First time flying

[NC State]

We were thinking about the train but it's more than driving. We're now thinking about flying. We have ever taken a plane for anything. With that said here's my questions (so far):
1) where to look to get the cheap tickets, what if we change our mind could we get refunds?
2) what's some of the rules with liquids? what can I take and not take?
I'm so new I don't know what questions to ask, I need HELP!

 

[maxiesmom]

Buying airfare is a total crap-shoot. Sometimes you get lucky and find a great deal, if you wait too long the prices may rise.

Your best bet is to find out what low cost carrier flys out of an airport that is close enough for you to drive to. Southwest, Jet Blue, Air Tran, Spirit are all know for their relatively low fares. If you are planning far enough out, sign up for travel notifications from different web-sites. I just got extremely lucky and was able to book airfare from Flint, MI to Orlando for 6 people for about $440 dollars, thanks to an e-mail alert.

Each airline has their own rules about refunds. Most will give you a voucher that needs to be used within a year, if you happen to change your mind.

The liquids rule is for carry-on luggage. Each passenger can must place their liquids in a quart size baggie. It has to be quart size, not gallon or anything else. One baggie per person. All liquids in the bag have to be in bottles that are 3oz or less. So if you want sunscreen, eye-drops, or whatever else on the plane with you, you have to find small containers. And the screening agent needs to be able to see each item in the bag clearly and easily, plus the bag must be closed. The baggie gets screened seperately, so you have to have it out of your carry-on and in your hand so you can toss it in a bin to be screened. This also means that any water or coffee you buy before the TSA screening area has to be gone before you go thru screening. Our local airport has signs all over, and you would not believe how many people were mad they had to toss their Starbucks out.

Good luck on your first flight!

 

[avspilot69]

I used Priceline.com. You can also use your local AAA club or Yahoo Travel to get reasonble tickets. Usually Priceline.com and Yahoo Travel are pretty close when in comes to price differences. Once you get a quote, and BEFORE you actually purchase the tickets , go to the website of whatever airline the ticket your purchasing and enroll in that particular airline "club". For example, with Delta, enroll in the Delta Skymiles program so you can avail yourself with their respective advantages such as printing your own boarding pass at home, and registering skymiles etc.

Refunds - the insurance offered have some strict rules such as sudden illness, death in the family etc. You generally cannot just get a refund if you change your mind. There are however, some ridiculousy expensive tickets where you can cancel. I could be wrong on this.

Liquids - I would suggest read the TSA website and your chosen airline for more accurate info.

 

[NC State]

I am looking at Delta they have a non-stop flight to Orlando. Southwest doesn't have their September schedule out yet. Thanks!

 

[TDC Nala]

Each airline has their own rules about refunds. Most will give you a voucher that needs to be used within a year, if you happen to change your mind.

Most airlines also charge a fee per ticket for any cancellations or flight changes. There are fully refundable flights available on most if not all airlines, but they are usually very expensive.

 

[fla4fun]

If you have never flown before, take a little time to educate yourself about the different sounds and sensations you may experience on a plane. It helps a lot with any nervousness if you hear something or feel something and can think "Oh, that must be ______!" instead of wondering what's going on.

Also, when checking out different airlines, be sure to check out the baggage restrictions as far as size goes, especially for carry on bags. If you've traveled by car for years, you may have suitcases that are larger than the carry on size allowed by most airlines. I know I had to go out and buy new carry ons when taking my first flight in 25 years. My old bags were fine for checking, but not for carry on.

Last, but not least, for your first flight I would definitely book directly with whatever airline you choose, instead of going to a wholesaler. There's nothing wrong with going to Expedia, Orbitz, or any of the other wholesalers, but if you should have a problem, it's easier if you only have the airline company to deal with. For your first flight, you want it to be as smooth and easy a trip as possible - that way you're sure to try flying again! Even if it costs a little more money, I think it's worth it in the long run.