My name is Conner Wood. I studied microeconomics in Thailand this summer. But in order to get to Thailand, I first had to travel all the way there. Sounds easy in concept, but the travel was far from easy. As a first time international flier/traveler and someone who has barely ever flown, the idea of flying around the world was very intimidating. Not to mention recent news stories involving Boeing as well as turbulence made me a little nervous. So, I figured I would tell my own experience and give some tips in case anyone else ends up in the same situation.
My total travel time to get to Thailand and back was over 60 hours. The most I’ve ever flown was probably about 5 or 6 hours. I had no idea what I would do for that long on a plane. In preparation I downloaded some TV shows and movies onto my phone/ipad as well as downloading some games on gaming devices. I bought some ear plugs for the plane, because I end up having very bad ear pain when the plane is landing. In my opinion, the most important thing to bring on a long flight is a good pair of earphones/headphones (preferably noise canceling). Otherwise, you end up listening to babies screaming, kids arguing, people snoring, and all kinds of unwanted noise. I honestly spent most of my flight to Thailand listening to music. On the way back I watched the movies provided by Qatar Airlines. I thought the selection of movies was really, really good. I watched some of the best movies I’ve seen in a while on that plane.
There were some things I wish I would have brought on the plane though. Namely a neck pillow. I sat middle seat on my flight to and from Qatar (16 hrs). It was super uncomfortable for me personally. I could not find a good position to fall asleep. I think a neck pillow would have made a big difference. I also wish I would’ve brought some candy/gum with me on the plane.
I had a pretty good overall experience on my flights. It’s really hard to sit still for that long, but you can always get up and stretch. I was very impressed by Qatar Airlines in particular. Their service in particular was amazing. At one point I was sick on one of my flights and they all took care of me. They even ended up taking me to a doctor for treatment. I had no idea airports even had medical care areas. They also helped me find luggage that ended up getting lost. The Thai airlines were also super nice and provided meals even on short flights.
In terms of navigating the airports themselves I actual had way less of a problem than I figured I might. I think the key thing here is giving yourself plenty of time. Navigating the airports isn’t bad if you’re not rushing. I would just find out which gate my flight was supposed to be at and then look for signs or a map to tell me where I’m going. There are even kiosks at some airports that tell you where to go. It also helps if you fly with people you know, so that you have someone there with you when you’re trying to figure out where to go.
My biggest takeaway from all my traveling was that airline travel doesn’t have to be stressful. The people working at the airports and on the plane are there to help you, which can make stressful situations a lot better. You just have to stay patient and make sure to give yourself plenty of time.
