First Time Flyer
 

I'm a first time flyer...I'm not really worried about the flight itself,noises don't bother me and I'll have a Kindle to keep me company..what scares me is the process at the airport. I have no idea what I'm doing...I'll only have a carry on bag and a purse with me...I'm flying from Michigan to Louisiana with one stop in Houston..changing planes also scare me...any advice or tips would be most welcome...

have a purse that you cannot set down.
have enough book to read
get an ipod and in the ear phones
put a nice big ribbon of unique and bright color on your carry on.
wear easy off shoes
get an aisle seat(for rest room)
try to avoid the back of the plane. even if you are assigned a back of plane seat, try again at the airport.
check every now and then to make certain they have not moved your gate and plane.

when at airport, ask. get there early enough, and ask where whatever is.

i pack a lunch. most airport food is really bad, and expensive, since they really get gouged on the rent. i like wraps, with plastic wrap around the bottom to keep them out of my lap. if you plan to eat in houston, buy a soda at the newspaper place. if you plan to eat in Detroit, eat befor you go through tsa, and buy your drink out there.

if your plane gets canceled, and you must rebook. do not go to the designated kiosk. run out front beyond the gates and book at the initial check-in site.

for seat selection, do not sit on the sun side of the plane.

When I arrive at the airport, and prior to getting in the security line I take everything out of my pockets (wallet (after removing my ID), change, keys, phone etc.) and put them in either my jacket pocket or my carry-on bag as both of those will be going through the x-ray machine. Many people forget about their belts, and this can set of the metal detector so it's a good idea to remove that too. The end result is that the only thing I carry on my person while going through security is my ID and my boarding pass.

By doing this you will do yourself a favor, as well as those in line and those working the lines as it will speed up the process and make it less likely that you will set off any alarms.

If you are wearing a hooded sweatshirt, you will likely be asked to remove that too - unless you don't have a shirt underneath it; you may be asked if you have something underneath but if not and they ask you to remove the sweatshirt just let them know.

If you've had any type of surgery where you now have some sort of plate/pins let them know as those could likely set off the detectors (they'll wind up wanding you too).

As far as transferring to your connecting flight, you likely will not have to go through security again (it could happen at Logan if you were switching from American to US Air, or any airlines that are in different terminals).

Once you get through security, and find your gate, pay attention to any announcements or notifications about a possible gate change. And lastly don't hover around the jetway until they call your boarding group/row number; that is one of the biggest pet peaves of many travelers.

It's really not as intimidating as I've made it out to be, enjoy your flight.

Thank you for the help...now I'm wondering why I shouldn't sit at the back of the plane..LOL..I didn't request any certain seat,but I see the point of having an aisle seat...so you don't have to climb over anyone to get to the bathroom..it's only a 5 hour flight so I should be good until I at least get to my connecting flight...I planned on taking a few snacks with me..do they offer water or soda on the plane?Can I get that to take with me if they don't?I guess I forgot to mention that my flight was booked with Continental..

It's like anything else. You learn by doing.

Yes, in general, they offer water and soft drinks on the plane, but here's a good tip.

You cannot bring your own drinks past TSA, as they limit liquids to 3 oz or less in a zip-top baggie.

What you CAN do is bring your own empty bottle through TSA, then fill it up with water at a drinking fountain after you pass TSA. I have one of those nifty reusable aluminum water bottles and use that. You could also use a plastic bottle left over from prior use.

That way, you are carrying your own drinking water supply on the plane and can drink as much or as little as you like while in flight. The airplane air is really dry, so it's good to stay hydrated. If they offer water from the beverage cart, just let them fill up your personal water bottle.

I suggest you go to www.tsa.gov and read up on the security procedures. They have a lot of information for first-timers and you want to be prepared for the TSA security process.

Finally, while you are in the airport and have a question, just ask someone in an airline or airport uniform. They are used to people asking for restroom locations, directions to gates, etc. If you have a question while you are in the airplane itself, ask a flight attendant.

Thanks so much for the tip on the water bottle...thats a great idea!

Welcome to Flying! I would advise go to the airport early as this is your first time and ask, ask, and ask! Until you're a hundred percent sure, don't relent.. ask questions about proper procedure with the airline before getting to the airport, make a list on your cell phone/blackberry/iPhone, and follow it to a T. After your first time, it'll become easier.

