Do you remember the first time you ever flew alone?
 

I was recently going through old family albums and came across pictures of my parents dropping me off at Kai Tak to fly off to Bombay on Pan Am - my first flight alone. From the looks of it, i was only around 7-8 years old. I'm pretty sure that this was around the time of my first flight alone...

Although, between 10-13 - i was in boarding school in the UK and i used to fly BA between London-Bombay-Hong Kong quite regularly. These were my best memories of traveling as they used to put us next to the older people on the plane and i always used to get

They used to have a program called 'Skyflyer' or something to that effect which was a Frequent Flier Program for kids travelling alone. In the membership pack, they gave you a logbook (leatherbound), luggage tags, membership cards, and a metal pair of wings!

Around this time, I also joined the BA Executive Club (which i have since lost any status). And just for joining i received a nice leather A5 size leather portfolio with two luggage tags, membership card, and a nice BA pen - all this at the lowest level upon joining!!! Nowadays you get squat!

Do you have any memories of your first flights alone?

My first time flying alone was in college -- I flew from New York to Boston to visit my girl friend on, I think, the Eastern shuttle (on a discount student pass out of LGA). The flight up was uneventful, but the flight home was when, for some reason, my flying phobia kicked in. I'll never understand why, but it too another 30+ years or so to get over it.

Absolutely...I remember my first time alone. It was waaaaaay back in 1994, and I flew DL IAH-DFW-BTR to take some CLEP exams at LSU, where I was accepted to attend college at the time..before I moved on to Texas A&M. It was great, and I felt like I was a high roller at 17.

The best part was that I smiled and acted dumb (which I was....errr....still am) to the DL agent in BTR, and she upgraded me to FC for the BTR-DFW segment! Talk about beginner's luck as a non-elite! Only other time this happened to me was on MSY-IAH on the flight that I qualified for CO silver for the first time back in 2001.

Ah, memories!

Nope. Some time back in the early 70's. I remember a number of things about flights in general back then but hardly the specifics of my first flight. I remember stuff such as, my mother instructed my brother and I to lie about our ages, if we were ask, since we were under some kind of airline imposed age limit for unescorted minors. I remember we were always seated in the first economy bulkhead row seats E and F. We dressed up in our "Sunday clothes" and were always on our absolute best behavior. Flight attendants were always super nice and we knew if we timed it right and waited until they were done with the service and didn't look busy, we could ask really politely and ALWAYS get a cockpit tour. And then there were those super cool little plastic Captain’s wings pins for our shirts and playing cards and such. And I always looked forward to the meals and thought it was some extra good special food. And lastly I remember my mother or father (depending on which way we were flying) would escort us to the gate and the other parent would be waiting right there at the gate on the other end when we got off. Some of my fondest childhood memories. I'm pretty sure most of those flights were Continental and were probably DEN-PHX which I suppose was a nonstop on Continental back then and thus why we always flew CO but I'm a little fuzzy on that level of detail.

About 90% of that stuff has changed for the worse in my lifetime. (And I'm not THAT old)

One summer in the late 80s or early 90s, my brother and I flying from LAX to GSO to spend some time at my Aunt and Uncle's place in NC.

I remember connecting in ATL and riding the van or sedan on the tarmac to get us between flights.

Not sure of the date, but I think Wilbur was my pilot.

July 1977. BTV-LGA then JFK-SFO. Someone in New York had hijacked a Greyhound bus and was running around on the runways at JFK so the second flight left a few hours late. IIRC the flight crew opened the bar while still on the ground to placate the passengers (we had backed from the gate and then sat while the police sorted out the bus thing). I remember one foreign passenger deciding during the takeoff roll that right then would be a good time to walk to the galley for another free drink...

I don't recall the movie but I do remember flying past Chicago and being able to see the shape of the city along Lake Michigan.

We arrived in SFO late (probably past midnight) so I decided to spend the night in the airport.

First solo (well, unaccompanied minor with my younger sister) was a transatlantic segment from Germany (home at the time) to Minnesota (intermediate stop to new home) when I was 12. Mid 80s, and an experience that stuck with me:

More here, if you're interested.

As a military family that moved around, and then a Delta family that moved around, one of the few constants in my entire life has been airports. There's something reassuring about the roar of jets and the smell of fuel :)

Karachi-Dubai-London about 10 years ago (I was 7.) I was extremely excited, until it sunk it that I would be travelling alone at which point I burst into tears at check in.

The nice lady at the desk upgraded me to J though, which was nice. :)

I honestly can't remember the first time I flew alone..but I will never forget sending my first-born child on a plane alone. He was flying LAX/SFO to visit my brother. During that decade I was able to walk him to the aircraft door. I looked at the cockpit crew and they were my age or younger:eek:

It was sometime in the '50s, ORD/PBI.

