How to Prepare for Your First Flight
Before your flight, you will have to wait at an airport gate while the aircraft is being deplaned and cleaned by airport staff.
Once Your Flight is Booked
Set the date on your mobile device.
You want to make sure you don’t miss your flight when the day comes. Go ahead and set the alarms and date on your phone immediately. Double-check the alarm and make sure you don’t get AM and PM mixed too.
Make sure it is safe for you to fly.
Air travel will require you to sit in a compressed vessel at an extremely high altitude. If you have any medical conditions that may interfere with your health, talk to your doctor to get their recommendation. Find ways to make the flight more comfortable for you if you are cleared to fly.
Plan transportation to and from the airport in advance
Prior to your flight, make sure you have a plan for transportation. You have a few options to choose from.
Rideshare – The top two choices for using rideshare as transportation from the airport is Uber or Lyft. Make sure the mobile application is installed on your device and set up an account prior to your flight. There may be wifi issues when requesting a ride through the app at the airport Using a rideshare app can be the priciest.
Taxi – Using a taxi as transportation to and from the airport can also be pricey, but during price surges on rideshare apps, catching a taxi may be the next cheapest option. Taxis are also very plentiful in larger travel destinations in the Caribbean.
Family Member – Free is the best option of course! If you choose to ask a family member to provide transportation to or from the airport, you’ll have to coordinate with them first. The easiest way to do this is to get them to use Flight Aware to track your flight while you are in the air. If your loved one is attentive, they can watch the progress of your flight and arrive as soon as you do.
Paid private transportation – You can book private transportation to and from the airport using Viator if you’re riding in style. Paid private transportation is a great option for larger traveling groups or romantic honeymoon trips. Viator has shared public transportation options that have proved to be cheaper too.
Public transportation – Local city transportation can be a great option if the place you’re traveling to is not heavily car-dependent. In areas that are car-dependent, the public transportation system will most likely disappoint you. Public transportation systems in lesser developed countries may not be sufficient.
Provided Shuttle – Some hotels provide shuttles to and from the airport. Sometimes this option is included in vacation packages, but they are not marketed enough by many travel booking engines. Be sure to ask your accommodation provider if they can provide this service.
Before Your Flight
The Atlantic ocean during a flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU)
Understand your luggage policy.
Paying luggage fees – Sometimes luggage fees are paid upfront or at the airport. If you are unable to pay in advance, I recommend saving an extra $75-$150 for luggage fees.
Luggage size & weight – Check the airline’s website to understand what size and weight your carry-on and checked baggage should be prior to your flight. There is nothing more embarrassing than playing “luggage Tetris” in front of everyone at the airport.
Properly packing your carry-on luggage – Be mindful when packing your carry-on bag since you will not be able to access your checked bag during the flight. The most important items will be your boarding pass, ID/ passport (if flying internationally), device chargers, iphone, and snacks. You’ll survive your first flight with those 4 items.
Plan how you will spend your time at the airport.
A lot of people get overwhelmed their first time at the airport. It’s capitalism baby! The airport will feel a lot like a mall. There are many places to eat and shop to your heart's content. Just be sure to make time for that. The rule of thumb is to arrive at the airport 2 hours prior to your flight. This may seem excessive, but some airports take longer to process the large volume of travelers.
If you plan to eat, you will need time to queue in line, and it's the same for shopping. I recommend arriving an additional hour in advance to make time for eating and shopping.
Map out the airport prior to your arrival.
The airport map is most likely located in your airline’s application. I frequently fly with American Airlines and they even include commute times from various points on the map provided. But one time I was not so lucky. I had to use the airport map on the airport’s website (crisis averted).
Check which gate your flight will depart from.
Find where the restaurants and shops you are interested in are located on the map with respect to your departure gate.
Locate the bathrooms if you tend to have to go often. Locate more than one near your gate in advance. The airport bathrooms are sometimes dirty near the gates due to high traffic. The ones further away from the gate tend to be in better condition.
You may even have the option to add a boarding pass to your Apple Wallet.
At the Airport / Pre-departure
How to dress for your first flight.
You should wear socks and sneakers. The keyword here is SOCKS. There is nothing sexier than walking barefoot across the dirty-ass airport floor during TSA check-in. I do not recommend sandals or heels. Make sure you are wearing a comfortable top and bottoms that are not too tight or loose. Don’t get dressed or fancy before a flight unless it is a brief one. Trust me. You’ll want to wash the plane off immediately upon landing. It’s no different from riding a stinky bus.
Make sure to dress in layers because it can get chilly on the plane.
Check the contents of your carry-on bag.
Make sure your carry-on bag has everything you need such as your cellphone, device chargers, identification, boarding pass, and snacks. You will not be able to carry liquids past the TSA check so don’t bother packing any. You will be allowed to purchase water and other beverages after check-in.
Check-in luggage that is larger than the standard carry-on.
If you have bags to be checked, head to the area of the airport where baggage is accepted. Then get your bags weighed. If you prepaid, you’re good to go, however, if you have not covered your luggage fees, you will be required to pay them.
*Before luggage is checked in you may also be required to have your bags screened by the USDA and APHIS.TSA Screening & Check
Head to the TSA check and wait patiently in line. This is the most painful part because it takes the longest. You will be required to take off your shoes and remove large electronic devices from your carry-on luggage. You may even be pulled out of line for a random screening. Arrive at the airport early so you won’t feel crunched for time.
Dining and shopping at the airport
When dining at the airport, I typically make sure I have 40+ minutes prior to my flight departure time. Any less than that and there may be issues. You are allowed to carry food and drink purchased after the TSA check onto the plane with you, but I do not recommend eating a full meal that was purchased at the airport during your flight. It will just make you look like an asshole. No one wants to smell your post-meal flatulence and not even your meal either for that matter.
During Your Flight
Find your seat and place your carry-on in the overhead bin closest to you.
This is pretty self-explanatory, but if you run into issues, I usually run into friendly fliers that assist me with lifting my bags into the bins overhead. The flight attendants will help too if you ask.
Once seated, relax and be a respectful and amiable flier.
Nuff said. Be nice. Do not overdrink. I do not recommend eating on shorter flights if you can help it. It doesn’t make a nice dining experience anyway.
Using the restroom on the plane.
I usually hold it in for short flights, but if you must go, feel free. It's not a nice arrangement. It literally exists to get the job done and nothing more. There is usually a visible red/green lock on the door that indicates if it is occupied or not, respectively.
Make sure you have a ride once you arrive at the airport.
Arrival
Deplaning in an orderly fashion.
Passengers on the plane disembark from front to back.
Wait patiently to get off the plane. I know you’re excited to see the world, but there is no need to step over anyone or cause a ruckus.
Arrival at the gate in the airport.
Once you arrive at the new airport, find the departure area. Depending on your choice of transportation, there are areas that the airport had designated for people using rideshare/taxi, getting picked up by a loved one, and shuttles.