I suggest you look up the website to the airline and the airports you are going to and look for info there (airport maps etc are handy) and print it out. If you are flying on the same airline all the way through the chance is high you don't need to change terminals at Houston.
Here is the link for terminal maps of George Bush airport.
http://www.fly2houston.com/iah-terminalMaps

sounds like obvious advice but it really helps with travel to:

* stay calm
* don't freak out
* ask tons of questions if you are unsure. even of other travellers around you if you can't find an employee. Lots of pros are happy to assist with general advice
* If something goes wrong be patient and ask more questions
* if you need help getting your bag in the overhead bin just ask someone around you who looks like they wouldn't have a problem lifting it. 99% of the other travellers around you will happily help you load it into the overhead.
* enjoy the trip! I fly 10-20 flights a year and still get excited every time I go to the airport.

Here's another suggestion. If possible, a few days before your trip, to to the airport and just look around. No pressure, just have a look.

See where you will need to go for check-in. See where you will line up for TSA screening. Go look at the baggage claim area and see what goes on there.

If you are unsure about anything, find someone with a uniform and ask.

There are a bazillion travel tips out there, but here's something people rarely think of.

Let's say you get to where you are going and find you forgot some vital item. Panic! What now?

YOU GO OUT AND BUY IT.

There are stores everywhere. If you forgot sunglasses, lip balm, a hat, whatever, just go out and buy what you need. When you return, you have a nice little souvenir of your trip.

As you are packing and getting ready to leave, the knowledge that you can just go out and buy something you might have forgotten greatly reduces the pre-trip stress.

start a packing list using excel. customize one for scuba, one for skiing, one for europe, etc.
list all your passwords on an excel spread sheet and carry it. i print mine on colored paper to find it. for me and my wife, this is 400 entrys.
put the number of the airline customer service on your cell phone. if there are delays, and huge lines at the front desk, call there and rebook.
carry a copy of your tickets and your schedule in a clear, tinted plastic folder. write your flight numbers, seat, gate,and times on the sheet with a marker in big print.
have some small money readily available. like put 5 ones in an outer pocket.
as mentioned before, you can buy a bottled soft drink after TSA at the news stand.
if you wish, get a flimsy plastic soda bottle with good screw cap, drain it, crush it, and put it in your luggage. once past tsa you can fill it.
i hav not flown CO in many years, but AA,UA,and US are in a cost saving mode. i think a 12oz can of soda is used to service at least 3 passengers.

Thank you all so much for the tips...to be on the safe side..I don't plan on bringing any toiletries with me....I'll be making a stop at the local Wal-mart to pick up whatever I need for my week of visiting with family...I will have some singles and change with me...just in case...and some type of bottle to fill with water...I've printed out a copy of my Itenary to carry in my purse,so hopefully it has all the info that I may need on it..before I leave for the airport I plan on calling to make sure my flight is on schedule...I won't have any checked baggage,just a carry-on and my purse...I plan on taking a sandwich and a few snacks...just in case...I'll have my Kindle with me so I'll be able to read during the flight and the hour and a half layover I'll have in Houston..and of course I'll have my Blackberry with me..

If you haven't already, choose your seat now. Go to CO's website and enter your confirmation number in the change or view reservations window--smack in the middle of their page and you should be able to choose a seat. If there is no seat available for you to choose, get to the airport early. If there are only middle seats, get one and then ask at the gate (someone who has been upgraded may leave an empty aisle seat).

Frankly, I'd tuck my purse into my carryon to go through security. Have your id and boarding pass out for the checker and then slip them into an outer pocket on your carryon. Retrieve after you've gone through security.

Take a deep breath. This will be fun.

There are three kinds of scanners: WTMD, MMW and backscatter machines. Scope out what kind your airport has. WTMDs look like door frames. MMW are open hexagonal things (picture here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millimeter_wave_scanner). Backscatter machines are dark, look similar to MMW but the sides are straight and closed. (The details are a bit hazy for me) Both the MMW and the backscatter machines generate pictures of your body without clothes. You may want to opt out of either. I always opt out of the backscatter because it uses radiation and I am leary of machines which generate radiation. Opting out will cause a pat down. My experiences have been OK with the pat downs. Others have had different experiences. You will be taken to another area (after waiting for 5 or so minutes for an agent) and the female agent (if you don't get a female agent, ask for one) will put on clean gloves (ask to make sure). She will begin with patting down your hair, then run a finger around your collar, pulling it away from your neck. She will pat down your back and then move to the front and pat down your front. She will tell you what she is doing before she does it. She will then pat down your legs up to your crotch. I generally wear blue jeans and so my experience is that the agent will stop before she gets to the crotch seam in my jeans--others have had different experiences).