Since there were no frequent flyer programs back in the day, I am not sure which airline I flew, but I remember the new red coat that I wore. I thought I looked so spiffy.

Interestingly, my flight habit of alternating between reading and looking out the window, were exactly the same then as they are today.

I also remember the first time I sent my first-born (age 9) on a plane by herself SEA/SRQ to visit my sister. She thought she was really hot stuff, until she found herself seated next to a 10 year-old boy who was flying from Capetown to Sarasota. He had had to spend a night in London with some flight attendants. I am not sure how that worked, but that is the story he told my daughter. She was impressed.

It was the first time I flew. A year after college I flew from Columbus, Ohio to ORD for a job interview. Even though it was a short flight, I was hooked on flying.

I remember it felt kind of funny...like eating in a restaurant alone.

A few years later, both of these are very natural :confused:

wow you guys are hard-core! My parents are uber-protective, and would probably prefer that I not get on planes alone now (I am 30!). The first time I flew alone - much to their chagrin - was ORL-DTW when I was 20.

They were so nervous about me flying by myself that my father flew with me to Paris 6 weeks earlier to make sure I landed safely and then stayed for a week to make sure that I continued to be safe... what a joke once he realized that no one in France wanted to speak to him in English when I was able to speak in French. ;)

The trip home was exciting -- I came to the airport the night before, since the metro and OrlyBus didn't start running early enough to get me to the airport in time for my flight. There was a boy scout troop also camping there, excited to go to a jamboree (I had no idea that those were real!). They were from some small village a few hours from Paris, and were so excited to meet a "real live American!" -- I felt so special! I learned a bunch of French boy scout songs and they gave me a delicious packet of mentos as I left in the morning. :)

My father moved from India to London (alone) around the age of 20, and my mother joined him in the states when she was around 20 (again alone). Both of my sisters made their first big solo trips also around the age of 20. I guess that's our family tradition. :)

First* flight was a short hop PHX-LAX on HP, one of their $19 each way fares.

If your parents don't like you flying alone, have them consider the alternate. Me and my two brothers and sister took a flight to LAX together. My mom was nervous enough about having all her kids on one plane, then the night before there was the USAir/Skywest crash at LAX. My mom about had a fit, but we went anyway.

*Actually I was on a flight as an infant, but don't remember it.

How about REALLY flying alone?
 

For those of us who are or were pilots, I think everyone remembers their first solo flight. For me it was at LGB in 1975. Aircraft was a Cessna 150.

1971 SFO-IAD on TWA. To visit my uncle and family over the Christmas Holidays.

I remember they had some sort of concierge on the flight and there was an announcement that he would come around to help anyone who needed to purchase a ticket for a return flight or rental car etc. I was freaking out in my head, wondering how I was going to get home. I had no money to buy a return ticket. Why would my parents do this to me? I think I almost broke into tears when he came by. He asked me for my ticket, told me not to worry and showed me the return portion of my ticket.

March, 1969. I was 15. Executive Yankee Airlines. Dehaviland Dove. LGA to PSF.

Roughest flight of my life, if memory serves me. We were blown around pretty badly. I wasn't travelling with him, but the rector from my school was in the next row. He appeared to be praying pretty hard. I held on to the bottom of my seat. Longest hour of my life up to that point.

My first flight truly alone was DFW-LBB in 1991 and I was 19 and on my way to transfer orientation at Texas Tech. I had a friend who had just started working in special services for AA and I got upgraded by him. (Same friend still works for AA today and I still bump into him at DFW.) I also made several new friends on the flight who remained friends at Tech and some of whom I still talk to today.

I had flown sans parents many times prior to this - but I was always with a friend or someone else I knew, including a flight on Aeroflot. So getting on a plane totally alone was not a big deal at all to me when I finally did take a flight where I didn't have a companion. (I won't go so far as to say "didn't know anyone... as even when I was taking "solo" flights in college and after, I almost always ran into someone I knew on the plane.)

The best memory I can conjour is of flying on Delta to John Wayne Airport in the 80's (1985) alone, accompanying a close friend of mine as he was still one year younger than the requirement to go UM. I still remember being seated in a private room in SLC and given something to drink. Ah those were the days when you could get off the plane and walk down on the tarmac to the gate to meet your host family!

Sanosuke!

I was 29 the first time I flew alone. up until then I had always flown with family or friends. It was BA Y LHR-BKK-MEL.

