Flying first time in life !

This may be wrong article as almost all the readers of this forum may be frequent fliers. You may skip it! Else, you may read for the fun of it!

There was this family which seemed to be flying first time with kids and all were excited. I look back into early 1980s' when I got the opportunity to fly first time. Flights those days were expensive and we ( middle class) could fly only officially and flying personally was ruled out.

As the economy improved, we fly all the time. But, the first time fliers may find the first opportunity to fly as an achievement.

Finding your way

The anxiety starts the moment one enters the Airport. The security guys in India check your ticket and Identity before letting you inside ( In many countries, no one cares till you reach the check-in counter). After you enter the main gate, you get dumbfounded by so many counters and it takes time to realize where to go. Then you reach the counter. Generally, the staff is courteous and you get your boarding pass and they tell you how to go to the Security check. You just follow the crowd and observe what the guy in front is doing. It is a bit simple. You need not feel embarrassed when the security guy asks you to back and leave the mobile phone back in the bag or in a tray (Many frequent flyers too forget to put mobile phone away ). After the security check one may not find it difficult to reach the designated gate unless one needs to take a train or bus to go to a different terminal.

Aboard the Aircraft

The moment you are in the aircraft, the excitement peaks. Then you pass through aisle and reach your row. The first confusion is whether 'A' is window seat or 'C' is the window seat. If you are given 'B', there is no confusion and one sits in the middle seat. You are given 10C , you need to sit in Aisle seat . It really does not matter if you sit in window seat, as the other person anyway, will claim that seat when he/she comes :-)

You are seated and see every one tying their seat belts. Unfortunately, the instructions are given just before the plane is ready to take off and by that time every one may have already tied their seat belts. It is simple and you may experiment a bit. It is OK if you ask the one in the next seat.

Thrill , excitement and the tension

The take off and landing gives you all the excitement. Seeing those tiny buildings, great landscape and clouds provides enough thrill. Turbulence some times plays spoilsport. More often the heartbeat increases with every turbulence.

Landing, Changing terminals , Baggage collection, Immigration !

The biggest confusion is what to do after landing. Even with experience of flying, we find it a pain in many places.

I have seen many old men and women traveling first time to visit their children abroad have two issues. 1. language problem 2. Finding their way out. And the innovative way is to ask for Wheel chairs in the pretext of ill health. In India some airlines ask for medical evidence to request wheel chair. But, many counties are liberal and offer wheel chairs to the ones who request it. This helps the first time flyers as the helper takes through all the processes and they tip the helper well.

No one cares if you are traveling first time or thousandth time. Enjoy every bit of what you want to do as long as your excitement does not become an irritant for others.

Have fun !