Be somewhat aware of what is going on as you go through security. You are parted from your belongings. You want to make sure that you know where they are all the time. Other passengers or TSA agents can pilfer from your belongings (which is why I suggest putting your purse in your carryon).

Happy flying. Probably more than you need. Folks fly all the time and security is a hassle, but not torture.

I have nothing to add to the great advice already given on this thread, but I would like to add my compliments to the OP for making the effort to do the homework, and to locate this website/forum and ask questions. If only more first-timers would do this... ^

Pre-print your boarding pass
 

Save yourself the trouble (and time!) of waiting in line at the airport for your boarding pass by checking in online at home 24 hours before your departure. When you print your boarding pass at home you can proceed directly to the security line. Your connecting boarding pass will also print at this time.

At the airport, you can utilize the check-in kiosks to change your seat assignment if a desirable one wasn't available from home. If you misplace your boarding pass don't panic. You can reprint another at these kiosks.

If you are flying Continental you can locate "Print Boarding Pass" on its home page (dead center of page). All airline sites have this ability btw. Even though you can "Check Flight Status" ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS check the monitors at the airport and listen to any gate changes while waiting.

Have fun and enjoy your trip. It doesn't have to be as terrible as you may have heard. As been stated above, if you give yourself plenty of time there's no reason to be stressed out.

I just want to thank everyone for the great advice..I'm so Happy I found this site and asked for help...You all have made me feel so much better about my first plane trip..

Welcome to FT! :D


Relax and enjoy yourself!

As far as seat selection goes, I prefer a window. I never get tired of looking out the window! Clearly a YMMV thing. :) Whatever you choose, request a seat now, or else you might get a dreaded middle seat.:eek:

Usually you can get water and a soda of some sort on board for free. If I'm riding in the back and will be there for a couple of hours I tend to eat a meal before boarding, or bring a heavy snack for on board. (A box of chicken nuggets comes to mind as far as a heavy snack.) You will be able to buy a bottle of water once you pass security.

You may have seen threads about Kettles. Follow the advice on this thread and no one will accuse you of being one!

Request a seat now, or else you might get a dreaded middle seat.

The only toiletries I carry is a small shaving cream, razor, and deodorant. Shampoo, mouth wash and other liquids slow me down at the security line. Hotels, or in your case walmart, have everything you need at the other end. I visit my mom 4-5 times a year and I just keep a cache of hygiene items at her house!

tripit.com
 

I noticed you have a Blackberry.
If you're familiar with downloading/installing and using apps other than those originally installed, I would recommend the free service tripit.com and their smartphone app which you can get for free from here:
http://www.tripit.com/uhp/blackberry

I use tripit.com for every single flight I take.

I am pretty sure you received an electronic itinerary from Continental via email.
If you have registered with tripit.com, all you have to do is forward the itinerary email to "[email protected]". After a few seconds tripit.com has organized the whole trip itinerary for you, and it's readily available from the tripit.com Blackberry application.
It can also be extended to warn you of reschedules, gate changes (in the US), etc, for a small fee.

Oh, about the seating in the rear of the plane - there are several reasons why this might be better to avoid. Engine noise tends to increase the further back in the plane you are. The food carts might run out of stuff before they reach you. When boarding and exiting the plane, you will most of the time have a longer walk in the narrow aisle (unless you can board/exit at the rear).

These are all my personal observations/experiences, I'm no expert...

I wish you a great flight!

Regards,
Christopher

There are lots of great tips in this thread, but it doesn't look like anyone has outlined all the steps you'll go through from start to finish for your trip. I figured I'd write that up, just in case it's helpful to you or anyone else who finds this thread later.

Lots of this is obvious, so please don't take offense if it sounds like common sense - I figure it's better to be thorough for future travelers' benefit :)

• Sign up for the airline's frequent flier program and add the number to your itinerary on their web site. Doing this in advance can actually make your life easier at the airport - if you ever need to ask an airline employee to look up your flight information, knowing your frequent flier number can make that easier on them.
  
  
• Figure out how you're getting to the airport. Everyone has their favorite way of getting to the airport, and this varies from city to city. I prefer public transportation whenever it's available, but here in Seattle our light rail doesn't serve the neighborhoods I live in and the bus service is a bit spotty. (If you go this route, pay attention to make sure your flight times match the schedule, and allow lots of extra time.)
  
