Flying can sometimes be a bit of a hassle, and there is really not very much a person can do about that for the most part. There are some very simple things that you and I, as travelers, can do to make the experience a whole lot smoother than it sometimes is.
When we travel by airplane, whether it is for our job, or for pleasure there is a pretty good chance that some kind of annoyance will pop up. It may be on the actual airplane, or it may be in the airport, with the latter being a bit more likely in the experience of many.
In a previous job, I flew approximately 150,000 miles in a period of a year, so I can say that I have seen a few things in our countries airports and airplanes. What I have found is that even though a lot of the rules and regulations can be a real nightmare, we have no choice but to follow them, or take a car to our destination.
I have been talked to like I am a three year old, I have spent the night in airports due to missed connections, and I have smelled the dirtiest passengers you could ever be stuck with at 35,000 feet, and I have learned a few things in the process. Regardless of your belief system, or your privacy issues, there are things that we, as passengers do not have control over. Knowing what these are, accepting them, and going on about our day is the only way to survive through airline travel.
By following a few really simple rules, and understanding a few simple concepts, airline travel can be a little bit easier for you, me, the flight crew and the airport staff.
- Pack properly. If you plan to bring liquids with you on the airplane, pack them according to the FAA guidelines. For a carry-on bag, this would be about a 3oz container with acceptable liquid. Liquids should be placed in a plastic bag, and taken out of the carry-on to be placed in the bin for scanning
- Leave matches, lighters, fingernail clippers, nail files or any other object that has even a slightly sharp tip at home, or pack it in your checked baggage. Failure to do this will be confiscation, and a possible pat-down if you are really lucky
- Turn your cell phone off when asked. We don't really know for sure if a cell phone signal will take an airplane out of the sky, but nonetheless, the crew wants us to turn our cell phones off for a reason, and being sneaky will not get most people very far in trying to avoid this rule. Regardless of the safety issue for this, think about how noisy a flight could be if people were allowed to talk on their cell phone as much as they wanted.
- Stow away your laptops, carry-on luggage and any other loose items during take off and landing. It may seem like keeping these items out should be your choice, but think of it this way. At 500mph, a laptop becomes a deadly object that I would rather not have hit me in the back of the head.
Overall, be courteous to your fellow passengers and flight crew. Everybody on the airplane is trying to get somewhere just like you, and if everybody follows the rules, we can all have a much more pleasant experience on our next trip across the country. Remember that there may be two hundred other people flying with you, and they may not be enjoying themselves very much either.
My name is Wally Brown, and I have traveled for my job, and for pleasure. I have stood in security lines for hours on end, and I have spent hours on a hot tarmac waiting to fly, only to be turned around due to weather. There are so many things that can make a travel experience a frustrating event, but if some basic travel tips were employed by more travelers, the entire experience could be much better for everyone involved. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Walter_J_Brown |
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