The first time I flew alone was when I was 8 about 7 years ago. I flew as a UM on DL to visit my grandma in Florida and I remember I got those plastic wings and the FA gave me an extra desert. I also remember that in those days, whoever was greeting you or sending you away could actually get onto the plane.

Yes, remember it well.....1965, CHC-AKL on NAC (now Air New Zealand) Viscount. Not only first time alone, but first flight ever. Sixteen years old and scared out of my wits. Happy to report I now love flying.

I was in my early to mid teens. I was flying MCI-ATL-MIA on DL; my parents were flying CVG-MIA and I was going to meet them at the airport upon landing.

As it turned out, weather problems delayed my MCI-ATL flight so I missed my connection, the last flight to MIA for the day. It was also opening night of the '96 Olympics in ATL, so hotels were completely booked. My step-dad (who was a Gold member on DL) was able to keep contact with airport officials, so upon landing at ATL, I was put up for the night in one of the employee lounges. I remember sleeping in a cot, and having to wake up early for the next ATL-MIA flight.

My first flight was in 1989 when I was 8 years old, on a JAL flight LAX-NRT to visit my grandparents.

It was an interesting because back in those days, it was rare for a unaccompanied minor to be on a Japanese plane. All of the stewardesses (the days when they took the name as a pride) were very kind, in which they gave me a die-cast metal toy of the Boeing 747 that I was on, a destination map of the Silk-Road routes that JAL flew, and an "honorary pilot's hat." At landing in NRT, they even allowed me into the cockpit in which the pilot, the co-pilot, and the flight controller all greeted me with a warm welcome. One of the stewardesses brought a camera and took a picture of me in the pilot's seat, in which she later sent it to my grandparent's address in Japan.

It was a great time to be a child.

Cockpit Visits
 

I agree with the previous posts that trips to the cockpit were definitely highlights of flying as a kid....i know i've been up inflight on a CX tristar, Pan Am 747, AI A310 and a an AA DC10...

Mind you, if it were still allowed, i'd love to go up to cockpits to have a chat with the pilots even now!

My first time flying by myself was in December of 1982, LAX to GEG (Spokane, WA) for a recruiting trip to Washington State University. I don't remember too much of the flight, or what airline I was on, but I do remember going home I flew GEG - SEA - LAX and getting lost in the SEA terminal. I made my flight, though.

My first time flying without my parents was when I was in the 6th grade and the entire class sold candy to take at trip on PSA, LAX -SAN, to go to Sea World. That was a fun trip.

I was 15 and flew MCO-???-MKE. I remember it was on NW, and I remember I connected but I don't remember where.

My folks went to Florida for a working vacation, and I didn't think I could join them - High School sports conflicted. Later, I was able to come along, but by the time they booked my flight, the return leg was sold out, so they flew out first and I followed about 4-5 hours later. They left my around $20 to eat and I had ravioli in a restaurant (might have been the first time I had eaten at a restaurant alone too!)

I was 7 when I took my first flight alone, from DCA - MOB. My dad was a military officer who was being transferred, so I was sent to visit my grandparents while my parents moved the household. Since my dad was a pilot, I'd spent lots of time on aircraft, but always with one or both parents.

My mom was emotional and quite teary at the thought of her "baby" flying alone, so my dad took me onto the plane. (Did they really allow the parent on the plane in those days?) I wasn't emotional myself; according to the family lore, I asked my dad to help me fasten my seatbelt, then told him not to forget to kiss me goodbye.

I was 5 or 6. Sea-Disneyland (don't remember which airport). Uneventful but I remember my parents not being there to pick me up at the gate...they were late :D

I flew alone for the first time in 1971 from Philadelphia to Miami on Yellowbird Airlines (part of Northeast Airlines) I even remember sitting in the window seat, right side of the plane (most likely a 727-100)

My first flight alone was when I was around 9 or 10 years old or so -- IAH-ATL-HSV on Delta to go to Space Camp! :)

I remember being so excited and feeling so grown-up, the old Delta logo on the paper tickets, and looking at them with my mom -- we were sort of amused that the ATL-HSV leg landed in HSV 'before' it left ATL, because of the short time zone hop.

Like with lots of you, my mom walked me on to the plane!

It was 1978 from PHL to ITO(Hilo,Hawaii) to visit my sister who was living on the Big Island. I was 17yrs old.

I remember this... AA B727 PHL-DFW, AA B707 DFW-SAN, overnighted at the Sheraton at SAN Airport. Next morning, Western Airlines B707 SAN-HNL, then Hawaiian Airlines DC9 HNL-ITO.

After a month stay the return was about the same but via SFO and DFW to PHL. I remember they ran out of potable water and were going to stop serving Breakfast right before my row. Thank goodness I heard the Flight Attendant say if anyone needs to wash their hands we have soda water!

