irrational fear of flying

[Saab2000]

Fair enough and I agree with this, but, here is the sad part for you - the actual airline is the tail end of this thing - the experience of just getting through the damned airport and actually onto the plane is about 2/3 of the problem.

The actual airline is only 1/3 of the grind your teeth and wan to kill someone experience now-a-days.

My advice to all travelers remains the same:

• When possible, fly early morning and whenever possible the first flight out of that city on your airline in the morning.
• When possible, fly direct or at least the fewest connections. And if you must connect, try to connect on the same airline.
• When possible, arrive early to the airport. Being delayed at the TSA line is not nearly as stressful if you have the time to spare.

Extra tips:

• Bring refillable water bottle. Many airports have bottle filling spigots inside security. That way you stay hydrated (important for fatigue mitigation) and don't need to pay $5 for a bottle of water.
• Bring snacks. See above on prices.
• Get noise cancelling headsets to listen to music or podcasts or books or whatever else.
• Get a spare Mophie or other brand battery to charge some PEDs (Personal Electronic Device) so you're not fighting other people for the local outlet.

These are tips from a 20+ year airline veteran on how to reduce the misery of a normally miserable experience. Other road warriors can probably offer more tips.

But if I can reiterate: Travel early and travel direct.

[sonicw]

If wonder if the frequent fliers here can notice the lateral stiffness and vertical compliance of aluminum vs. composite-built aircraft

[joosttx]

My advice to all travelers remains the same:

• When possible, fly early morning and whenever possible the first flight out of that city on your airline in the morning.
• When possible, fly direct or at least the fewest connections. And if you must connect, try to connect on the same airline.
• When possible, arrive early to the airport. Being delayed at the TSA line is not nearly as stressful if you have the time to spare.

Extra tips:

• Bring refillable water bottle. Many airports have bottle filling spigots inside security. That way you stay hydrated (important for fatigue mitigation) and don't need to pay $5 for a bottle of water.
• Bring snacks. See above on prices.
• Get noise cancelling headsets to listen to music or podcasts or books or whatever else.
• Get a spare Mophie or other brand battery to charge some PEDs (Personal Electronic Device) so you're not fighting other people for the local outlet.

These are tips from a 20+ year airline veteran on how to reduce the misery of a normally miserable experience. Other road warriors can probably offer more tips.

But if I can reiterate: Travel early and travel direct.

All good advice. I dont follow the early and direct or the noise cancelling headphones (use regular one with music)


accept a lot of stuff is out of your control.
When it does get stressful try and do something nice for a person.
Videos loaded on laptops.
Get a frequent flyer CC and rack up the point

[bigbill]

I bought my truck, F150 Lariat with ecoboost just to make road trips with all my stuff. I fly for work, usually Atlanta, Appleton, or Nashville, but if it's my trip, I'm driving. I see Mr and Mrs TMB once a year in AZ and I drive there. I enjoy the trip. I've done some awful airplane trips, spent 32 hours on a plane going halfway around the world with 7 stops, flown from Honolulu to Rome via SFO and ORD, SEA-SAN-SFO-NRT-SIN (seriously), and a few round trips on and off a carrier. My truck has satellite radio and navigation and gets 21 mpg with a big gas tank.

[Lionel]

Fly as little as you can. Do not believe a word the captain is telling you on how long it is going to take to fix that mechanical. Do not stress about delays and your connections, there is nothing you can do about it.

Lionel at 158K miles so far this year.

[joosttx]

Fly as little as you can. Do not believe a word the captain is telling you on how long it is going to take to fix that mechanical. Do not stress about delays and your connections, there is nothing you can do about it.

Lionel at 158K miles so far this year.

Damn you im at 141k miles. You can win this race

[Saab2000]

Fly as little as you can. Do not believe a word the captain is telling you on how long it is going to take to fix that mechanical. Do not stress about delays and your connections, there is nothing you can do about it.

Lionel at 158K miles so far this year.

I talk to customers as little as I can, but when I do I try to tell the truth because when I'm a customer/passenger I want to hear the truth, not BS. The truth is not always pretty. You have the right attitude. Don't stress about things you can't control.

My advice is to control whatever you can control. Passengers generally are stressed because they're not in control.

[liv2bike]

TSA Pre-check and Global Entry. I can zip through customs now. It literally took me all of two minutes to get through customs the other day. Pre-check makes security effortless as well. Both security and customs were two of the biggest time consumers but not anymore. Seriously worth the effort and little bit of coin to get Global Entry.

