Flying for the first?
 

I need some tips. In August I am going to being getting on an Airplane for the first time. I have read all the tips but knowing that a lot of teams travel via airplane. I know the robotics community will have some better tips for me and my mother (who has also never flown).

Note: I searched this topic and to my surprise didn’t find any topic like this one.

Re: Flying for the first?
 

Like what tips? Arrive really early?

Generally, when I fly, pack light, put everything you don't need in your carry-on that you would need during flight (iPod), don't purchase anything big in the airport, eat lighter than you normally would before and during the place, use Airborne (get it at CVS), and don't sweat it. Really, flying is safe, fun, and after you get passed security, hassle free. Just remember to pop your ears :P

Re: Flying for the first?
 

I find gum really helps with that.

Re: Flying for the first?
 

If you have sinus or ear problems, taking over-the-counter sinus medication about a half-hour before flighttime helps. Use the restrooms in the airport - much easier than on the plane... if you can juggle it, take anything you want to have in your seat with you (iPod, magazine, etc.) out of your carryon before you board - you don't want to be standing in the aisle trying to get your stuff out of your bag so you can stow it above and holding up everyone else who is trying to board. Take one set of clothes in your carryon in case you go to one city while your luggage goes to another! Try to get a window seat - you will enjoy the view. Check the flight meal situation - you may not get a meal or may have to pay for one and might want to eat prior to boarding or bring something along with you. Take into consideration that you could be delayed after boarding on the runway which could add time to your flight (and you might get hungry!) If you have connecting flights, do not put your ticket into the seat back in front of you (where you might forget it)- and let the airline employees know when you exit the plane - they should be able to direct you to the gate you need ot be at to catch your next flight, and if you're running late, they can call the other flight to let them know you are on your way.
Oh, and unless you're flying first class, airplanes are smaller than they appear on TV!

Re: Flying for the first?
 

Airplanes don't really bother me much but I always try to have snackage and beverages because I hate getting thirsty or hungry on a flight.
If the people around you are friendly be sure to talk it up! It makes the flight go a lot faster and its really neat getting to know those people
If they aren't, a book comes in handy
Wear layers, sometimes its cold, sometimes its not
You'll be fine, planes are cool

Re: Flying for the first?
 

Hey JulieB:
Congrats on air travel for you and your mom. I hope your flights are smooth and on time.

You have probably inhaled all the information you can get but if you haven't done it, get on line and look at the layouts of the airports you are going to be in. The layouts help me figure out what I'm doing esp. if I'm making connnections.

The airline folks at the gate can be helpful if you have any questions esp. if you get there early. Also once you board and are seated, hit the call button and tell the flight attendant that it is your first time flying. He/she will check on you and your mom during the flight.

Check in your luggage and carry as little as possible on the plane. The storage compartments are small these days. I like to slip right through security so I take off my shoes and let them go through the scanner. I wear very little jewelry so as not to trigger the system. If you or your mom do trigger the alarm, don't panic. They will take you to the side and use a wand to go over you checking for the item that triggered the system. It's usually earrings or a belt buckle or something in the shoe, just stay calm and don't make jokes. Also, I carry very little on board with me, keeping it light for security and for me, I'm not a mule. There are shops and food places along the way for you to pick up what you need but they can be expensive.

If you get cold easily, layer your clothing and they also have small blankets and pillows in the overhead compartment on the plane. When you deboard there will be signs to point you to the baggage claim and you can also ask the person at the gate to help you with directions. If someone is picking you up, make arrangements ahead of time for where you will meet. I like meeting in baggage so they can help with that if they want to. Make sure you exchange cell numbers with the people involved in your travel.

edit - there are emergency exits on the plane at the front and the back.
You might want to check your seat assignments and if they are next to the emergency exit, decide if you want to stay there or be moved to another seat. You can explain that you are new to this and the flight attendant will probably be understanding and helpful with your decision.

Enjoy yourself.
Jane

Re: Flying for the first?
 

If it's going to be a long flight, and if the opposite of what Anna~Marie said (the talking part) have something to do with you, an iPod may help but that can only entertain your ears. Try getting a soduku*spelling* book, or maybe a word search for when things get boring.

Re: Flying for the first?
 

