Every commercial flight has the same basic elements. For first-time fliers, it can help to know what to expect.
This is the first article in the series Flying Basics. For first-time fliers, those with a fear of flying, and anyone who is wondering what it's like to travel by air, these articles give step-by-step descriptions of all of the aspects of being an airline passenger.
Other articles in the Flying Basics series:
- Flying Basics - Airport Security
- Flying Basics - Booking
- Flying Basics - Packing
- Flying Basics - Seat selection
- Flying Basics - Weather Info
- Flying Basics - Weather Matters
- Flying Basics - Packing for Events.
Travelling by air is so common these days, it's easy to forget that every year, many people take their first flight. If you have never flown and are confused or unsure about what it's like to fly on a commercial flight, relax. You are not being neurotic about flying. It is not that much different from taking a bus, although there are a few extra steps.
Every flight experience has the same basic elements:
- Booking the flight
- Selecting a seat
- Packing
- Checking in and getting a boarding pass
- Getting to the airport
- Checking in and checking your luggage at the airport
- Passing through security with your carry-on luggage
- Waiting inside the secure area for your flight to be boarded
- Boarding and waiting for take-off
- Taking off
- The flight
- Landing
- De-planing
- Collecting your luggage
- Leaving the airport and getting to where you are going
- Doing it all in reverse to come home
Who knew there was so much! Luckily, most of these steps are logical and easy.
The simplest example is a flight that
- takes you from A to B within about four hours or less
- is entirely within one country (crosses no international borders)
- doesn't have meal service
- doesn't have stopovers or plane changes
- is not oversold
- is not on a discount no-frills airline
and where you have no special needs or requests.
Here, in a nutshell, is how the business of being an airline passenger works. We will add the variations later. This is the simple example.
You are the passenger. There are some things you can control, and some you can't. Here are the stages you will go through before you go to the airport on flight day.
Booking the flight is when you make the major choices, the first of which is:
- where you will fly from – your departure location
- where you fly to – your destination, or arrival location.
These may seem obvious, but many cities have more than one airport. Large airports often have more than one terminal (building). Make sure you know the name of the airport and the number of the terminal at both ends of your flight.
For example, you may fly from Toronto Lester B. Pearson Airport Terminal 3 to Calgary International Airport. Calgary is a smaller airport with one terminal. When you fly back to Toronto, you need to know which terminal you will be arriving at, especially if someone is picking you up.
Seat selection is one of the most-talked-about aspects of flying. It is explained in some detail in the article "Flying Basics - Seat selection". You can ask about seat selection when booking your flight, but the ability to reserve a seat at this time is not always available. Quite often, it's something you do when you check in for your flight.
Packing is entirely within your control. Pack light. Pack light. Pack light.
Checking in on-line
On the day of your flight, you may be able to check in from home, or another computer, over the internet. This is a great feature.
Look on your airline's website when you first book and find out how far in advance of your flight you can check in on the world wide web. It is often 24 or 12 hours before your scheduled departure time.
When you check in on the internet, you can select your seat using a seating plan for the actual airplane you will be flying in. You have to know how many pieces of baggage you are going to check. Read the rules about the number of pieces allowed and their maximum dimensions, including the maximum weight.
You should print your boarding pass at home, but if you have trouble with this, it can be done at the airport. It is wise to make two copies. Put one in your purse or carry-on bag, and one inside your suitcase as backup. Remember, this boarding pass is just for your outbound flight. On a return trip, you will go through the same process before you take the flight back home.
The advantages to checking in at home and printing your boarding pass there are that you get to select your seat earlier and you do not usually have to stand in line very long at the airport check-in counter.
Now it's time to leave home. The Flying Basics series will take you on a pleasant flight.