[jclay]

I talk to customers as little as I can, but when I do I try to tell the truth because when I'm a customer/passenger I want to hear the truth, not BS. The truth is not always pretty. You have the right attitude. Don't stress about things you can't control.

My advice is to control whatever you can control. Passengers generally are stressed because they're not in control.

And don't bitch about the time it takes for the repair, the paperwork or anything else; it ain't a car, you can't pull over to recheck the work....or that of the last guy. When I hear that sort of carping I, hopefully diplomatically, offer my viewpoint that I don't want anybody involved in aviation to be in a hurry....or to try to get a little more mileage out of the elevator control jackscrew unit.

[SteveP]

Funny related story.
Some years ago going to a trade show w some company fellow staff...
Those poor bastards were booked on across cty flight with 4 ( read it, 4 )
Changes.

Question came to me..do you want us to book you?
Er, no thanks... I'll fly direct for another $50 or something.

Those poor bastards showed up 14 hrs later... oye, dreadful.

[joosttx]

TSA Pre-check and Global Entry. I can zip through customs now. It literally took me all of two minutes to get through customs the other day. Pre-check makes security effortless as well. Both security and customs were two of the biggest time consumers but not anymore. Seriously worth the effort and little bit of coin to get Global Entry.

Global entry is the best

[monadnocky]

I'm always amazed when people I know - experienced flyers, no less - gloat about how they saved $67 by booking a flight with a layover. Or two. I mean sometimes I know it's not possible to do otherwise (flying out of Manchester, NH? You're going to ORD or EWR 75% of the time) but when it is, I don't get it.

[Tom]

One time I was with a group from work heading to BWI from ALB - through Trenton despite about the only place you can get to directly from ALB is BWI (and Trenton, of course) but the company had some unnatural attraction to a particular airline who's hub was Trenton. Anyway, we get on the little plane, the pilot does the walk around, looks pensively under the plane for a minute, calls over a couple of other guys and we all get off the plane. There's a big puddle of hydraulic fluid there. Some guy (not in our party) starts pissing and moaning about the decision! My coworker turns to me and in his stage voice says "Hell, if the pilot doesn't want to fly it I'm with him!" So our group went in, got rescheduled on another flight and went to the bar.

[davids]

I just got my Global Entry card. I've been pretty consistently getting TSA Pre-check, but this locks it up.

Yeah, flying is a pain. Both because of the congestion and aggravation of airports, and the boxcar-like nature of a modern airplane layout.

But.

I will never cease to be grateful for the ease with which I can cover fantastic distances. Waking up in Boston and going to sleep in Seattle (just to mention my last trip)? Hell yeah. I never want to take that privilege for granted.

[rwsaunders]

TSA Pre-check and Global Entry. I can zip through customs now. It literally took me all of two minutes to get through customs the other day. Pre-check makes security effortless as well. Both security and customs were two of the biggest time consumers but not anymore. Seriously worth the effort and little bit of coin to get Global Entry.

Yep. $85 gets you TSA Pre-Check for 5 years and I believe that Global Entry is $100 for 5 years and includes Pre-Check. As my one kid flies a decent amount, it was a birthday gift. My wife only flies about twice/year, but it's usually with me and I don't want to wait for her in the lines for the "common people"...air traveler snob lingo for the regular lines. Cheaper than AAA but maps and the silver sticker for your car bumper aren't included.

[Lionel]

Global entry is the best

It's good indeed even though the other day there was a line at SFO for the Kiosks !

[AngryScientist]

But if I can reiterate: Travel early and travel direct.

all good advice.

if you can control your own destiny, which is often times not the case for some business folks, i try and book all my appointments tuesday-thursday. keeping a day at either end of the weekend as a buffer against cancellend and delays flights works wonders to reduce stress.

i also drink martinis at airports frequently.

[TMB]

all good advice.

if you can control your own destiny, which is often times not the case for some business folks, i try and book all my appointments tuesday-thursday. keeping a day at either end of the weekend as a buffer against cancellend and delays flights works wonders to reduce stress.

i also drink martinis at airports frequently.

Only water at airports. Less lag at the end and significantly reduces my tendencies to homicide.

[NFazzio]

It's good indeed even though the other day there was a line at SFO for the Kiosks !

I stopped telling people about it. The less the better.

[rwsaunders]

It's the little things like a complimentary PNW microbrew or the view of a mountain (volcano) on a short flight that help make a difference regarding your perception of service.