1) Food. Some flights don't offer meals and sometimes the snacks aren't enough. Bring a snack.
2) Bring something to do, the flight might provide a movie (which I would take advantage of if you can) but if it doesn't, you'll want some music to listen to or a book to read.
3) If you think you're going to want to take a nap, get one of those pillow that curves around your neck. I have trouble sleeping beause my neck hurts so I just recently got one of those pillows for my future flights.
4) Comfortable shoes. If you want to take them off, go ahead but make sure they're easy to put back on.
5) I usually layer. Sometimes the flight gets hot, sometimes it gets cold. A thin 3/4 shirt with a jean jacket is usually sufficient for me but I keep a sweater in my carry on in case.

relax. if you have a window seat you'll find it quite exciting. I've taken amazing pictures on airplanes =)

Re: Flying for the first?
 

I love flying but the worst part, if it is a long flight, is staving of boredom. Definatly as everyone else said bring some sort of music device. If you get carsick easily, I would suggest not reading. A lot of times I bring a portable game device (ex. gameboy, psp, DS) that keeps you busy. But the best thing is try to enjoy yourself. The window seats are the best!!! :cool:

Re: Flying for the first?
 

The Sky Mall magazine they have in the pouch in front of you is a great way to waste time while waiting for the airplane to take off. :D

There are lots of crazy things that are easy to make fun of.

Depending on the length, you might want to bring something to do (exc. gameboy, laptop, magazine, coloring books?) I remember I was stuck when my friend took out his gameboy and I had nothing. On the way back we played Worms Armageddon and Truck Dismount on a laptop.

Before you leave double check your bag before you leave your house and make sure that there isn't anything you wouldn't want the security guards to find. Going through the metal detector is no big deal. Some, if not all, airports do random searches. If you don't have anything the security guards wouldn't like, it should be no problem. Every security guard is different. My sister's bag was searched and she was afraid they were going to take her Tech Fusion (279) button. They didn't.

Have fun on the airplane. These are people you most likely wont ever see again. Make conversation with people around you.

Re: Flying for the first?
 

First time I flew (enroute to Coast Guard boot camp) I had my nose glued to the window the whole way.

All you need to know is one thing: for thousands and thousands of years people watched eagles and hawks soar on the thermals and they yearned to be able to fly.

100 years ago all the money in the world could not buy you what we can experience today for a couple hundred bucks: a window seat at 35,000 feet, going 600 mph.

Forget about everything else. Enjoy the experience.

Re: Flying for the first?
 

Oh oh try for a window seat!!!!

Re: Flying for the first?
 

go see "Snakes on a Plane" first (see other thread)

Re: Flying for the first?
 

Well, I'm the opposite of some of these posts. I try to fit everything on my carry-on (if it's s short trip) to avoid the hassles of check-in luggage. I have twice - on non-stop flights - had my baggage not arrive until the next day. That said, you do have to be careful what you put in your carry-on. They are supposedly less strict now but I was flying with a friend who had his corkscrew confiscated from his carry-on.

We try to always get the emergency exit rows (you need to request it when you check-in). You get more legroom and the seats in front of you can't recline. There is nothing more annoying than to have the person in front of you lean back as far possible. The seat always hits my knees (and I am short!) and the backrest is only inches from your face.

Second best is the bulkhead seats - again more legroom, no one in front of you, and you deplane faster. But you have to use a smaller side tray instead of a tray from the seat in back.

Actually, first class is the best - I only flew that way once but it certainly is the way to travel! (But unless you have frequent flyer miles or are rich, you can only look upon them with envy).

Re: Flying for the first?
 

I just remembered the tip that I just learned that I like so much... bring a ziplock baggie with you - slip your jewlery, hair barrettes, wallet, coins, lifesavers, gum, whatever stuff you have in your pockets, into that and then as you approach the security checkpoint, you can easily slip off your shoes and place them into the plastic bin they give you, along with your baggie of stuff. It decreases the chance that you will set off the detectors, and is easy to grab on the other side of the xray machine. Your fellow passengers will also appreciate your not holding up the line fumbling to empty your pockets. (Your purse can go through the xray machine without being emptied). Keep the baggie for the return flight. It's handy to travel with one anyway, in case you have a wet bathing suit or something to pack for the flight home. I also put my shampoo, etc. in one so they don't leak out into my suitcase. And I put my name, home address and location where I am staying on a piece of paper on the top of my stuff inside my suitcase, just in case it goes astray.

Re: Flying for the first?
 

