NEVER FLOWN BEFORE! Any tips?!?

Question

Okay, so I'm going on a school trip to Poland (from England) in February.. and I've never been on a plane before, I'm really scared because my parents wont be with me.

I'm scared about being so high up, the plane getting bombed (I know it's silly but I'm genuinely scared), the plane crashing/blowing up..so yeah, has anyone got any tips? And what can/can't you take for hand luggage and main luggage.. I'm asthmatic so need to know if I can take my medication! Help!


Thanks x

Answer 1

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Being a bit scared of flying is OK. let's face it, flying is not our natural element. However you should consider the following.

In any given hour of any day over one million people will be flying in a Boeing 747 (Jumbo Jet). That is just one type of aircraft!

Air travel is by far and a long way safer than any other form of travel, including crossing the street.

When planes crash they hit the news big time. If the average plane holds 150 people and the media had to report every 150 individual accidents on the roads in similar depth to the coverage an airline crash gets, the road crash news would never end!

The airlines and governments invest vast sums of money to make it so. Consider that to buy a Boeing 747 you would need to find between $238 and $267 million! That is a lot of money and you are going to take very good care of your investment.

Tens of thousands of commercial flights take off and land every day around the world and statistically the number of accidents is minuscule.

Most airlines are very aware that some people have a fear of flying and have developed courses to help you to overcome that fear. Contact the airline you are flying with and ask them about such a course. I believe they are really good and help a lot of people. They do make a charge but not a massive amount.

Do not be tempted to get drunk or taking any pills which may make you less than alert before flying as this can result in the airline refusing to carry you in case you pose a safety risk.

Try to get a middle seat and take a book or magazine to read while the plane is taking off and landing. Once in the air most airlines have a selection of movies, TV programmes and radio broadcasts available to you.

Look around and see how all the other passengers are reacting. 99.9% will appear calm and unruffled by the experience.

Tell yourself that this is an experience you will enjoy and that you are looking forward to it.

Be aware that on every commercial flight in the world the cabin crew must, by law, show you a safety demonstration or video. This is normal, it in no way means that they are fearful that the plane might not make it. For certain they would not have got on themselves if they had any doubts.

Once over you will look back on this experience as enjoyable and be ready to do it again.

Moving on to your luggage. If you follow the link you can read all the rules for what you can and cannot carry as hand luggage. Your medication will be fine, but just to make certain that there are no problems I advise you to get a letter from your GP stating your medical condition and that you need to carry medication. This will get you absolved from the liquids and gels rule you will see in the link.

You should carry any valuables like money, camera, mp3 player and DS or whatever in hand luggage along with your travel documents and something to read on the flight. The flight to Poland isn't that long, about two to two and a half hours so you won't have time to get bored. Finally if there is room you could pack a clean top and change of underwear in case your luggage goes astray. It doesn't happen often but you can never be certain. Go onto your airline's website to find what your luggage and hand luggage allowances are.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTra…

Source(s):

Ten to twelve long and short haul flights a year

Answer 2

Don't bring a barfbag.
Do NOT bring a book about plane attacks and read it aloud.
Read some magazines, listen to some music, fall asleep.
Don't worry about your parents not being there, it's good for experience, and you'll be with your school.
Sit in a mid-aisle seat, if at all possible.
I'm still pretty nervous about flying, but nothing's happened.
Oh, and the barfbag will make you panic more.

Source(s):

Personal experience.

Answer 3

There is absolutely nothing to be afraid of It is safer flying than crossing the road, In your hand luggage you can take your medication in a see through plastic bag. Do not have anything liquid such as makeup in your hand luggage or anything sharp such as knife scissors tweezers or they will be confiscated.

Answer 4

Flying is an adventure, not something to be feared. And the stats on travel show that the most dangerous part of flying is the drive to and from the airport.

