Never been on a plane before? Planning some air travel this holiday season? Look no further than here for some first-time flyer tips that will help you face your trip through the skies.
Finding Your Destination
There are a lot of aspects to consider when planning to travel by air, but the first steps on this first-time flyer tips list are deciding where to go, checking visa requirements then finding a ticket.
Luckily, all the above are straightforward when you have access to the internet. To find a destination just hop online and see what looks interesting.
There are plenty of informative tourism websites, and if you're planning something this holiday season you can consider our recommendations on winter getaways.
For international travel and visas, you'll need to check your country's embassy website and the embassy website of the country you plan to visit. Both will have very important information regarding tourism visas and entry.
Once you have those points sorted, you'll need to find a ticket. Simply punch into Google “plane tickets from X to Y” for wherever you’re flying from/to.
Relevant results will pop up right away and give you a variety of sites to choose from. Personally, I recommend using Google Flights or searching directly on websites like Expedia and Kayak.
But regardless of what site you use you should be watching out for the ticket prices and flight details.
Let’s say you’re looking at a one-way from Jordan to New York. Sort the tickets by “best” for options that are both cheap and efficient on flight time.
The options will be similar in price and time for the most part, but the key thing to watch for is the layover.
Layovers
With a long flight you will have a layover where you’re stuck waiting to transfer to your next plane.
Try to find a layover that’s not too short and not too long. In the example photo above, you’ll see that the layover is just under two hours.
That’s rather short as far as layovers go. You have to take into consideration that you’ll be navigating a massive international airport, waiting for checked luggage if you have some and running behind schedule as flights often are.
Any layover shorter than two hours could lead you to miss your connecting flight if things go wrong. Leave yourself with some flexibility and aim for an approximately three-hour layover sweet spot.
Even a longer layover like four hours can be nice. Use the extra time to find your flight’s gate, refresh yourself and get a decent meal from an airport restaurant.
Packing and Airports
Circling back to pre-flight advice on this first-time flyer tips list, try to pack as light as you can and check with your airline to see what’s allowed on a plane.
Checking a bag is great for storing extra clothes or items not allowed on the plane with you, but it can be expensive (typically 50 USD).
It also adds additional time to your trip when you’re stuck waiting around for your checked bag to show up at the airport luggage belt.
If you can get by with just a carry-on bag and personal item (purse, laptop bag etc.) then try to.
You will be thankful for the light weight and minimal hassle when you’re stuck standing on your feet waiting in line.
When you're finally at the airport, the first thing you will need to do is check in with your airline. Look for the desk displaying signage for whatever airline your first flight is with.
They'll check your passport, take your luggage if you need to check a bag, then hand you your boarding pass. Head to security after getting your boarding pass and prepare to be searched.
But don't stress about this step. Security will walk you through the process and if you accidentally brought something minor that you shouldn't have, like a full water bottle, they'll just make you dispose of it.
When you're done with security, check your boarding pass and see which gate your first flight is at.
It will be something along the lines of gate A15, and regardless of what country you're in, there will be signage in the airport directing you to that gate.
But first-time flyer tips aside, there are some aspects of flying you will have to experience for yourself.
Just be sure to be patient, ask for help if you’re lost at the airport and enjoy the free in-flight refreshments as you soar above the clouds.