-It is ok to tell the self-important person sitting next to you that turning off the cell phone means him too. Or push the call button above you and when the flight attendants arrive, point to him.
-Most travel is summer involves delays of some kind. They are the rule rather than the exception. I just flew back from the west coast. I arrived home only 4 hours late. My husband, on a different flight, arrived home 19 hours late
-If you sit towards the rear, you encounter less crying babies. That said, I once flew with my youngest when he was about 6 months old. The ascent and descent really affects the pressure in their ears. So everyone said, give him a bottle. After the bottle, he had his little head on my shoulder and then proceeded to barf all over the impeccably dressed woman in a business suit next to me. Right down to the leather briefcase she had open on her lap....
-There is a lot of noise associated with the wheels going up and down. It is all normal.
-If you are flying Southwest (my favorite airline), check in online 24 hours in advance to get in the first boarding group.
-It's always good to pack light and carry-on. Bring socks to wear on the plane, especially if you have a window seat where there is often a blast of cold air. (hopefully not coming through the window ;) )
-You will need to show a photo id and your boarding pass to get through security. After security, put the id away. You won't need it.
-Have a great time! Ken is right. It really is amazing.
-

Re: Flying for the first?
 

I have found that on really long flights, (Minnesota to London) it is great to just go to sleep on the plane.

Re: Flying for the first?
 

I've lately been a fan of the train, but some of the concepts remain similar:

1) If your airport has free wifi, get it while it lasts. Unless you've got a monstrous layover, paying for it just isn't worth it.

2) Never, EVER, leave your bags unattended. Uncomfortable as it may be at times (have you ever tried to shoehorn two pieces of luggage, a bookbag, and yourself into a bathroom stall at Penn Station? I've done it), you just don't want to risk having anything removed (or added!) to your bag. (My advice: If you're in the situation of having to take luggage into the bathroom, try and wait for one of the wheelchair-accessible stalls. The extra space is definitely an advantage.)

3) About midflight, take a moment to stretch your legs. It'll help.

4) Gum is good. Matter of fact, food in general is good; most airlines will let you bring your own on board. (Of course, when I flew Independence Air, I was fine with the bag of chips and a soda to hold me over until I landed whereever I was landing. YMMV.)

5) If you're only doing carry-on, the kiosks are generally faster. (I've never tried checking bags with a kiosk, so I can't vouch for that.)

6) Bring some good over-the-ear headphones. Even if you don't have an CD or MP3 player, the person sitting next to you will invariably have theirs turned to 11.

Re: Flying for the first?
 

Does anyone besides me love the smell of airports?
I love it.
And, there are often murals/history/art displays in the airports -
I was looking at one display yesterday morning at 6 a.m. in the Austin airport. It was a tribute to the flying airmen and women spanning the decades. In one display case there was a red satin 'flag' with a poem for Mother printed on it. It was very old with gold and red cording. I had never seen one before and was very surprised and touched.

Re: Flying for the first?
 

You'll have a great time! Just remember to relax and enjoy the experience!

I took a trip with my mom last summer, and while it wasn't the first time we had flown individually, it was the first time we'd gone together.

My top five list of things to have:

1. GUM! or hard candy if you can't do gum. I have a really bad time with the altitude/pressure change, and gum really helps re-balance the eardrums.
2. Benedryl... or other mild antihistamine. Same reason as Gum, it opens up those passages that get blocked with the change in pressure. And for some reason it has an anti-nausea anti-motion sickness effect.
3. Bottle of water. They charge too much in the airport and the air in the airplane is always dry. Avoid the carbonated stuff, my son dropped on after it had been on the plane and it exploded everywhere in the airport.
4. A folder or wallet of some type that can hold your ticket, your itinerary, your id /passport. You will keep having to produce your id and ticket and you'll always want to look at your itinerary and check over and over again if you have your ticket, so it is handy if they are all together, when you tuck it in your carry-on.
5. Small notebook to journal with. My mom and I kept track of where we were, what we ate, what happened during the trip. When we put our notes together with photos and ticket stubs, etc we had a nice memory book.

Happy Trails!

Re: Flying for the first?
 

Gum is certainly key, water helps too. Somewhere I read that you get dehydrated quicker at high altitudes, and I can vouch for that being the case. Plus, if you have foreign citizenship, getting searched becomes much, much more likely, especially if you're going to another country. Every time after 9/11 that myself and my Dad have gone to Canada we have had 'random' baggage searches. (We both have Canadian citizenship) Walk relatively quickly through the metal detector (not suspiciously fast, though) it seems to help. The one time I set one off I moved slowly, and I usually have a belt and change and glasses. Get there with plenty of time too, it seems the closer you arrive to departure time the higher your chance of a 'random' baggage search. As for how long or difficult security is, that varies greatly from airport to airport. (Sometimes within the same airport too) Unless you're flying Air Canada (or is it Canada Air?) bring food, because the plane's is usually terrible. (That is, unless Air Canada's food has gone down in quality from the last time I flew on it)

Re: Flying for the first?
 

one thing nobody has mentioned: squelch your sense of humor at the airport - dont joke around with the security guards or the airline people about guns or bombs or knives...

dont make any snide remarks - anything you say will be taken seriously, and if you make wise cracks about having a bomb you will not be flying on anything in the near future.

