this post was submitted on 25 Dec 2023

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What are your best flight tips and tricks? (lemmy.ca)

submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Since I assume lots of people are flying this time of year

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

Many dumb takes here, but also some good ones. Here are mine roughly sorted by importance:

(Don't be a dick - obviously)
Choose a direct flight whenever possible. I usually would pick a shitty, more expensive airline over having a connecting flight.
If you are planning a connecting flight, try to allocate at least 1-1.5 hours for the connection. Planes are delayed all the time and the shorter the connection time, the higher chance you'll miss your flight. Your checked luggage can also miss your connection, pack some necessities in your carry-on. (anything more than 3 hrs is overkill though)
Noise cancelling headphones/earphones: this is where they work best, blocking out the fatiguing drone of the plane. Highly recommended. Headphones are more comfortable over longer periods than earbuds.
Window seats are better for sleeping asile is better if you tend to move around (but people passing by will disturb you by brushing up against you and you feel the floor flexing more as they walk)
Cheap airlines: you get what you pay for. You will be treated like cattle but they do get you from point A to B for less money. Be aware they will nickle and dime you every step of the way, bring water (bottle you can fill after security) and some snacks.
Luggage: carry-on is better than checked if you can avoid it but sometimes you can't. For cheap airlines double check the size limits for carry on. The sizes are not standard and cheap airlines try to trick you into paying fees. Sometimes they'll also take your carryon during boarding to check it in the hold when the plane is very full. You can try to avoid this by queueing and boarding sooner than others, or by bringing a smaller bag that fits under the seat.
If you do end up checking a bag you'll have to show up a bit sooner and usually wait a bit longer after the plane has landed. Place anything fragile in your carry-on! The luggage handlers throw your bag around like they are trying to break something on purpose. If you can't avaid checking fragile things, surround them with clothes and other soft materials. Also put a luggage tag on your bag, sometimes multiple people have the same bag.
Flights during the evening and afternoon tend to have a higher chance of being late/geting cancelled. The effect is slight and there isn't much you can do about it though. Just keep it in mind if you have a critical time/place to be somewhere.
On a long flight wearing your seat belt (even loosely) while sleeping means the flight attendant doesn't have to wake you if there is turbulance.
Wearing a mask is not a bad idea

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Choose a direct flight whenever possible. I usually would pick a shitty, more expensive airline over having a connecting flight.

I have to say, this is just a matter of personal preference. I cannot imagine myself enduring a 13 hour flight in one go, so I tend to pick an airline that happens to have connections in Dubai. It's about halfway when I'm visiting my girlfriend, and it feels really nice to walk around, stretch a bit, use a real toilet, etc.

My girlfriend is the opposite, she prefers to come here with a direct flight because it's less of a hassle and she's able to rest on the plane all the way.

Cheap airlines: you get what you pay for. You will be treated like cattle

That's true for European low-cost airlines. Sometimes they would treat you worse than cattle.

However, on AirAsia I had a much better experience, although I only flew once with them.

Generally, in Europe they would mess with your hand-carry.

With AirAsia, my experience was that no one gives a damn crap about your bags. Just follow their rules, and if your bag looks reasonable, no one will say anything.

On a long flight wearing your seat belt

I would suggest that at all times when you're seated, with one exception: don't wear it while boarding is still in progress and the seatbelt sign isn't on. While turbulence mostly can be predicted, in some rare cases it cannot be. But they remind you of that during either the safety briefing or the captain's first PA.

Wearing a mask is not a bad idea

Duh. I mean, why else would they be hanging right in front of you while the cabin is getting depressurized?

Just kidding. I know you meant medical masks.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

Good points.
Although I have flown a few times on low-cost airlines in Europe, most of them also don't care if you don't test your luck with your carry-on.
They often don't have enough time for thorough checks anyway. I got checked once, and it was fine.
I often prefer to place the carry-on in the hull when offered (personal preference and a willingness to take risks).

Additionally, when flying to or from EU (and associated) destinations, you have EU Flight Rights, such as fixed compensation after certain delays.
This is in addition to the right to get any costs replaced, like hotel, food, and taxi.
There are companies that make it very easy to enforce your rights when the airline denies them. Of course, they want a cut, but either you pay a lawyer upfront or try your luck with them with no risks.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Lots of great tips, thank you!