  If you choose to drive, carefully consider where you're going to park. If flying out of a small airport, like, say, Roanoke, VA, this is easy - just park at the airport, as the cost should be very affordable. If you're flying out of a big airport, though, onsite parking can be very expensive (again in Seattle, it's $30/day or something obscene like that). If so, you can bet there will be lots of reliable offsite parking lots like MasterPark, The Parking Spot, etc. that cost a fraction of that per day. Either way, you'll likely take a shuttle bus from the parking lot to the checkin counter, so allow time for that.
  
  A cab or a shared van service is also an option - ask around to find out if this is an affordable choice in your area.
  
  Finally, you can always bum a ride from friends. That's a good idea, too. (Which reminds me, I need to call in a favor to get a ride for my own next trip! :D)
  
  
• Arrive at the airport about 2 hours in advance. If it's your first time, you've got plenty of time, and you're nervous or curious, it won't hurt at all to get there 3 hours in advance. Once you get through security, if you have extra time you can just explore the terminal - one of my favorite pasttimes.
  
  
• Proceed to the airline's ticket counter. I recommend heading directly there as soon as you arrive at the airport.
  
  You may notice skycaps (baggage porters) at the curb who offer to help with your luggage - I usually politely decline or avoid them, since they work for tips and don't offer any services that the airline itself doesn't.
  
  
• Use the airline's kiosk to check yourself in. If you're checking bags, indicate that on the kiosk and pay the checked baggage fee; if you're not, just collect your boarding passes.
  
  This is one step you can experience at home - Delta has a really cool demo of their checkin kiosks at http://www.delta.com/traveling_check...demo/index.jsp that will walk you through the whole process. Continental's kiosks work almost identically, so this should be applicable for you.
  
  
• Or not. As an alternative to the kiosk, you can check in on the airline's web site from home. Just print your boarding pass and skip the kiosk entirely. Less of the airport experience, but you do save a few minutes :)
  
  If you're checking bags, you can still check in at home first and pay your bag fee online. Many airlines offer a discount of a few dollars if you pay before you get to the airport, in fact. If you do this, you still check your bags at the ticket counter kiosk - just log into the kiosk by scanning the boarding pass barcode you printed at home.
  
  
• Clear security. Again, I recommend doing this immediately after you've checked in at the ticket counter.
  
  Much has been written about this elsewhere, so I'll just add one tip: due to a variety of concerns (take your pick of radiation or privacy), I urge you to use your right to opt out if selected for a backscatter or millimeter wave scanner. (They're different than a metal detector - typically much larger and curvy with a video screen on the side, while metal detectors are thinner and boxy. You only need to speak up to say you opt out if they wave you towards that machine - if you're directed into a metal detector instead, you weren't selected for screening.)
  
  If you opt out, you'll get a brief patdown from the TSA - not nearly as invasive as you may have heard in the media, and in my opinion preferable to the alternative.
  
  
• Check monitors to find your gate assignment. This is the first thing I do after clearing security - flights often change gates at the last minute; just like in a parking lot, sometimes a parking space is taken when your inbound aircraft arrives :)
  
  
• Proceed to your gate. If you got to the airport early, this is a great opportunity to explore - check out the shops, grab a bite to eat, whatever you like!
  
  Whatever you do, be at the gate no later than 35 minutes before scheduled departure. The departure time on your ticket is actually the time the airplane pushes back from the gate and the door closes - to make that time, they'll close the gate 15 minutes before departure, and if you're not there by then you'll miss your flight.
  
  
• Follow the gate agent's directions to board. Usually this is as easy as listening for the zone number printed on your boarding pass and boarding when it's called.
  
  
• Have a great flight!
  
  
• When you get to your connecting airport, your first move should be to look for the information monitors again. Often, they'll even post connecting flight information right at your inbound gate - if so, you're in luck, but if not there should be monitors only a few steps away with flight listings.
  
  Find your gate number and follow the signs to get there. How rushed you are just depends on how long your layover is, but in almost all airports 45 minutes is enough time, and anything over an hour should give you plenty of breathing room.
  
  
• If something goes wrong or you miss your connection because your inbound flight was late, don't panic! Just find any airline employee and they'll be happy to point you in the right direction and get things fixed up for you.
  
  
• In the highly unlikely event you get stuck in a really bad situation, like severe weather or a cancelled flight - I recommend calling the airline while you wait in line to talk to a ticketing agent. You might get through faster and score a better route to your destination by being proactive. (This happens to me about once a year, and I fly 60+ segments - it's really not as common as you might think.)
  
