared a little bit and landing was good. Overall my first flight was fabulous.