Well, I am 17 years old......
In 10 days I will be flying to LasVegas from Chicago and on my way back I will be stopping in Denver. I am worried, I am afraid of going so high in the air, I am scared that I will get lost in Denver or something, or lose my baggage.......I am so freaked out!!! What can I do to make myself more comfortable during my time at the airport and on the plaine?
Can someone gimme advice....you all probally flew thousands of times...

Maggie welcome to flyer talk . I don't fly as much as most people on this site, but I know what makes me feel good on a plane. I still get a big thrill looking out the window and when there is nothing to see I read. You don't mention if you are flying alone or not. Playing cards is a fun way to pass the time. One of the last times I flew with my sister, we were enjoying a game of cribbage so much, the people in front of us asked us to be hold the noise down.
About your luggage being lost, it can happen but probably won't. The airport is a great place to people watch. Try to relax and enjoy the adventure whatever happens.

Hi Maggie,

I haven't flown THOUSANDS of times, but hundreds, for sure. I sometimes still get nervous. But then, I think how (and this is TRUE) flying is MUCH safer than driving. There are THOUSANDS of flights every DAY of the year, and MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of people fly each year, and almost without exception, they all arrive safely. I've seen programs on television about what these planes can withstand, and they can literally bend the wings up to almost vertical before they break. These planes are SAFE and the pilots of GOOD and the computers are GREAT. Strike up a conversation with someone near you, it will help take your mind off things. Just try to relax, breathe, and try to enjoy the experience!!

To work through this, let's face some of the bad things that happen.

Luggage. It does get lost from time to time, but 95% of the time it doesn't.

If it gets lost on your way home, it's not so critical - after all, you have more clothing at home.

So, assume for the moment it WILL get lost. Be sure to pack clothing and personal grooming items (toothbrush, hairbrush, etc.) in a carry-on bag. Also pack anything of value (dollarwise or sentimental) in your carry-on.

As far as getting lost is concerned, as long as you stay within the secured area (ie: don't walk out past the metal detectors), it is pretty easy to navigate airports. You also usually have about an hour to make it to your other gate. If you are nervous, ask if there will be an airline representative at your gate when your 1st flight lands (usually there is), and they can point you in the right direction.

As far as the safety goes, it is hard to really dispell fear. You'll have to work your way through it. If it helps, you might want to remember that the folks maintaining and flying the plane have thousands upon thousands of hours experience.

Enjoy your flight!


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"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."

Thank you for repilying.......
And I will be flying alone, and picked up by someone I haven't met ever before so I am also nervous about that. I know it will be ok, it usually is ok, but I am so nervous about being alone in an airport where I don't even know the person who is picking me up........also being alone in Denver is gonna be horrible, I don't even know where that is.......
I will be there completely alone........
ahhhhh

Also, where can I find some information about the plane that will be taking me there....?
My FrequentFlyer friend told me I was going to be on a really nice air plane, but I have no clue what he is talking about.....
Is there a site where I can find info about planes and everything else that I might need or want to know?

[This message has been edited by Maggie (edited 10-20-1999).]

There are sites which other Flyertalkers can direct you to and find out what type of plane you would be on. You could also call the airline and find out what type of aircraft your flight is.

Jon Toner offers good advice, if you can and don't need much items, you should try to get a good roller bag that would fit in the seat in front of you, or in the overhead bin, so you don't have to check anything. DO NOT REPEAT DO NOT PUT WALLETS, JEWELRY, CASH, VALUABLES IN THE SUITCASE. IF YOU HAVE TO CHECK IT IT CAN GET LOST.

I don't know if this is possible, but you are still a minor under the law (sorry, even though 17 year olds are like adults today!) Could your parents arrange for a Flight attendant or airline employee to walk you off the plane and hang with you a few minutes so the person meeting you shows up and everything's ok. Of course, you can probably handle meeting strangers better than me (I'm 33 and still get uneasy!)

Good luck and one more piece of advice from this ancient Cat lover: USE YOUR OWN COMMON SENSE AND YOU'LL BE FINE.

Please post a followup trip report when you are done!

