SPOILER: I actually really enjoyed it
I haven’t always been a nervy flyer. Back in my early teens, when I flew on a plane for the first time, I thought the whole thing was super glamorous. I curled up with my 17 magazine, cracked out my walkman and happily chomped down on the plane food. As I’ve got older though and been lucky enough to travel more frequently I’ve realised that airplanes can sometimes be a massive pain in the balls. Being someone who is freaked out the sight/smell/noise of anyone being ill makes air travel a real doozy for the ol’ anxiety levels and lost luggage, missed connections and a screaming child next to you just add to the fun.
All that being said it’s something that is extremely rewarding once you get to the other end and I’ve devised my own little routine to make even the long haul flights a semi-alright experience (see my latest travel video here). One thing that I had never had the chance to experience though is a flight on my own. I’ve always had Lily to have a freak out during turbulence with me or Mark, who is actually the worst travel partner ever because he falls asleep before the plane has even taken off. What better way to travel alone for the first time than to go to the other side of the world via three flights, eh? I managed to get myself to Thailand and back, complete with bags both ways and actually I really bloomin’ enjoyed the whole thing. For anyone who is a bit freaked out at the idea, here’s my advice; from one nervy traveller to another…
Endless entertainment. You know how you normally bring a magazine for a flight? Well, bring two, three even. Basically bring enough reading material to last you about a month. It’s not only the flights where you’re on your own but the boring ‘hanging around a terminal’ bits too, which is the time when I really start giving out the ‘PLEASE TALK TO ME’ vibe. I’d also suggest having some films or TV shows downloaded on to a laptop, tablet or phone too as you never know what the film selection is going to be like. I ended up resorting to The Notebook on the way home and cried so much that the flight attendant came over to ask if I was ok. This would not have happened if I had every episode of Friends on my laptop. Point made.
Book a lounge. This might be an unnecessary step if you’re just taking the one flight or have a short connection time, but if your stay in the airport between flights is longer than three-ish hours I’d recommend clubbing together all your air mile points to get access to a lounge or just paying and booking yourself into those that allow it. Not only is there free food and drink inside (and more often than not a lot of it!), there are comfortable chairs that actually allow for snoozing, free WIFI and usually shower facilities too and let me tell you that nothing make you feel more awesome than a shower in an airport. Just make sure you’ve packed your deodorant.
WIFI is your best friend. As mentioned above, you’re pretty much guaranteed WIFI in a lounge, but I do tend to find free WIFI in most airports, even if for a limited amount of time. Bangkok Airport was amazing and I even managed to stream YouTube videos there without too much buffering. I used the time to download more podcast episodes that I wanted to listen to on the next flight and to catch up with friends and family to let them know that I’d successfully navigated my way halfway round the world (and wake them up in the middle of the night – love you fam!).
Overpack your hand luggage. Flying on your own means that there might not be a mate on the other end who you can borrow a pair of pants from that night if your luggage decides to go walkies. Whenever I’m taking a connecting flight I go slightly ham on the hand luggage front for that exact reason, but travelling alone meant I practically packed for a week just incase. It means you work on your biceps when you’re lugging it around the airport, but it also decreases the stress level if your bags do end up getting lost.
So there you have it. It wasn’t that terrifying and with a bit of planning (and tonnes of magazines), it was dare I say it – quite enjoyable. Although travelling without Lily next me gripping onto her seat just isn’t the same…
Photos by yours truly and Ina Plesca
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