Have you flown a lot?

I love flying. I fly often for work and vacation. I find the whole thing fascinating and have studied in great depth the technology that makes it all happen. It's extremely rare for something to go wrong that isn't due to human error after all is said and done. Now as for dealing with the other passengers in the airport or on the plane, that's another matter entirely. It's a waking nightmare. The worst thing I ever experienced was a 7 hour delay from Fort Lauderdale to JFK but that was weather related and hardly the airlines fault.

I’m not afraid of flying, but I haven’t flown in years because of a an unexplained, unprecedented health incident in flight many years ago. I had flown a distance of about 1400 miles on a Friday morning, returning on Sunday. I had no previous experience flying such distances within such a compressed time period. There were no issues with the Friday flight but on Sunday I experienced what I thought must be a sinus condition - something I had never or since had - affecting the central part of my face until we began our descent. I was in such distress that tears were literally running down my face throughout. I’ve been spooked about flying great distances ever since, choosing other means of transportation for subsequent travel excursions of lesser distance. A friend recently asked me to come for a weekend to his (second) wedding about 2000 miles away, but I had to beg off.

Yep. Tons.

Never really had a bad experience onboard, but have had many bad experiences on the ground.

The worst I ever committed was accidentally spilling a few ice cubes in the lap of a woman in first class on a night flight. She was pissy that I was taking the empty seat next to her, and the stew made me stow my bags overhead but said she "wasn't allowed" to hold my cup of ice. So I had to wrangle both bags and the cup, and spilled a few on Karen.

A dozen or so times. I hate it and hate traveling. So there.

[quote]I’ve never understood why some folks are afraid of flying. I know this girl who has to take Klonopin, before she even gets to the airport. She RARELY gets to an airport, & hence, hasn’t really gone anywhere that truly matters, as a result.

You kind of sound like a cunt, OP.

OP who on earth would care?

5.8m miles. Yes, I track it. Never gone more than three weeks without flying in my adult life.

Could tell stories for days about all the situations I’ve seen, but who would care?

Can say though, have never once experienced “severe” turbulence. (There is a definition for “severe”.). Moderate, several times probably. Never felt unsafe because of turbulence.

Apparently OP crashed in the Catskills.

R7 - wow - that's a massive amount. Like unreal - are you a pilot or FA?

Depends on my job - but I've been on 80-90 flights a year or more sometimes. Other years - just 2 or 3 for vacations.

Just started a new job next Monday - and my flying will start up again. Kinda looking forward to it.

Thankfully I now live in a large city where getting to the airport is a breeze. I used to hate flying in NYC and Chicago - always too forever to get to the airport. I'm there in 20 mins with an Uber now. Makes a huge difference in having less stress about it.

My flying picked up a lot in the past year. My father’s health hasn’t been great so I’ve been flying up the east coast to check on him.

My home airport has puddlehoppers and lots of people get nervous flying on those.

I had another flight this year, for business, down to Macon, GA on Contour. Coming back, right as we were approaching Dulles, we hit clear air turbulence and that plane shook every which way but loose. I’ve been miserable lately, laid off, pissed about politics, etc. So I figured screw it. I won’t have to pay my AmEx bill.

HATE FLYING

every mile

but I fly all the time. hate every trip

The entire experience now sucks (for US domestic travel). Overcrowding, overpriced, and obnoxious people everywhere. I'd prefer to drive if it's feasible.

I've never flown to me.

I flew a lot for work for years, on and off. It doesn't bother me at all, but I'm not fond of puddle jumpers. These days, all my flying is for pleasure, and we fly fairly often (four of five times a year).

However, my sister is petrified to fly. She didn't come to my younger son's wedding this summer because it seems she just can't. The last time she was on a plane was in 1972. Yeah, I don't get it either.

R9 Not a pilot or FA, just had a job (career) that drove a shit ton of flying. Plus, love leisure travel too. I get stir crazy if I’m home too long. My husband and I sustained a 20+ year relationship by basically meeting in various cities all over the world.

Even all through the pandemic, was pretty much flying weekly.

Not recently but there was a time in my life I flew at least once a month for work.

^ In fairness, I also track my classes of service. And 69% of those 5.8m miles were in first or business. And much higher than that in the last 5 years or so. Hence, I don’t have the hatred of flying that most people have.

R12 - I don't disagree completely. But if you get the extra leg room seats in economy, it's better.

For me, I think flying is soo much easier and better than when I did it for work in the late 90s. I flew a LOT for work 95-2000. Pre-cell phones, pre-internet - you had fricking paper tickets.