  
• Board your second flight! Same as before...
  
  
• Arrive at your destination. Once you arrive, follow signs to "baggage claim and ground transportation". You'll walk past a TSA guard preventing people from walking in the exit, and you're done!
  
  
• If you checked bags, you'll reclaim them at a baggage carousel. There are usually signs assigning a carousel to a particular airline or flight, but in some small airports there may be only one or two carousels shared by everyone.

Hope this helps! If you have any more questions about the process, I'll be happy to revisit this post and fill in the gaps for you - just ask!

Enjoy your flight :)

This. So true - that's my favorite travel tip and I can't stress it enough. Some of my favorite travel memories have come from buying necessities I forgot, in fact.

I think the best example of this was my second trip to Tokyo. I flew there once in April, which is the most beautiful time of the year there - cherry blossoms in full bloom and beautiful, temperate weather. I loved it so much I went back a few months later, and I accidentally landed myself right in the middle of a humid, sticky summer day. With only jeans and long sleeve shirts.

Being a fairly tall guy (6'3+ish), finding shorts and a polo shirt that fit in Tokyo: not the easiest task :) But I loved wandering the city, ducking in and out of back alleys and multistory shopping complexes trying to track down something that worked. And now I have a favorite pair of cargo shorts and a great story to show for it as a souvenir.

Separately, I also own about five pairs of $8.99 Target sunglasses I've bought on trips. Never seem to remember to pack those when flying somewhere sunny... I've bought separate pairs in Texas, Virginia, Hawaii, and North Carolina, at -least-. (Fun fact - Seattleites buy more sunglasses per capita than anywhere else in the US. Sounds bizarre, until you realize that we lose them constantly because we rarely need them!)

I forgot to mention: If you are female, wear a comfy bra and carry supplies in case you-know-what shows up while you are on the plane.

You guys are the BEST! I'm so happy I found this site..you have helped me more than you know...I have my travel clothes all ready to go..wearing something comfy...no underwire..lol...slip on shoes...and the count down has begun..one week from today I'll be taking that first flight...I'm excited but still a little nervous..lol..I'm sure everything will be fine and you all have given me the best advice I could have gotten..

And last but not least, remember to write us a trip report on the proper subforum.

Keep Flyer Talk.. your reference.. close to access. Any questions look us all up.^

But, I'm sure you'll be fine.;)

To add my 2 cents to this, there is a lot of good advice in this thread, but I would specifically highlight two aspects that other posters mentioned.

1. Get to the airport early. There are many things that you need to do once you get there, but none of it is difficult if you have the time to do everything in a relaxed manner. People tend to make mistakes when they are rushed. And if you have a lot of extra time, don't worry, airports are interesting, particularly if you have never flown before.

2. Don't worry about forgetting anything. The only real essentials are your wallet and (if travelling somewhere where it will be required) your passport. Anything else that you forget can be purchased at your destination.

Those two factors are, in my view, the most important for keeping the stress levels down.

Have a great trip!

I want to thank everyone for all of the advice...tomorrow I will be taking this first flight and without all of your great advice I would truely be freaking out..I'm so glad I found this site and decided to ask questions...I think I'm ready and well prepared..I'll be sure and let you all know how everything goes...

Good luck, btw, if you post from your blackberry, can you work your formatting a little bit. It's kind of hard to read your post.

In case this comes up in a future search for someone, I would add one thing for a new flyer - go with a paper boarding pass. The intricacies of downloading the barcode and having it ready to go can add stress to the security process and/or hold up the line. The paper version is straightforward.

x2 for the don't hang out in front of the boarding area until your row/zone is called. Those people who do and block the way for those boarding are called "gate lice".

This is the only one I disagree with. I'm relatively tall for a woman (5'10") and look healthy and strong. I get asked all the time to help with people's bags. I'm not there to work for you. I make darn sure to only travel with luggage that I can lift by myself without asking for help. If you can't life the bag into the overhead, check it.

Now, the only exception is if you are a row or two ahead of me and when we land you bag is near my row. I will happily hand your bag up to you so you don't have to either swim against the tide or wait until the plane is empty to get your bag and I appreciate when others do the same. But that's because I was able to lift it myself originally

I like the don't worry about advice.. I'll leave everything including my wife and 2 kids at home going on our family vacation.:D

With small kids.. car seats travelling as we'll getting into a rental right away would be an essential.