Things you should know before flying for the first time
Your first flight can make you anxious but in fact, it is not that different from bus rides. We gathered some useful tips to bear in mind for first-time flyers.
1. How to buy plane tickets
After the establishment of the private airline companies, flight ticket prices are offered after fierce competition between airlines. While purchasing a ticket, you can choose the most affordable tickets from the airlines that you select via comparison websites. After your selection, you can purchase your ticket online or from a nearby travel agency. For your online ticket purchases, you can use Wingie.com to search for the best ticket options for your choice of location, date, city, and number of passengers. By selecting one of the flights from searching results and entering your payment information you can easily purchase an online flight ticket. For online purchases, all you need to do is go to the airport with your ID and confirmation SMS and then find your selected airline’s counter to complete your check-in. During this procedure, you are not required to have a physical ticket on you.
2. Baggage preparations
During flights, you can take two kinds of baggage with you. Checked baggage is those taken from passengers during check-in and carried in the aircraft’s baggage compartment during the flight. Generally, until 15-20 kg, airlines do not charge extra baggage costs for checked baggage. Cabin baggage is the baggage you can take with you during the flight. This can be your handbag or a small suitcase. The limitations are not according to weight but size. If your checked baggage exceeds the 15-20 kg limitation, to avoid extra baggage cost you can carry your excess belongings with cabin baggage. Or you can travel solely by your cabin baggage if you do not have excess belongings. Because after landing, you have to wait at the airport for your checked baggage to arrive. You can find information about baggage restrictions in this article.
3. Check-in process
For your first flight, this notion may sound odd to you. Check-in is the name of the process that passengers, who bought their tickets online or from travel agencies, go to the airport’s counters of selected airlines to determine technicalities such as seat selection, ID confirmation, acquisition of boarding passes, and baggage checks, and acquisition of baggage tags.
4. Things you should know after check-in
After the check-in process, you will receive your baggage tag and ticket which provides the information of seat and gate numbers. Make sure your ID, passport, or driver's license is ready. Pay attention to your gate number and proceed to the gate for a security check. At the security checking point, you need to show your boarding pass to the personnel and hand in your bags and cabin baggage for X-ray screening.
5. Boarding to plane
After the security check, proceed to the boarding gate which is written on your boarding pass. After examining the flight and gate numbers, you may wait for boarding. In some cases, you can directly board the plane but sometimes you have to take shuttles to the plane. Especially in vast airports, walking in runway area is prohibited to passengers, and only entitled personnel is an exception to this rule. Gate agents will assist you to board on the plane when the time comes so following their lead would be sufficient. Meanwhile, make sure your boarding pass and ID are ready to show them to personnel.
6. Flight
On the plane, after you are seated you can store your hand baggage in overhead compartments that are located above the seats. During flight all the necessary information would be announced; such as the flight rules, when the plane will take off and land, and the weather conditions of your destination. You can follow the announcements while enjoying your flight.
7. Arrival
After landing, please be seated until the doors are open. By following other passengers you can go to the area where your checked baggage will arrive. There, you may wait for a while. By following the signboards you can understand from where you can claim your baggage.