A Guide for First Time Flyers

Traveling by plane is a whole different experience. Here is a short list of some tips/tricks/pointers to help you take on the world by air.

1. You can bring food through TSA.

Before I was a flight attendant I did not know this one, but YES you can bring food through TSA. I wouldn't suggest bringing an entire butterball turkey, but bags of chips, candy, a sandwich, and normal snacks are fine to bring through. Sometimes they will ask you to place any food in a separate bin (I've only seen this once out of the Newark airport), but most of the time there is nothing extra that needs to be done. If you are travelling out of the country be sure to check what foods you can bring in. Some countries don't want you bringing meat, others veggies, so do your research. Domestically, in the US you will be fine though!

2. You can bring liquids in a checked bag.

No you cannot bring a bottle of water in a carry on, but your checked bag you sure can! This is especially useful to know when visiting any sort of wine country, and want to bring back a couple bottles for your friends.

3. Bring an empty water bottle through TSA.

All airports have water fountains. Bring in an empty water bottle and fill it up as soon as you get through security. Bring multiple if you know you get really thirsty. Also when you are on the plane you can always ASK the flight attendants to fill up your water bottle for you. Every flight is different so don't expect the same answer from every flight attendant. Some airlines have different policies concerning filling up personal containers, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

4. 30 minutes for a connection is not enough.

When booking your flight be conscious, especially when going internationally, of your layover time. You are more than likely going to have to change concourses for your next flight. Every airport is different and the gate agents close the door 10 mins prior to departure. That only gives you 20 mins to get off the plane, and get to your next gate. Not including bathroom stops or filling up your water bottle for the next flight. It is way better to be safe than sorry. A four hour layover is much more relaxing than a 30 minute one. Delays happen everyday, just a slight delay can make you miss your 30 minute connection. Especially when booking through third party websites double check that connection time. For international connections I would definitely suggest at least an hour and a half between flights if not two hours.

5. Try not to book through third party websites.

If your flight is delayed or canceled, it’s very unlikely that you will get notified by email or text if you booked through a third party application such as Travelocity, Priceline, etc. These apps are great for looking to see which airline has the cheapest flight. But instead of booking through the site go directly to the airline’s website and book the flight through them. This way you can earn miles, and it’s much easier to be rebooked if you happen to miss your flight or misconnect.

6. Google your flight number.

If you have someone picking you up from your destination, it can be a little tricky to communicate with them what time for them to actually be there. Especially if they are driving from far away. Send them your full flight number and when they google it, it will show up to date info on your flight (ex: AA1331 DL2654 UA0754). This is especially useful if you get delayed in air due to weather or air traffic. Also the app, Flight Aware does the same thing.

7. Wear pants.

The majority of people get cold on airplanes. This is mostly for up in the air. On the ground can be a mixed bag of being way too hot or being freezing. Dress in layers and wear pants. I usually have a jacket, a flannel, and then a basic shirt, so that way I can use one of the jackets as a pillow if I'm too hot.

8. Take a deep breath.

If you are lost/confused/overwhelmed there are tons of people you can ask for help. Ask with a smile, but don't feel bad about asking, even if you feel it is a stupid question. We want to get you where you need to go.

I hope this list is able to help first time flyers. If you can think of any other tips please comment down below! Do you remember your first flight? Let me know where you were going and what you thought!