Tips for first time flier?

Hello! If all goes well I will be traveling from Atlanta, GA to Halifax,
Nova Scotia, in a few months. The only traveling I've done is private car,
or once by bus. Any tips, hints, information, websites, etc. that you can
give me to help make this fun instead of a huge headache, I would really
appreciate it!

Thanks!


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"Kathy" wrote in message
...
Hello! If all goes well I will be traveling from Atlanta, GA to Halifax,
Nova Scotia, in a few months. The only traveling I've done is private
car,
or once by bus. Any tips, hints, information, websites, etc. that you can
give me to help make this fun instead of a huge headache, I would really
appreciate it!

Thanks!


Wear loose comfortable clothing , avoid alcohol, drink
plenty of water and most important of all have fun.

Keith

Thanks Keith! I have several forms of arthritis, a muscle disorder, and
other things. I have to move around a lot even when sitting, so I always
wear loose clothes. I don't drink alcohol ... hate water but will drink it
when I must, and am meeting my best friend for the first time after a 7-year
online friendship - I plan on having a blast. I've never flown but love
anything that concerns flight - I even want to be reincarnated as a
hummingbird! Thanks a lot :-)

Wear loose comfortable clothing , avoid alcohol, drink
plenty of water and most important of all have fun.




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"Kathy" wrote in
:

Thanks Keith! I have several forms of arthritis, a muscle disorder,
and other things. I have to move around a lot even when sitting, so I
always wear loose clothes. I don't drink alcohol ... hate water but
will drink it when I must, and am meeting my best friend for the first
time after a 7-year online friendship - I plan on having a blast. I've
never flown but love anything that concerns flight - I even want to be
reincarnated as a hummingbird! Thanks a lot :-)

Wear loose comfortable clothing , avoid alcohol, drink
plenty of water and most important of all have fun.


Other things to make life easier avoid metal in your clothing. My cousin
announced just yesterday that she is no longer wearing bras while flying
after an up close and personal inspection with a metal detector. I
myself don't wear my favorite belt-too much metal have to take it off so
why bother- some shoes have metal same thing. Smile a lot at the
inspectors and be nice once you get to the gate life is good.

Halifax is nice I hope the weather cooperates for you.

WalMart shopping list - sports bra that simple slides on, no metal. Check!
I'll check my sneakers to see if they have any metal, I don't think so. I'll
smile if I'm not airsick! lol That's on my list of things to look for,
medicine for that. I hope the weather cooperates too - I want to see
snow!!! I'm in the northwestern part of a Southern state. We're lucky if we
a couple dozen snowflakes per season ~grin~


"jcoulter" wrote in message


Other things to make life easier avoid metal in your clothing. My cousin
announced just yesterday that she is no longer wearing bras while flying
after an up close and personal inspection with a metal detector. I
myself don't wear my favorite belt-too much metal have to take it off so
why bother- some shoes have metal same thing. Smile a lot at the
inspectors and be nice once you get to the gate life is good.

Halifax is nice I hope the weather cooperates for you.


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Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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Hello! If all goes well I will be traveling from Atlanta, GA to Halifax,
Nova Scotia, in a few months. The only traveling I've done is private
car,
or once by bus. Any tips, hints, information, websites, etc. that you can
give me to help make this fun instead of a huge headache, I would really
appreciate it!

Assuming you're a US citizen, I dont know if you re clearing
customs/immigration in ATL or Halifax but if you dont have a passport,
at a minimum, carry a birth certificate and some government ID (Picture DL
is good)

Get to the airport early ! The airline can tell you how early.
When checking in, If you want to watch the 'view' ask for a window seat but
realize if you do,
you'll be crawling past 2 other folks to get in & out of your seat.
I always ask for an aisle seat for convenience.

Bring a bottle of water (sealed) and some snacks plus a good book to read.
Get up and walk the length of the aircraft and stand at the rear a while
after about 2 hrs.
When in your seat, keep your sealtbelt latched loosely.

The key to successfuly first-time air travel is just relaxing and not
worrying about anything. 99.9999% of problems people have with flying
are derived, ultimately, from nothing more than irrational fear. And
remember . . . it's far safer than traveling in a car.

One thing you might want to do is check out the following link to the
Government of Canada's official website, as you may pick up some useful
tips to help you breeze through Canada Customs without any unexpected
challenges. Travellers often take a lot of common-sense things for
granted that turn out not to be so common-sense when it comes to
crossing the border into another country.

http://canadainternational.gc.ca/GTC..._Canada-EN.htm

Enjoy your trip.

