first time flyer

[debatherston]

hi iam flying for the first time in march iam very worred .would like to sit next to my partner and what can and cannot take in suit case and hand luggage debbie

[spudqueen]

There's absolutely nothing to worry about about flying. You are more likely to be injured on your journey to the airport than whilst in a plane! As long as you booked your tickets together then there is no reason why you shouldn't sit next to your partner. Just go up to the desk together. These are the hand luggage regulations
http://www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/airtrave l/airportsecurity/
though you may like to check the website of the airline you are flying with in case they have slightly different rules eg on size. Basically you put in your suitcase what you are not allowed in your hand luggage, with some restrictions obviously, as putting eg fireworks in your suitcase would not be allowed!
Just remember to get to the airport in plenty of time. There are often queues at check-in and again to go through security. I think I've seen too many of those 'airline' programmes where people miss their flights by getting to the airport just a few minutes too late for check-in. What a way to ruin a holiday! Have a great time.

[jno]

if you're on no-frills airlines like Ryanair or EasyJet you might not get to sit with your partner as you just stampede for seats; if you book on a scheduled full-service airline like BA you'll sit together. What you can take on will vary according to the airport and the airline - check with your airline's website for details

[Buenchico]

(2-part post):

As Jno indicates, the budget airlines are a bit like 'a bus with wings'. i.e. you don't have reserved seats; you just sit where you like. To ensure that you sit with your partner, get to the gate early and, if your airline offers it, pay the small supplement to board before others.

If you're actually a bit scared of flying, here's a rough guide to what happens:

After the aircraft has 'pushed back', it will taxi to the end of the runway. This bit is just like sitting in a bus. Depending on the location of the terminal relative to the runway, it can take anywhere from 1 to 10 minutes, including the time the aircraft waits in a queue for permission to take off.

You'll know when the aircraft is about to accelerate because the engine noise will get louder and rise to a higher note. Almost immediately, you'll feel a 'kick in the pants' as the aircraft rapidly gains speed. This is the bit which sometimes scares inexperienced travellers (without any good reason). As the aircraft accelerates down the runway, it will seem quite noisy and the aircraft will seem to be shaking quite a lot. As long as you realise that this is normal, you'll have nothing to worry about.

[Buenchico]

Almost before you know it, the aircraft will be in the air. I strongly recommend that, as a first time traveller, you don't look out of the window at the moment of take off. (Just stare straight ahead). If you don't follow that advice, you might find that your breakfast suddenly reappears ;-)

However, once the aircraft has gained a bit of height, look out of the window and enjoy the view. Then sit back and relax.

Occasionally, during a flight, the captain might announce that some turbulence is expected and require you to wear your seatbelt. Unless you're extremely unlucky, this is usually only a precaution and you'll probably not notice any turbulence at all.

Unlike during take-off, you should be able to look out of the window, without upsetting your stomach, when the plane lands. As soon as the wheels are on the runway, the pilot will 'throw the anchors out'. i.e. expect another 'kick' as the aircraft rapidly decelerates. Then it's another 'bus ride' to the terminal (which is usually far quicker than taxiing for take-off).

Chris

[JK2]

If it is a package holiday & you can't pre-book the seats together in advance, I would definitely suggest you get there early to check in. The later you check in, the more chance there is that there are no longer seats together.

Flying is terrific - just relax & enjoy it. The take- off that Chris describes is exhilarating I find. No matter how long I have been flying, I still get quite excited when the plane is rushing down the runway!!

Jean

[sddsddean]

Yeah, the wifes favourite bit of the flight is the take off. She never gets over the acceleration! One other thing not to be worried about...if you are sitting near the wings...it is quite normal for them to flex and 'flop about' a bit (if they didn't they would snap off), and when landing big holes will appear in the wing as the flaps and slats are deployed to make the aircraft fly better at lower speeds. Its all perfectly normal, don't worry.

[jno]

people who have wasted their youth by assembling airfix planes sometimes think real planes are made the same way - a wing put into a small slot on one side, the other one on the other side. Not so: the whole wing is one structure going right across, and is therefore a whole lot more solid and less likely to fall out than the plastic variety. Also, they're not attached with glue!