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.

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.

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. 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

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