-------------------------------------------


Kathy wrote:
Hello! If all goes well I will be traveling from Atlanta, GA to Halifax,
Nova Scotia, in a few months. The only traveling I've done is private car,
or once by bus. Any tips, hints, information, websites, etc. that you can
give me to help make this fun instead of a huge headache, I would really
appreciate it!

Thanks!


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.772 / Virus Database: 519 - Release Date: 10/1/04

Kathy wrote:
help make this fun instead of a huge headache

Take a map of your probable route. Insist upon a window seat and try
to identify the places over which you fly.

Travelling in passenger airplanes is little different from travelling
via inter-urban buses except that they have toilets, might give you
something to eat, and have different kinds of views.
__________________________________________________ ___________
A San Franciscan who's visited 49 of 50 US states
http://geocities.com/dancefest/ http://geocities.com/iconoc/
ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 IClast at SFbay Net

Get to the airport early !

And if you aren't familiar with the airport, you might even
want to visit it sometime *before* your trip so you can
become familiar with where to park, where your airline
is located, etc. Airports are big and confusing, especially
if this is your first trip!

(If you're leaving your car at the airport during your trip,
you'll want to leave it in the long-term lot, where parking is
much cheaper. After you've parked your car, there will
be a free shuttle bus that takes you from the lot to the
terminal. Don't make the mistake of leaving it in a short-term
lot for several days, or you'll get a nasty surprise when you
pay your parking fee.)

Another tip is to take some food with you on your flight, as
airlines often just give you snacks of peanuts, or lousy
plastic-wrapped meals. Take stuff that doesn't need to
be refrigerated, like fruit, granola bars, poptarts, or whatever
appeals to you. (The airline, even on short flights, will provide
drinks.)

A few misc. tips:

* Go to the rest room before you board the flight, as you'll need to stay in
your seat during the the takeoff and ascent, during periods of turbulence, etc.

* Take a magazine or paperback to read.

* If you ever suffer from motion sickness, take some motion sickness pills with
you.

* If you want to watch the scenery, get a window seat that's *not* over the
wing.

James

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Remove "NOSPAM" from my address when sending me e-mail.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
-

"Kathy" wrote...
WalMart shopping list - sports bra that simple slides on, no metal.
Check! I'll check my sneakers to see if they have any metal, I don't
think so. I'll smile if I'm not airsick! lol That's on my list of things
to look for, medicine for that. I hope the weather cooperates too -
I want to see snow!!! I'm in the northwestern part of a Southern state.
We're lucky if we a couple dozen snowflakes per season ~grin~

My advice on flying for what its worth:
Gates: You may find a diagram of your airports' layout on the airport
or port authority website that tells you which terminal/concourse/gates
your airline uses. I find it helpful to have an idea of where things are.

Parking: Rental car lots often offer LT parking rates for much less than
the airport. Sometimes get a friend or relate drop me off and take a taxi
when I return.

Baggage/Security: I like to check baggage at the airline's curb stand,
instead of inside at the counter. Its usually much. You can get security
checkpoint wait history for your airports at the government website:
http://www.tsa.gov/public/ . Have your boarding pass+ID in hand.
Do not have scissors or nail files in your purse or carry on. Even for
Canada, I prefer to use passports instead of birth certificates.

Food: Many US airlines have stopped serving meals in coach, even
on long flights during meal-time hours. If not and I want to eat, I'll buy
a sub sandwich in or near the airport and put in a carry on.

Seats: IMO, the closest to the front is the quietest and smoothest. If
your seats are forward of the engines, ask if you can change seats.
the gate. If you are on a row in front of the emergency exit row, your
seat back may not recline. Emergency exit rows often have more leg
room, but you may have to ask for it.

Boarding: Most airlines start boarding about 30-40 min. B4 departure
time. I like to be at the gate before boarding starts in case of requests
for volunteers to be bumped. If you volunteer and are chosen, the
airline will still get you there and will compensate you in some fashion
which is often free tickets for future flights.

Turbulence: I've seen a lot. Don't shout out, "Wheee!" But do try
to stay in good humor. BTW, you may see the wings flapping a bit
during turbulence. They're actually quite flexible to ensure they don't
fracture.

Lastly: Bring plenty of reading material. You may well spend more
time sitting and waiting on the ground than you do in the air. [Rog']