After driving to the Philadelphia airport, I experienced my first flight! It was on Southwest Air, direct from Philly to Nashville. And it was an AMAZING experience.
The worst part about flying was actually the waiting to get aboard the plane. Southwest works differently than the other airlines, in that they do not assign a seat before you board! You need to “check-in” 24 hours before the flight and you will get A, B, or C, and a number. The A group boards first, B second, C last. If you don’t like the section you were assigned, you can pay ($30-$50) to move up to A1-15. If actually getting on the plane makes you very anxious, this might be a good way for you to travel, adding a few more dollars to the cost, but it may be worth it to help settle your anxiety.
For me, having never flown before, I was very nervous about whether my cary-on luggage was going to fit in the overhead bin, or if it was going to need to be stowed, and if so, what hassle would I be causing. Thankfully, my luggage fit without a problem. Once my luggage was stowed overhead and I was in my seat, my anxiety level was significantly lowered. Now, I just needed to see how I handled the flight itself! I do not have motion sickness, but I brought some medicine just in case. Again, thankfully, the flight itself went without any problems. There were a few times when the plane would roll to turn, and the pressure change would make me a little dizzy. To counteract this, I would look at something that was fixed: either the yellow tie-down on the wing, or the “exit” sign in the cabin. Once I was looking at something attached to the plane, the dizzy feeling went away. I will also tell you, when the wheels touch down upon landing, there is a harsh bounce that I was not expecting. It’s normal. Some landings may be rougher than others, but the bump was a surprise, but not a problem.
My first flight was very enjoyable, and although I do prefer driving (because I like being able to bring my own food and supplies,) if I want to go someplace fast, or someplace I can’t drive, I know that I can fly and will enjoy it!