And believe it or not - we didn't have those roller with extended handles just yet for luggage.

Back then - it was completely wasted time waiting for planes and being on planes. Now, I'm connected to everything and in the air. And the apps help a lot.

For me, flying is the easiest it has ever been - bar the 102% booked flights, and in-flight dress and behavior. Although luckily, I have never experienced the type we've all seen in videos online.

Also, not to toot my own horn, but I have actually blown a Flight Attendant in the open galley on a flight.

I’m very proud of that moment.

I anticipate a few turbulence along the way.

Have flown a fair amount, but nowhere near as much as some here, likely cos I have never had to fly for work. Pity in a way, as I dont get jetlag, and a job that required a lot of flying would have suited me very well, more than a lot of people.

Have been doing quite a bit of flying for leisure in the last few years as my partner likes to travel, and that suits me just fine.

Worst experience I can think of recently was flying Etihad to get to South Africa a few years ago - it was all we could get that was remotely affordable, and what a shit airline. Plane on the leg from Sydney to Abu Dhabi was shabby and filthy, half the seatback screens didnt work properly or at all, the carpets and seat upholstery was threadbare, all the shitters were blocked and the service was indifferent at best. Plane was clearly well worn, very disappointing at the premium prices charged.

Did also fly on a domestic flight in Kyrgyzstan from Bishkek to Osh in the South on the border with Uzbekistan many years ago (late 90's I think). That was.... interesting.

Plane was an ancient ex-Aeroflot ex-Uzbek Airways handmedown Tupelov, no seat belts, plane had filthy carpet and seats, apparently because until recently passengers were allowed to take livestock on board as hand luggage - including goats, sheep etc. Got terrific pics flying over the mountain range, they flew really close to the road in the pass over the mountains. It turned out this was because all the instruments and nav gear were broken so the pilot was flying by sight following the road over. Landing was very good though, gentlest I've ever experienced. Apparently this was because all the tyres were worn down to canvas and they couldnt afford to replace them.... flying in the third world is not for the nervous! At least they didnt have the cheek to charge Etihad prices

[quote]Also, not to toot my own horn, but I have actually blown a Flight Attendant in the open galley on a flight.

[quote]I’m very proud of that moment.

R7 as you should be R7/ R19! Goals!

I tried it on with this extremely hot El Al trolly dolly on a flight to Europe years back, no joy unfortunately

I’ve flown over two million miles. It took me a long time to start flying with one airline after loyalty programs started and I have over one million miles with American, which gives me lifetime AAdvantage Gold…whoop-dee-doo . 🙄

And it was the mostly hard way — in economy, until I earned status which I have had one both United and American and got upgraded frequently.

I’ve never seen oxygen masks drop. Never had an emergency landing. On one flight somebody died, but the crew acted like he was alive. When we landed, an ambulance crew came onboard before we deplaned and took him away but there was no care provided so we all knew he had died in flight.

A book was my companion early on. I rarely paid for headsets when they used to charge for them to watch a badly edited movie. When seatback screens became the norm, I watched a few movies each flight. But in the past fifteen years or so, my iPad is my entertainment. Honestly, with Wi-Fi and chargers/plugs at every seat, flying today is practically luxurious compared to the olden days.

Way back when, I always sat in the smoking section at the rear of the cabin. Well, except on Aeroflot and Balkan flights where the center aisle divided smoking and nonsmoking. But everybody smoked no matter what, so it didn’t matter. On every flight I’ve ever taken from Helsinki they have run out of alcohol. lol.

I used to get anxious before flying, worrying about getting to the airport on time, my bags being overweight, making a connection, lost luggage, you name it. About twenty years ago I started taking anti anxiety meds and flying hasn’t bothered me since. I don’t love it, but I don’t hate it either.

My #1 rule of flying today is nonstop if at all possible no matter the cost.

Started flying alone at age nine after my parents divorced in 1971, Oakland to LAX, about once every six weeks until I was 18. I'd leave school early on Fridays and return Sunday night or Monday morning. If my father had a business trip, he'd sometimes fly me to wherever he was, usually in the Western US. It was fun but I always had to have a fresh haircut and get dressed up. Didn't experience any scary flights, but one time I ended up on a plane to Portland, OR by accident. Two flights were boarding at the same time in the same boarding area. The United crew was a bit freaked but treated my like a prince. I ended up having to continue to Seattle to catch a flight to LA.

