Thursday, July 29th, 2010
Conquer Your Flying Fears
Your best friend is getting married in the Bahamas. You’ve managed to locate your lost U S passports and your bags are all packed and ready to go. The only thing is, you’ve never flown before. You’ve seen the horror stories about plane food and being strip searched at security. Just the thought of being miles in the air makes you want to throw up. Well, there is absolutely nothing to be worried about. Here are a few tips that should ease your mind.
First, relax. You can’t think or be rational if you are shaken up like a snow globe. Flying is very safe, even more so than driving a car. The reason so many people are scared of flying is simply the dramatic coverage that a rarely occurring crash receives. Here are some pretty amazing facts that will hopefully change your mind about flying.
- You are more likely to die from a bee sting than from an airplane crash.
- If you spend everyday on a plane, it will take almost 20,000 years before you would get in a crash.
- Training a pilot takes the same amount of time and money as training a doctor does.
- Everything on a plan has a back-up system, along with three autopilots and three computers.
- The airplane goes through 12 hours of inspection and maintenance for every hour they’re in their air.
- Airplanes fly only in designated flyways that are ten miles wide. No other airplane can fly through it.
These are legitimate facts. The truth is, all the fear can be attributed to the media’s coverage of plane crashes. However, now you have more stuff to do to prepare for your flight. First off, decide whether you want to check your bag or carry it on board. A small weekend bag is easy to carry on, but if you’re planning a long vacation, consider checking it. The TSA advises that you get to the airport at least two hours before your flight time in order to allow time for check-in, security, getting your boarding pass, and everything else.
Once you arrive at the airport, you are going to want to check in and get a boarding pass. In the terminal, look for a desk that has the airline you will be flying. Different airlines have different procedures for getting your bags checked, so just ask an employee and they can help you out. This is the same place you will be checking your bags, so make sure to have them ready.
Next is security. Make sure you have your boarding pass, ID, and passport out. Wait in the line, and when you get to the x-ray machine, take off your shoes, take your laptop out of its bag, and put your purse or backpack on the conveyor belt. You will be prompted into a metal detector, and once you pass through that, you’re finished.
With some encouraging facts, a brief look at how to handle flying under your belt and passports in hand, you are ready to go. Once again, there is no reason to be nervous, except maybe for the airplane food. The safety codes and regulations are very strict and even more strictly enforced, so you can feel safe traveling and maybe even have some fun. So replace your lost U S passports, pack your bathing suit and your sunscreen, and get ready for take-off.