aspirebmx029

I have never flown before also i am flying by myself, and next may i am flying to Singapore in the summer to visit my girlfriend that lives there that i met from college when she was in the US.

I have never been on a plane my whole life and know nothing about switching flights and what happens to my luggage when we switch planes etc, because most likely ill have to transfer planes and have multiple stops.

any advice would be greatly appreciated

phedre

Have you booked your flight yet? If so, what routes are you taking? FT can definitely help you with picking the best seats and routes to take given your destination, and how to get the most out of your trip, but we'll need more details!

The basics around switching planes and luggage will depend on what route you take. Your best bet is to try and pack a carry on only, which will eliminate the need to worry about checked luggage, and switching flights shouldn't be that bad as long as you can follow basic signs in the airport, but knowing what flights you're taking will let people give better advice.

ETA: Check One bag, one world for tips on how to pack light. You'd be surprised at just how little you really need for a trip!

aspirebmx029

well i havent got a ticket yet because non of the places i see have a calender up to may yet so idk anything yet, i was just doing some normal searches and seeing how flights go and how long so im still clueless

phedre

Ah true, it IS over a year out.

Where you're flying from/to, and your budget, would definitely help. There are lots of FTers who can help you get the most bang for your buck, and the most comfortable flight for that long of a journey.

aspirebmx029

well im going to leave from pittsburgh international and go to changi airport singapore, and my budgets most like 2500 tops

BearX220

Book your tickets three to six months ahead of travel.

Book 747s or 777s for overseas flights.

Take the opportunity to fly non-US airlines if you can -- they're much better. Singapore Airlines is among the best in the world.

Scan your passport and email it to your own Gmail, Hotmail, etc. address so you can retrieve the scan if you lose the original.

Check in online whenever possible and use the occasion to improve your seating assignment.

Don't check bags.

Opt out of the backscatter scanners at security checkpoints at US airports.

Bring your own food on the domestic (inside-US) flights. On the others you'll be fed well.

Allow at least three hours when changing planes.

Don't drink too much booze inflight, you get dehydrated.

Relax.

2wheels

Or more, tickets are usually available 330 days in advance depending on the airline.
Why? Whats wrong with the 767, 330, 340 or 380? I'd prefer an Air Canada 330 to a United 747 in coach any day of the week. The airline matters a lot more than the aircraft type.

Totally agree.

Do the same with everything in your wallet. Speaking of wallets, don't carry it in the pockets of your jeans. Pickpockets are really good.

^

I agree, but if you do need to check bags, make sure that there is nothing of value in them (jewelry, electronics, etc) and that you have a change of clothes with you in case it gets lost. Just assume that the luggage will be lost, and you'll be set.

I think this is some bad advice. I'd rather go through the BS machine than get patted down if it were my first time flying. Do make sure everything is out of your pockets. everything.

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Have fun.

BearX220

But you'd be foolish to buy a leisure ticket 330 days out. Price would be unnecessarily high. Pricing tends to dip into a trough three to six months ahead of departure date, then rise again as the travel date nears.

aspirebmx029

why should i allow atleast 3 hours when changing planes?

Emeraldcity

Depending on the number of stops on your itinerary, at some point you will have to go through customs that takes time.
You say you will be coming out of Pittsburgh. In which direction? Will you fly to Los Angeles and head out from there or go to New York or Boston and head out from there? What if your flight is delayed out of Pittsburgh? That will affect your connection.
When flying internationally, 3 hours on a connect is always a good thing. Better to be safe than sorry.

Also........since you are going to Singapore, allow for the FEWEST connections possible. That will eliminate increase possibility of a connection along the way being delayed.

acunningham

This allows you (and your luggage if checked through) an hour to get to your next flight if your first flight is delayed by two hours. Delays, especially on US domestic flights, are pretty common. Personally, the minimum connection time I accept is two hours, except if I need to go through through immigration and customs when connecting, when I use 2.5 hours. However, three hours is probably a good idea if it's your first time travelling.

acunningham

Excellent advice!

djk7

In addition to what others have already mentioned, this is somewhat dependent on how many more flights there are after yours on the same day. If the airline on your second flight has several more flights that day that you could take if you misconnect, then shorter connection times might be OK. On the other hand, a lot of long haul international flights are once a day, if you misconnect then it is 24 hours until the next chance. Depending on the airline and circumstances, you might get meals and hotel paid by the airline, or you might be on your own to kill a day.

So allowing some extra time for delays can be a very good idea in the latter case.

Also, connections rarely leave you the full scheduled time. Assuming your plane arrives on time, depending on where you are seated you could spend up to 15 minutes waiting to get off. On your next flight, boarding will generally be around 30 minutes before scheduled departure. Your gates could be easily be 15 minutes apart. So up to 1 hour of the connection is not really free time.

Redhead

Plus, since this is your first time flying, this allows time for you to figure out your way around the airport, check the monitors, transfer between terminals, etc. Many of us on FT know the layouts of several airports better than our own homes, so we have no problem running between tight flights. But if you aren't 100% comfortable, the time buffer can make it a less stressful experience

B748i

This might be a good itinerary. Can't check prices for your dates, but for later this year it seems reasonable. I intentionally looked for Singapore Airlines since they have a great reputation, and you're going to Singapore anyways.

PIT -> SFO (San Francisco) (on United) 4.5 hr connection
SFO -> ICN (Seoul/Incheon) (on Singapore) 1 hr stop
ICN -> SIN (Singapore) (on Singapore)

I've been told by others here that SFO is the nicest international airport in the US, so not a bad place to spend a few hours. The Seoul connection is actually just a stop, you might not even have to get off the plane (it's only 1 hour long). Plus, this itinerary is one of the shorter available for PIT-SIN, 29hr 50min.


Also just found this option:
PIT-JFK-FRA-SIN.
2h 45m connection at JFK, 1h 20m stop at FRA.

JFK I'm sure you know; FRA is Frankfurt. Frankfurt is just a stop, like ICN in the other route. Total time is even shorter, at 25h 25m. I am unfamiliar with how JFK compares to SFO, but if SFO is the nicest international airport in the US, then JFK can't be the nicest, by definition. Heheh. This one shows around $200 cheaper, but of course that might not be the same for when your travel dates become available, and maybe it's worth $200 to go through SFO if JFK is a poor enough choice (will let others comment on that).