Traveling Alone for the First Time in the US

It's been quite a year for me. 

This year has been the year of travel: since October, I have visited Nashville, NYC, and soon I'll be going out of the US for the first time to study abroad in Italy. 

I'll do a separate post on that travel experience later, as well as what to pack, the differences between national vs. international flights, etc.

For now, I'll let you in on some tips to mastering the art of airport traveling while flying from state to state. *Disclaimer: The following opinions are my own but the photos are not - they are from Google.

What you will need?

Boarding Passes

Make sure to either have these printed out beforehand or print them on site where you go to check your bags. 

However, some airlines, such as Delta, offer mobile BPs where you can use your phone as your pass instead of having to print. 

If you choose this option, make sure to "check in" through the email you receive before arriving to the airport, otherwise you won't receive your mobile pass. 

These are great and so easy to use if offered!

You have your passes, but how do you read it? Where do you go? Here are some parts that got me confused for my first flight alone.

The one pictured above would read like this:

Group Number: This is the number you will wait to be called by when your flight is ready to board. If you're in first class - good for you, you get to board first! If not, just wait patiently.

Gate Code (& Terminal): This will tell you where to go in the airport. 

Before going to your gate, check which terminal you are suppose to go to. 

Make sure to go to the right terminal, otherwise you could miss your flight! If you end up getting dropped off at the wrong one, there are usually free shuttles that can take you to the correct one. 

DO NOT TRY TO WALK! 

If you need to get to terminal D and you are at A, there are sometimes multiple roads in between terminals and, therefore, are not within walking distance. One good way to know if you are at the right terminal is if you check the screens that list all the flights. 

Your airline might be listed but if your exact flight is not, then you are in the wrong place! 

Check your flight online via their website or the check in email you received and it should tell you which terminal. Believe me, I tried to meet my friends (who were on a different flight than me) to share a taxi with, and it turned out that I was on a completely different terminal than them. I ended up scrabbling trying to find them until finally someone told me to get on the shuttle - I almost missed them! 

Once at your correct terminal, find the gate letter with the correct number to locate which plane to board on. Make sure to check this often as these can change while waiting for your plane to arrive. Listen for announcements and/or check your email/online site to figure out if you need to move to another gate. You can also check for delays this way as well.

Seat Number: Some flights let you pick your seats. Usually there is an extra fee though, so it's not always worth it. If you don't pick a seat, you are assigned one. However, if your flight is pretty empty, flight attendants will usually let you move to different seats - this is a great way to avoid that extra fee and sit (almost) anywhere you want. The only downside is that it is not always guaranteed.

Bags & Luggage

Got a carryon? Check.

Do you need a checked bag? Maybe.

If you are not going to be staying long out of state, don't check a bag. It costs extra and without one you don't have wait for it in Baggage Claim or *gasp* risk losing your luggage.

If you are going to check a bag, try to fit everything in one bag. More bags = more fees. 

Be careful of the weight limit though, as another fee can be added on if your bag is over 50 lbs. I would try to store all your clothes and liquids inside your checked bag - that way you don't have to worry about the plastic bag limit with taking liquids on a carryon.

Try to use your carryon to bring things to do on the flight, snacks/water so you don't have to pay for expensive airline food, and your laptop/tablet. If there's things you can't do on your tablet that you need your laptop for, bring it. Otherwise, leave it at home so your bag is less heavy. 

Try to download a few free movies/TV pilot episodes onto your laptop/tablet or bring a book to read to entertain yourself on the flight. Not every flight has a movie for you to watch and some don't have free wifi either - be prepared. 

Headphones are also a plus since you can use them for these activities listed above or listen to music with them.

Got it all? You're ready to go!

What to expect on the flight:

Depending on how long your flight is, you might experience these during it:

Your ears popping - yawn or chew gum to get the cloudy sound out.

Sometimes the ride can get pretty bumpy - try to ask for water or eat one of your snacks since it can calm down your stomach a bit during this.

If you try to sleep, try and lean back as best you can. Be mindful of how you are trying to sleep; you could wake up feeling sick and resting your head on your shoulder will leave you with soreness later.

There will be a noisy passenger - try and tune them out as best you can.

Good luck and safe travels!

Best,

Haley