Tips & Tricks: Flying For the First Time

Hi everyone, it’s Victoria with some tips about how to prepare for flying for the first time! A few weeks ago I flew for the first time, and I was just a ball of anxiety. The thought of flying had always terrified me, and even though countless people told me it was no big deal, I was still anxious and worried about flying and how it was going to be. Thankfully, I survived and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, so I want to list down some things that I noticed during my flight and a few things that helped me make my flight better!

Tip 1: Chew gum

This old wives tale really works! As you’re ascending and descending, your ears can tend to pop, making it painful and annoying, but chewing gum helps. Personally, I started chewing gum when the plane first started moving around before take off, and when the initial descent was announced.

Tip 2: Be prepared

I was traveling alone, and I was so worried about getting lost in the airport, forgetting something, or losing my boarding pass, that those thoughts alone caused most of my stress! Being prepared, like getting things done sooner rather than later and bringing everything you need, and double checking important information, like flight status, is a necessity whenever you’re traveling.

Tip 3: Aisle seats are worth it

Most people always want a window seat on their flight to look out the window, but I was that rare person who, under no circumstances, wanted a window seat. Looking out and seeing that we were above the clouds would have scared me even more than I already was, so I made sure to have an aisle seat on both flights during my trip, and it definitely helped me to calm down. Also, it seemed like the aisle seat was slightly more roomer than the other seats, but as I have only flown once and I am very petite, I can’t give an exact answer on that.

Tip 4: Have a distraction

Besides passing the time, having something to keep me distracted and not focused on the flight, was a necessity for me. JetBlue has live TV and a good movie selection, and I know most other airlines do as well, so there’s a built in distraction (don’t forget headphones though!), but if you aren't into watching the in flight entertainment, bring books in your personal item, or have lots of stuff downloaded onto your phone if your flight does not offer in flight WiFi. But if your flight does have in flight WiFi, take advantage of it! I was flying alone, so having the option to text friends back home was a great stress and anxiety reliever.

And if technology isn't your thing or you’re looking to disconnect during your flight, try talking to the people sitting next to you! Throughout my flight home, I talked to the person sitting next to me, and that was a great way to pass time and not worry about flying for a little bit, and I got to meet someone new, which is always a great part of traveling!

While everyone’s flight experience varies, I found these tips to be broad enough to be helpful to anyone flying, and like always, thank you for reading and comment down below some of your favorite flying tips!