Talk about a trip to Paradise at a young age. I will never forgot it all for $358.00 USD roundtrip!

Thanks Dad!

My first flight alone was on NW/CX. PBI-DTW-NRT-HGK-CGK.
I was supposed to go on NW's first direct flight NRT-CGK but it was cancelled due to some regulation.

Anyway, my flight was rerouted through HGK where I spent the night there.

I was 14 at the time and excited of traveling alone. On the way back, it was the same route, thru HGK.

First I found out that my luggage is overweight. I told the lady I'm going to move my things around between the two luggage and will be right back.

Anyway, by the time I finished, I walked back to find the check-in counter empty. I started to panic and found an agent who told me the flight has been closed.

I was getting ready to cry when the agent told me she can put me on a direct NW's HGK-SEA flight instead of going via NRT. She weighed my luggage and they're still overweight! She finally said not to worry about it and told me to go to the gate.

Indeed. You remember it more than getting your licence. For me it was once round the block at Stapleford in a C152. Actually it made me recall coming home in the car from passing my driving test on my own for the first time as well, many years before.

Such a corny start.

Instructor : "Um...I've messed up my schedule. Er....do you mind doing today's training with X [more senior] instead".

So off we went once round the circuit. And stopped on the taxiway.

X : "Well do you think you could do it on your own before long ?"

"I think so"

X : "OK then" (produces solo form signed by both instructors) "off you go". And just gets out.

My first flight alone was JFK-LAX on a TWA 747, when I was 14 (April 1996). Turned out that my school's spring vacation coincided with a business trip of my father's, but he had to leave a few days before me. I was excited both because I was flying as an "adult" for the first time but because I was also going to JFK on my own! I took the school bus home and then took some sort of shared-ride service (Connecticut Limo, I think) from our house in the suburbs right to the airport. I remember the old TWA terminal quite well, and the fact that I had a paper ticket with the "boarding pass" stub on the end. There were dozens of those supposedly deaf solicitors selling trinkets inside the gate area, which annoyed me greatly. My dad deliberately booked me on a 747 as he's always been somewhat fearful of flying and thought that the 747 was the safest plane because of its size.

We flew a very northern route...I saw several of the Great Lakes and could pick up Minnesota FM stations from my Walkman inflight. The flight attendants took good care of me and brought me two meals at dinnertime (I had the same appetite at 14 as I do at 25, but now all there'd be on a JFK-LAX in coach is buy-on-board! :rolleyes: ) The flight was not that turbulent, but upon landing at LAX I threw up all over my brand new green shirt. After everyone else had deplaned, an FA got my bag and found another shirt for me, but I'll never forget my embarassment at that moment. Dad met me at the gate and we went to the hotel in a rented Olds Achieva.

I flew LGA-ATL a few times in high school alone to visit my grandmother, and of course many flights alone in college.

I remember my first solo trip well. I was flying from SEA- GEG to visit my grandparents. I had just turned 5 years old a few days before.

This was in August of 1976 and was in a “banana plane”. I don’t remember now the name of the airline, but they had yellow planes.

I was sitting in the window seat playing with my Charlie’s Angels cards (like baseball cards, only better! :) ). Sitting in the aisle seat was a guy who was telling me all about how he and his friends celebrated the “beer-centennial” (instead of the bicentennial). He thought my cards were cool also, so perhaps he had been celebrating recently also!

I still remember what I was wearing even. I don’t recall being worried or scared at all, and took more flights over the next 10 years or so with my sister or solo on the same route.

I want my visit up front!
 

I flew BNA-TRI returning from my grandparents house in 1977 when I was 7, on Eastern I think. I was feeling ill, diagnosed with pneumonia a few days later. We had a stopover in TYS and I really had to pee. When the pilot came back to offer me a tour of the cockpit I said "no thanks, just show me where the bathroom is." I've been kicking myself for that ever since.

In addition to my "first flight" story, I will never, ever forget my first time on an airplane. It was from HOU-HRL on WN waaaay back around 1988 for the Confederate Air Force AirSho (now the Commemorative Air Force, for P.C.). I'll never, ever forget the total excitment as the plane accelerated down the runway, that feeling of weightlessness and G-Forces combined as we took to the air...and a FREE COKE! As a runny-nosed 11 year old who thought he knew everything (now I'm a 29 year old with kleenex who doesn't know jack s**t) it was the coolest thing in the world.

Sometimes I think back to that, and it really does kind of refresh my love for aviation. That one feeling when the plane leaves the ground is the best feelings in the world, IMHO. It's even better when I'm in FC, which is why I don't fly WN anymore! :D