Newbie to flying

[Puggs]

We have never flown before and are planning to in Sept. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions we need to know about?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Escapecar]

My thoughts on lower-stress flying:

1. Get to the airport early. It's better to have to burn an hour sitting around in the airport than it is to miss your flight because something went wrong and it couldn't be sorted out in time.

2. Bring some gum, because pressure in the inner ear isn't much fun. The chewing and swallowing will help the pressure equalize.

3. If your sinuses are congested that day, take an antihistamine and a decongestant. Pain in your inner ear isn't at all fun, and if you are seriously clogged up the gum won't help much.

4. If you are checking luggage, try to limit your carryons. They are a hassle, IMO. I try to limit myself to a backpack that will hold my camera, MP3 player, and some reading material.

5. However, it's a good idea to stick your toothbrush and some extra socks and underwear in your carryon. If a checked bag gets misrouted, it can take a day to catch up with you.

6. If the flight gets bumpy because of turbulence, close your eyes and think peaceful thoughts. (This helps me, anyway!)

Anyone else??

 

[kilee]

I have to agree don't overload on the carry-on's. Keep them simple. I on the other hand HATE sitting around an airport. I get to antsy (I really don't care to fly and sitting there waiting makes me anxious). In airports like MCO where it can be really busy though-- you need to be early. If you live in a smaller metro area than ask other's who have flown recently how early they recommend you to arrive. In our hometown I only plan on getting to the airport 60-70 minutes early. In orlando though I will arrive about 2 hours before my flight, just to be on the safe side.