Here is some informations and tips You may need before leaving for Las Vegas.
I'm pretty sure you are going to fly on UA ( duuuh .. I fixed your itinerary )

Let's start :
Here is some packing tips : http://www.ual.com/traveler/default....cking_Tips.asp

Chicago O'hare International and Denver International airport maps :
O'hare at http://www.ual.com/images/arptchicago.gif
Denver at http://www.ual.com/images/arptdenver.gif

You will be flying to Las Vegas on 3 diffrent planes :
ORD-LAS on 757-200 http://www.ual.com/traveler/on_board/B757_200.asp
Seat map of 757-200 at http://www.ual.com/traveler/on_board/seatB757200B.asp

LAS-DEN on 737-300 http://www.ual.com/traveler/on_board/B737_300.asp
Seat map of 737-300 at http://www.ual.com/traveler/on_board/seatB737300B.asp

DEN-ORD on 777-200 http://www.ual.com/traveler/on_board/B777_200.asp
Seat map of 777-200 at http://www.ual.com/traveler/on_board/seat777B.asp

Take care and have a great trip !!


[This message has been edited by Damian (edited 10-20-1999).]

[This message has been edited by Damian (edited 10-20-1999).]

bravo - great help Damian

Maggie:
Denver is in the very middle of some of the most beautiful country in this very beautiful country. You'll love it. I'm surprised someone from Chicago didn't even know where it is. Let us know what happens.
Oh, yeah: Airplanes ARE safe.

Travel IS dangerous. But only when you are not on an airplane. Once you get out of the taxi or car and walk to the terminal, your chances of being hurt or killed are reduced so significantly that you get into the "as x approaches zero" realm.

In other words, you should feel about 10,000 percent safer in an airplane than you do in a car...As they like to say, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight (esp. on the 777!)

Just cool it kid and have a good time with a new experience. Like Catman says, use your own best judgement and this is true for all life experiences. Please let us know how it all went, the good and bad, included.

Maggie, I read recently that Paris is Aretha Franklin's favorite city, but she hasn't been there in years because she became too scared to fly.

Moral: even if you're gritting your teeth and clenching your armrests (does the phrase "white knuckle flyer" ring a bell?), just think about the places you'd deny yourself by not flying (starting with Las Vegas, if that hole floats your boat).

Bon Voyage!

Hello, and again welcome to Flyer Talk. I too took my first flight when I was 17. It was on the Trump Shuttle, now the US Airways Shuttle. I traveled Boston to New York LGA. I was visiting my older sister, in the big apple. I am sure you will be fine on your trip. The airport and airplanes are great places to watch people. If your luggage gets lost, there is a good chance the airline will give you a voucher good for a discount on your next trip; if you just ask. My luggage recently got lost when I visited Tampa, FL, and I was given a $75 voucher or 3,000 miles. I chose the miles. If your bag is lost, they will deliver it to the place you are staying in. This could either be your home, or the place you are visiting. If for some odd reason, you miss your connecting flight in Denver, they will put you on the next flight. If you miss the last flight of the night, they will probably put you up in a hotel, give you vouchers for food, and maybe put you in first class. You have an advantage being 17 years old, they are much much more likely to do whatever it takes to help you out if something goes wrong. Like I would bet you the price of a hotel room, that if you get stuck, they will give you a free hotel and food. But you have like a 95% chance that all will go as planned. But if something happens, the airline will help you to resolve it. When you get a little older, they might not always be as helpful, but at age 17 you will have a real advantage of the rest of us in the rare instance something does happen to your connection or your bags. So enjoy the flight, and do let us know how it goes and of your impressions. Let us know too what you see in your people watching.

well
i am flying tomorrow morning <IMG SRC="http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif">
i can't wait!
i am so excited <IMG SRC="http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif"> i guess i am over my fear of flying......but now what worries me is that the person who is to pick me up wont show up.....
i guess i am just nervous........i am sure everything will be ok.....
thank you all for such wonderful advice <IMG SRC="http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif">
<IMG SRC="http://talk.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif">

[This message has been edited by Maggie (edited 11-06-1999).]