What is that feeling one gets the day of flying?
 

Everytime I am about to fly that morning before I leave for the airport I always get a feeling of nervousness(?), excitement(?), unease (?)......I can't put my finger on it except to say that it eminates from my chest and feels like "too much coffee"... Is this just a general feeling of apprehension about what I am about to go through?

Do others feel the same?

not every time, but almost every time :)

If flying in Y -- dread

If in F -- reasonably happy expectation, unless the day's flights will total over 5000 miles, in which case, just suck it up

I know exactly the feeling you're talking about and it's hard to explain. But, I have to agree with Spainflyer in that if I'm flying F the feeling isn't as profound. Unfortunately I've been flying steerage more often since I lost my FF status this year.

Bobi

My main nervousness is not about the flying itself, but about everything else that surrounds it--will I get stuck in traffic on the way to the airport, will the security line be jammed up for some unknown reason, will I make the tight connection...once those hurdles are cleared, the flight is usually anticlimatic.

I call it "euphoria". But then again, for me, the "vacation" starts when I get to the airport, not when I get to the destination. Even when I travel on business, the airport/plane ride experience is usually one of the more enjoyable portions of the trip.

My parents used to call this feeling "Butterflys in my belly"... just a general feeling of excitment, nervousness, etc, all rolled up in one. I quit smoking 4 months ago and I am now equating this feeling with craving a cigarette. It will be much worse next Monday on the way to NYC, I get the feeling much stronger when flying to LGA vs. flying to EVV or BHM for example.

By the way, reading the prior post, if I get euphoria or not depends on if I'm flying for vacation or business. :p

Such is the same for me...finally away from phones, etc. I usually take this time to catch-up on some of the reading I never seem to have time to do anymore. :p

Drowsiness, in my case. Finally, I'm going to get a decent night's kip. (Most of the time.)

Fear that you will somehow catch some of the stupidity from the TSA screeners?

I know the feeling. I don't typically have the feeling of unease when I'm traveling alone without luggage. In fact, I quite enjoy travel days when it's just me. If on leisure, then I'm pretty relaxed in general. If on business, I actually get a lot of work done when no one can reach me. At most airports I use frequently, I know them well - know how to get to and through them efficiently without wasting time in lines. eCheckin is key, as is knowing the TSA setup at each airport.

When I have luggage or when I'm traveling with family, I have quite a bit of unease...entirely about the process of getting onto the flight itself, not the flying. Even when I'm using AA or UA (where I can use the F checkin line), checking luggage sucks. I hate it. And to make matters more stressful, we frequently use YX or WN for family trips. I am always nervous on the day of travel for either of those - especially when checking luggage. (Granted, I've never had any seriously long lines waiting to check a bag on YX. The generally smaller crowds on their 717's make things less painful. But I still think about it...)

Once I'm on the plane and it reaches the end of the runway to start its takeoff roll, I breathe a sigh of relief and pretty much relax from that point forward.

I certainly do look forward to flying and know that feeling that people are talking about. Sometimes I will be looking forward to it, especially if it is something new and unchartered, and premium class. :rolleyes: If I have to get up at 4am to drive to the airport I might have a little adrenaline rush that keeps me going that I wouldn't have if someone poked me in the night and told me to go to work early.

For example in July I flew RIC-SEA and part of it was AA JFK-LAX in First Class. I hadn't flown 3 class F across the US for quite a few years and was more interested in that than I was about than my IAD-LHR flight the following week in BA First which was something I've done a number of times.

Of course the BA flights were a lot better but variety is the spice of life. ;)

Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate anxiety and excitement.

Those are my thoughts... add in, will the client meeting go well, etc and I am covered.

But as to the actual flying and being in airports, I love it so that part of it is excitement, for business travel the rest is nervousness with a tiny tinge of apprehension.

Vacations I have none of that, just the excitement. ^

I just worry that I'll forget to pack something in my luggage. Like today's example ... my sandal :D

I'm sitting here in DTW and somehow I realized that I left my sandals at home. Weird eh? :(