To fly...leaving Luddism behind

Spencer · Oct 10, 2003

I'm no expert on flying but on my last two flights I sure was glad I brought some disposable earplugs. Whether you want to sit there and look out the window, read a book, or sleep, the earplugs will help.

BigDave · Oct 10, 2003

I prefer ear plugs over the noise canceling headphones, if you go this route be sure they are the foam ones to allow for changes in cabin pressure. I have found that you aren't as worn down at the end of the trip if you aren't subjected to all of that background noise.

Also, I pretty much fit into the frequent traveller club, since my boss pointed out this week that I made 24 business trips during the past year, add two personal trips and thats 50% of my time. At least I'm home on the weekends. The airlines only misplaced my luggage once in the past 3 years, & delievered it to me 5 hours later, so I don't worry about carrying anything but my medicines.

Flying Delta through Atlanta can be a challenge since it is one of their major hubs. You may even end up in a different terminal & have to take the train to get to your connector flight. Don't worry if your flight arrives late, if your's is late then connecting flight is probably late also. The last trip I took with Delta, all four segments were late, so I didn't miss a single flight. If you don't have an assigned seat, call the airline and see if you can get a window of aisle seat assigned. If they are overbooked, call again the day of your flight or ask again at ticketing, if you wait until they give you one you'll end up in a middle seat in between two guys like me. Actually, it's not that bad, the person next to you may be willing to engulf you in an interesting conversation and the flight will be over before you know.

Also, those security lines may look long, but they move fairly quickly.

Enjoy, afterall commercial flying is safer than driving.

bgott · Oct 10, 2003

Leave your luggage unlocked but secure it with plastic cable ties. They make it a little bit of a PITA for the thieves but make it easy for security to cut open if necessary. They also stop zippers from being bumped open by bouncing off of other luggage.

TonyC · Oct 11, 2003

( I feel like I'm missing a big part of the country. Never been below VA. )

Is there something below Virginia? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

OkeeDon · Oct 11, 2003

Is there something below Virginia? 

Nope - Virginia is at the bottom of the heap.

Sorry -- sorry -- /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif -- but that was just good to pass up! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Egon · Oct 11, 2003

Big Dave:
Sitting between two fellows like you aint so bad. One doesn't have to worry about head support when going to sleep.

I'm a little fellow

Egon

Bird · Oct 11, 2003

( I like small planes better than large ones. Large ones are like a bus that flies. )

My opinion, too, David. My first airplane ride was a 20 minute sightseeing trip in a Cessna 172 over El Paso in 1958, the airplane that was the most fun to fly in was a 1972 Heliocourier, of course the Bell 47 helicopters were also lots of fun, and the trip that was the most fun was flying a new Cessna 152 from the factory in Wichita, KS to Anchorage in 4 days. Of course a Cessna 210 on floats and a Piper Seneca were also fun in Alaska.

The only "personal" trip I've made on a commercial flight was from Anchorage back to Dallas after that trip in the 152. But business trips have taken me from Dallas to Houston, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Flint, Seattle, Sacramento, San Diego, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas. It used to be quite enjoyable, but I guess my age, crowded airports, and current "security" and flight rules make me have high hopes that I never have to get on another commercial flight. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

MossRoad · Oct 11, 2003

Bird,
If you're not in a hurry, it is still quite fun. We took the family to Florida last year and again to Arizona last spring. We had a blast with the two kids. I took one and the wife took the other. We switched kids at each stop. Took plenty of snacks, crayons and paper and the digital camera(remember that aerial picture of the Arch in St. Louis last April?). Had a blast! What I can't understand is people that take their kids on a plane with nothing for them to eat, drink or do! You're just asking for trouble. We ended up entertaining and feeding our niece because her mom didn't bring her anything /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif YIKES!!!

Oh, well... life's as fun as you make it! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

When I was a kid, the people across the street owned the Fixed Base Operation at the local airport, the guy next door had his own plane and the father of a kid I went to school with owned the Fixed Base Operation at an airport 11 miles from here. I rode in lots of planes, lots of times and had lots of fun. I ended up working for the people across the street for 6 years. Lots of stories there, some even tractor related /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

knucklehead · Oct 12, 2003

I'll be taking ear plugs because I will be getting off a 12 hr night shift at 0600 and reporting to the airport at 1130 (unless I get additional coverage). I am flying with a group of seasoned travellers, so I am not worried. I will ask about seat assignments, thanks for the tip - I always assume there is something that can be done to make things work more smoothly, whether it's pulling your own cable before the cable company gets there, or securing seat assignments in advance. That's part of the reason I posted the original silliness - to have fun, but to learn the "tricks" of air travel.

I knew I could count on my tractor girlfriends, as wifey calls all o' ya, for the inside dope.

The only worry I have now is whether my seat mates like Mongolian Throat Singing.

AAAAAAACCCCCKKKZZZZZSSSNNNNXXXXXXXCCCCCCCKKKKKSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!