I don't know about airports in the UK, but in the US, they can be busy and crowded, and full of people in a hurry. Arrive early, and if you're going with a group, STAY TOGETHER. Find the check-in desk, and do that early. Find your gate, and check in there for any last-minute information. If you will transfer to a different plane along the way, find what gate you will arrive at, and what one you will leave from. Look in the inflight magazines - they often have maps of the airports there so that you can figure out how to get from one gate to another.

Bring something to occupy your time - a book, a magazine, puzzles, music, etc. You may actually find that flying is boring, once you're up in the air.

Call your airline now to find out what you can and cannot bring with you, and pack accordingly. Call them a few days before you leave to double-check everything - sometimes the rules change on short notice.

And have fun!

Answer 5

You can check up to two pieces of luggage. Each piece must not exceed 62 linear inches (length+depth+height) and must not weigh more than than 50 pounds. You can carry more bags or bags that are too large or heavy, but you must pay extra. You can find this information on Frontier's website (www.frontierairlines.com).

I use my carry-on for items that I cannot afford to be without if they lose my luggage. I also use it for any valuables that I must carry. (I try to leave the valuables at home, but sometimes I need to carry my camera gear which is kind of expensive.) This includes medication, toiletries, a spare set of eyeglasses, and one change of clothes. I also carry a book to keep me entertained. Yes, you can take a digital camera, but the pictures may not come out very well. Airplane windows are sometimes very scratchy and you may have difficulties with reflections. Go ahead and try. It might work, but don't be disappointed if it doesn't.

You can find a list of restricted carry-on items at the website of the Transportation Security Administration at www.tsa.gov. Liquids are a problem unless you carry less than 3oz.

Answer 6

Well i have flown before and i will give you some do's and dont's about flying.

do's:bring a few good books but none about anything that has to do with something bad happening to a plane,listen to some music from your mp3 player or ipod to calm your nerves a bit in the air,try to fall asleep if you do that you will be there before you know it,try not to look out the window i know it will be a good view from up there but if your scared about being up so high then its best not to look out the window,talk to your friends they should be able to help you not be scared,think about all the fun stuff you will do when you get to place your going.

dont's:do not think about anything bad that might happen because most likely it won't,like i said before don't look out the window,do not use a barf bag because they make you even more nervous.

as you can see there are a lot more do's than dont's so if you follow all the do's and do not do any of the dont's then you will be fine.good luck on your trip :)

Answer 7

Flying is a lot safer than walking across the street, your first flight you will hear all the sounds the plane normally makes but you only realise the sounds and movements of the plane are normal and nothing to worry about.

Just before you go to sleep tonight, imagine yourself getting on the plane and the plane taking of f and landing normally, if you become stressed just relax yourself, take a few deep breaths and try again, this will make you feel a lot better on the day of the flight.

You might also try taking a few Kalms tablets (herbal stress relief tablets available at most chemists), enjoy your flight.

Answer 8

ok, so everyone's afraid that anything will happen, but you just have to relax!!

when you take off, say a little prayer, take a deep breath and close your eyes (if you want, it's kind of cool to look out the window if you are not afraid of heights)

you cannot take liquids over 8 ounces in carry on luggage (read your bottles) and you can not take any drinks. also no sharp stuff, weapons, etc.
for your main luggage, you can take what you want. but make sure the weight of your bags don't go over how much the airline accepts (check your airline's website)

you can take your music players, magazine, books, portable dvd players on the plane so you will be entertained to.

Just relax and have a fun trip!!!!!!

Answer 9

The laws of physics keep the aircraft airborne, and these laws cannot be broken.

In case of emergency, lean forward, place your head between your knees, and kiss your **** goodbye.

Answer 10

i dont really know much about the countries over there, but when i was on a plane going across the country, it was a five hour flight and then a two hour flight. It wasnt to bad. I actually wasnt scared like i thought i would be.
The plane goes up a lot higher than i would have thought it did. This is a picture i took from the window to give you a bit of an idea http://ray-leen.deviantart.com/art/The-W…
i know its not a very good pic, my camera sucks.