After college I flew for work about four times a year and once or twice for vacations, usually to foreign countries. The worst flight was on a PanAm 747 SFO-Paris on my first trip to Europe when we encountered turbulence in the middle of diner service. They still used real china, glasses, and silverware back then. Plates and luggage went flying everywhere. The O2 masks did not come down. After deregulation, airfares were cheaper, but flights became crowded and seats shrank. Longer flights became stressful.

As I got older, I accumulated a lot of miles on United, which had/has a virtual monopoly at SFO. Frequent Flyer programs were more generous back then. For overseas and transcon flights, I was often able to upgrade to Business Class. I became spoiled quickly. I'd have a drink or two with the meal, and then sleep the rest of the flight, then spend the trip almost jet lag-free.

For the last ten years of my career, I was based in SF and worked for a company with headquarters in SoCal. I flew down there at least once a month. Had to travel down on Sundays and be perky for Monday morning meetings, usually returning on Wednesday evenings for work on Thursday mornings. At first the routine reminded me of visiting my father. I grew tired of ruined weekends, being away from home, and LA in general. I was also traveling to conferences. My elderly cats hated me.

Six years ago, I randomly ended up in a long-distance relationship with my future husband, who lived in Boston. I flew back there at first 4-5 times a year, then 3 times a year after I'd had enough of Winter. Partner came to see me about 5 times a year. We both got JetBlue credit cards and built up a lot of mile for free trips. We each encountered weather delays, but it was nothing horrible. At one point, I was exhausted from travel and had a panic attack. I forgot I was supposed to meet him in DC for a trip to Rehoboth Beach and tried to get on a flight to Boston.

Transcon flights during COVID were awesome. Planes were empty and first class was only a few hundred dollars more.

Partner and I have since married and retired together. In a few weeks, we're flying back to New England to see his family for the first time in two years. He has to take Ativan to get on a plane. I've been trying to get him to go to Europe and Asia, but it's always met with resistance. He's only been outside the US twice. We may end up taking a cruise, the thought of which disgusts me. He thinks he wants to take a Disney cruise, the thought of which disgusts me even further.

Not wanting to fly to Europe or Asia is grounds for divorce.

R24 Leave him.

I worked for the same company for 33 years before retirement at 53. For the first 20 years I flew on average once or twice a month, at times more. For the last 13 years I flew every week. I remember the time when flying was a pleasure. Things were rapidly getting out of control by the time I retired in 2007 and I was not finding it pleasurable any longer. I'm now 72, and having traveled all over the world I have little to no desire to travel to far off locations, or really anywhere else, for vacations. I only fly for necessity these days. Mainly for funerals as most of my contemporaries are either dead or on the road to it.

For several years I worked and travelled with Middle Eastern zillionaires. We flew all the time on every size and variety of private jet. I LOVED it. Now I'm just an old codger in coach.

How’s your cooter?

Every size and variety of cock, I presume.

What do you mean they don’t all look the same?

What do YOU mean? It’s a play on words from the earlier post.

I’ve flown LOT from Chicago to Warsaw.

Brava!^

I fly Latamalot.

lol@r25 and r26!

He's well aware of that. We have a ton of miles on JetBlue. Planning to get him to SFO-NYC for a few days to see a show or two. He's a total showtune queen. Then from there to London for a West End show. Each flight would only be about six hours. Maybe Chunnel to Paris because he must visit France, with maybe TGV trip to the Dordogne because he likes castles. Once he's eaten in France, he won't want to come home. Then, ultimately, a short flight to Greece for an extended stay to visit my relatives. I think I can pull that off. United and JetBlue will be sharing mileage plans soon. Would prefer to just fly non-stop to Paris from San Francisco on United, using EuroDisney as the carrot for him. My ultimate goal would be to use miles to upgrade to Business or at least EconomyPlus on the flight over.

Zzzzzz

Take miles and run ..,FAST!

Yes. A lot. And as I write this, I am over the Pacific about an hour from landing in Asia. It’s a long trip to make by yourself.

Replace flying/flown with blowing/blown

^ Oops.

On average maybe 3 round trips a year as an adult, usually for fun but occasionally for work. Not a lot, but not really something I think about much.

I'm 56. The first time I got on a plane was 1992 when I was 23. My family was not rich so no vacations that we flew to for us. Worked my way through college and had low paying jobs through my twenties. That first plane trip? For work.

I fly all the time! From the convent to the beach and back!

R24 Why does your husband need Ativan? Just make him read one of your posts, and he’ll be out like a light and/or dead from boredom.