Re: Flying for the first?
 

I recommend packing food cause they cost money on the planes now. Also bring plenty to entertaine your self so you can stay sain. sleep is deffinetly an easy task but if you sleep lightly you will need stuff to do. talk to the people around you and see what is that they do maybe you will have something in common.

Re: Flying for the first?
 

Never tell your team advisor its your first time on a plane

Re: Flying for the first?
 

During takeoff, try to visualize the amount of power that the engines must be putting out to move your plane to takeoff speed. Feel the power of the engines push you into your seat and hear the engines race as they increase their thrust. It pretty amazing once you think about it...
Also, while traveling through the air, start a conversation with another passenger. It will pass the time and you will be preparing to land before you know it. I find that talking about robotics will interest people of any age group.
For myself, it helps to bring cartoon books to keep yourself smiling and in a good mood. Makes the flight more enjoyable. Que tengas un buen viaje!

(Spanish: have a nice trip)

Re: Flying for the first?
 

Sometimes you will find something neat like this: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/25257?

Wetzel

Re: Flying for the first?
 

Depends on how long the flight is. But, ALL of the advice above is quite good.

In any case: a whole pack of gum for each ascent and descent.

Pack only the things you absolutely need - medicines, glasses, and maybe a book (long flights) in your carry on. Lost luggage is unlikely, but make sure the suitcase doesn't contain anything you'll need for a day or two in the very worst case.

Don't be frightened. Planes move funny and make strange noises compared to cars and robots. Fact: The most dangerous part of your trip is the car ride to the airport. Clunks, thumps and occasional fast up or down movements are normal. Landings are always bumpy and the plane often tilts to the side at the last moment (to counteract a crosswind).

Don't wear any perfume or other odors. Others on the plane are in close proximity, and may be sensitive.

I like Gabe's comments. Try it, it really is fun. Same on landing: After the plane touches down, it kind-of bounces slightly, and then they put on the BRAKES. Wow.

Arrive early at the airport. 2 hours waiting is better than missing the flight.

Once you're cruising, you'll want snacks - but avoid sugary snacks, they will make you hyper and trapped in a seat with nowhere to burn off the energy. Water too. Get up and walk around, it'll do you good. Just like being on the ground, there's little sensation of flight usually.

If you must use the restroom on board, early in the flight is less unpleasant than later. Interesting experience, though. Keep your hands clean! Germs abound.

I agree with the advice to tell the flight attendant as soon as you sit down it's your first. Most passengers - especially the business types - are experienced and can help explain what's about to happen if you get frightened.

Dramamine, if for any reason you have even slight motion sickness.

Get a window seat. I have flown all over the world, and it never gets uninteresting to look out (except over clouds). Even in the middle of the ocean, you see the occasional ship.

Good luck and enjoy the trip.

Don

Re: Flying for the first?
 

I will say first that I hate flying and prefer not to............one reason you've never seem me at the Championships ;)

I've only flown when the company I work for needed me to but, it is kinda cool, especially what Gabe and Don said. When I was at O'Hare taking off to go back to Connecticut (Bradley) the plane taxied for 20 minutes. The plane actually crossed one of the highways in Chicago by crossing an overpass! I watched the cars pass under us from my window. You can feel the tar joints as the plane keeps crossing them. The plane would start speeding up, hitting the tar joints harder and harder and I'm thinking here we go we're about to take off when it'd slow down again and turn. This went on for 15 - 20 minutes, by this time I started thinking the pilot was going to drive all the way to CT! After turning for the countless time the plane started speeding up again and I suddenly became aware of the fact I couldn't feel us hitting the tar joints anymore. I looked out my window and the ground was dropping away, the wheels were no longer touching the ground. We could then feel being pushed back into the seat as the nose of the plane went up.

On another flight the pilot tuned the conversation he was having with the control tower to a channel on our headsets, we could listen as they were talking during takeoff and landing. He would also come on the PA at times and tell us what cities and bodies of water we were flying over.

Re: Flying for the first?
 

In the not so distance past, several of the airlines would give a little pin in the shape of wings to first time fliers and children. That might be a neat keepsake - ask your flight attendant if they still give out wings. I think you have to be good but I'm not sure ;)