Are you finally ready to take a chance and booking your first flight to your dream destination? Whether it is France, Spain, or Japan, international flights and even local flights can be a hassle if you don’t know how to prepare beforehand. Here are just some simple tips that are guaranteed to make your first flying experience the best it can be.
Book Your Tickets Early
I am sure a lot of us have been there one way or another where we had to pay hefty premium for booking a hotel room or concert tickets at the last minute. It is the same with flight tickets. If you want the cheapest flights tickets available, it is important that you book it early.
You can use various websites on the internet to compare prices and find the best deals online. Sometimes if you sign up for newsletters on particular websites and keep updated with their promotions, you actually do find some crazy deals!
However, assuming that you have a specific time-frame in mind for your vacation and travels, you should book your ticket 1-2 months prior. Not only that, but if possible, try not to your flight during holiday seasons or on Friday and the weekends, because those times are the most busiest and in-demand, thus the prices will be much higher.
Pack Lightly
You are probably thinking in your head what to bring, and in case this or that happens, you need to be prepared. However unless you are going on a long voyage for months, you don’t actually need that much to be honest. You can perfectly get by on a few pair of trousers, shirts, and long sleeves for a week or two.
It is all about packing smart and knowing where you are going. If you are travelling to a tropical country, it does not make any sense to pack jackets and boots right? People most often think of all kinds of scenarios and what might go wrong and try to be ready for everything.
Best tip is to be sensible and bring stuff that makes sense.
Packing lightly and smart is also an art. Instead of jamming all your clothes in your suitcase, you need to be more organized. You can watch the video below on packing smart and lightly.
And remember, carry-on luggages in most cases are not to exceed 10 kilograms or ~20 pounds and checked baggages are not to exceed 20 kilograms. In case you do go over the weight limit, sometimes you are required to pay a lot in additional fees and if you don’t have the money, you will have to leave/throw away some of your belongings unfortunately.
Purchase Slippers & Blankets
If you are taking a long haul flight, you better buy some comfortable slippers and blankets. Otherwise, you will be stuck for many hours in your shoes and accumulate foot odor. In case you do take it off to let your feet breath a little, you will have to put your shoes back on if you need to go to the toilet or just move around.
You can avoid the hassle by just purchasing comfortable slippers that you can take off and put on with ease. In some countries, it is culturally expected of you to take off your shoes before entering someone’s home or a building. Having comfy slippers on the ready will save you the uncomfortable feeling of walking on uncomfortable and cold surfaces.
On another note, buying a blanket is a must if you plan on staying warm and cozy in case you have a connecting transit flight or in situations where the airliner does not provide blankets.
You would be surprised by today’s technology because there are very thin blankets that retain heat very well while not taking too much space in your luggage. Brands such as Coolmax and Comfortplus etc are one of the leading brands in case you need to get one.
Dealing With Turbulence
Some people are deathly afraid of turbulence and little bumps during flights. Hopefully you won’t have to deal with turbulence for your convenience, but in the case you do come across turbulence, there is nothing to fear.
Turbulence are simply change in air pressure and cause the plane to wobble a little. You don’t necessarily fear that you will die when you accidentally hit potholes when driving a car or when a train is making a wide turn now do you?
Even in the most heaviest turbulences, planes these days are well equipped to weather through any storm. Planes and jets these days can take lightning strikes and have their wings bend almost 90 degrees. Safety regulations have improved significantly over the years and the chance of you dying in an airplane is in fact lower than being hit by a lightning randomly.
So sit back and relax and enjoy the ride. If you need to make fun of the situation and pretend it’s a rollcoaster.
Arrive 3 Hours Before Your Flight
Unless you want to miss your flight you should arrive at the airport 3 hours before you flight + any additional time it requires for you to leave your house and get to the airport.
So if your flight is at 11:00 o’clock it is usually best to leave your home at 7 o’clock assuming it takes you an hour to drive to the airport.
You might think that you have everything covered and see things very optimistically, but be warned that things you did not expect will and do come up especially if it is your first time flying.
You will need to first and foremost check in at the counter with your airliner, print your boarding pass and check in your luggage. Once that is done, you need to pass through security. Sometimes they require you to take off shoes and go through an X-ray scan. After going through security, you need to find your flight gate and wait for boarding.
However, during that process you more than likely will get lost and need some time find where you need to be. If you plan on shopping and buying some merchandise, then you will need even more time.
Just Enjoy Your Trip
We think the travel and flight part of the trip has to be a hassle and a nuisance, but at the end of the day, the best tip is to enjoy the process of flying. Breathe in the atmosphere, go window shopping, talk with other travelers, look out the window; enjoy it all!