First time flying, have a few questions.

Factual Questions
41

Ok, a quick check on the web-site shows where the problem is. The 30 euro fee is for checking in at the airport, checking in online is free. Like many low cost carriers (at least in Europe, don’t know in the US) they want you to check-in in advance online (this reduces their need to pay check-in clerks). If you go to this page https://www.airserbia.com/en-RS/web-check-in it tells you all about online check-in but basically when you book you will be emailed an “e-ticket” with a booking reference (normally a mix of letters and numbers). Some time before you fly you will have to check-in online, either on the web or using an app on your phone. To do this probably all you will need is the booking reference and your name but full instructions will be in the email from the airline.

Once you have checked in online you can print out your boarding pass at home, download it to your mobile, or - at some airports - print it out from a machine at the airport. You will still have to drop any hold luggage before you go through security but there will be notices telling you what to do.

ps If there is no charge for airport check-in in Montenegro it may be because they do not have the facilities for on-line check in.

42

Just seen this bit. Not sure why you think trains are “not really safe”. Generally train travel is safer than air travel. You given good reasons why you prefer to fly but safety shouldn’t be one of them.

43

Maybe Serbia has a crime problem on trains or maybe trains really are unsafe in that country. It’s not clear what kind of safety problem the OP is worried about.

44

Even if the flight is on time, you should still show up at the airport 1-2 hours before the plane leaves, since you have to (how long you have to wait depends on time of day and how many other people are in front of you, so it can 45 min. or 10 min.)
(stand in line and wait) at the check-in counter, so you get your boarding pass (and possibly check your luggage)
(stand in line and wait) for the security check (you walk through a metal detector of some kind, are wanded down possibly) *
(sit and wait) till your gate is called
(stand in line at the gate) to board once the flight is called for boarding
(possibly get on a bus to be taken to the plane, or walk through a tunnel directly connecting the gate to the plane)

Depending on how much/ little luggage you have, it’s therefore a time-saver to have only a small carry-on bag and no checked luggage.

Still there’s lot of waiting time, so a crossword journal, thin book, electronic device that you can open and use while standing/ sitting and waiting will make things bearable.

And when you arrive, and have checked luggage, you have to wait till the baggage handlers unload the plane, drive the luggage to the building and load it onto the carousel, which may take up to 45 min.
Depending on where the carousel is, you get off the plane (again, bus or tunnel), get in line for passport control, and then look for the carousel, and your luggage is already there - or you wait first for your bag, and then wait again in the line for luggage control.

Customs in those European airports I have seen is split into “nothing to declare” =Green lane and “to declare” = red lane. Depending on what you are taking with you, you need to use the correct lane. Customs can do spot checks in the green lane. Most people think of alcohol and tobacco over the allowed limit (or illegal drugs, which can’t be declared, since they are illegal), but from watching docu soaps, there are lots of things either forbidden in some countries, or you have to pay tax on it. E.g. bringing homemade food into a country may be forbidden for health reasons (or in California, to protect the agriculture from diseases and parasites). Bringing cheaply bought electronics may require additional tax. You should try to find the homepage of the customs office for the country you are entering; and, if you want to do a lot of shopping during your stay, also check your own country for your return.

As for the toilets: the ones in the aiport should be in better condition and also bigger than on the airplane itself; given the amount of time waiting in the airport vs. flying, you probably should go on the ground before boarding instead of in the air (as much as that can be controlled).

  • A tip to make the security check easier: wear little metal, and know where the metal is (key, belt, but also zippers!); wear shoes you can easily slip on and off; use a little pouch or similar to have boarding pass and passport at hand immediately.
45

Possibly, but my 19 year old daughter and a friend (also female) travelled all over the Balkans by train, including from Belgrade to the Montenegro coast, with no problem on holiday a few years ago.

46

Only if your bags exceed the weight or number of bags allowed.
[/QUOTE]

For most US carriers, the number of bags allowed is zero. You pay for all checked in bags.

47

No, not in the accident sense of safety, but in the criminal sense, there’s a lot of thieves and pickpockets in trains here and very little staff that controls that stuff, so going alone on a train here, especially if it’s a long ride and you are likely to sleep a few hours during the night…is not a good idea. People do it, but still not a good idea. Also the train tracks are in awful condition, so most of the journey is limited to just 50kmh / 30mph. Roads and airlines are generally good here, but railways seem like no one touched them from the 70’s.

Even the trains themselves are from the 70’s, maybe 80’s, there are a few newer trains, but they are not used on the Montenegro line and the ones that are used are in a pretty bad shape, no one really cleans them and so on…

48

Anecdote alert

49

Obligatory This is Spinal Tap reference:

50

Actually, unless you have some extra restrictions locally, it’s only liquid that’s not allowed. Food is generally fine. Some places may confiscate produce due to the risk of agricultural pests, but that’s done at customs on arrival, not on leaving. Some specific food items may be not allowed, but bringing a bar of chocolate or something is OK.

I suspect that airlines don’t particularly want people to bring their own food, when they can sell you their own extortionately priced snacks, so they’re in no rush to correct the misconception. I used to work in an airport (UK), and lots of people believed food was not permitted, so would just abandon it it random places. Or give it to staff.

51

They seem to have some limit on viscosity. My mom had to leave behind some cheese spread during one trip. I’m not sure if they plotted the shear-stress curve to determine if the cheese was a non-Newtonian fluid, and if so, if they differentiated between anti-thixotropic fluids and Bingham plastics.

52

Guilty as charged, Your Honour :slight_smile:

53

[quote=“mbh, post:49, topic:785459”]

Obligatory This is Spinal Tap reference:

[/QUOTE]

Okay then we must also reference this - YouTube

and - YouTube

(Note to the OP: these are from the parody movies Airplane and Airplane II. A bit old by now, but still funny if you don’t know them already).

54

Oh, and while not an airport: if you go through the metal detector, keep away from gruntled prestidigisters (= pickpocket magicians)

55

Your Serbian may be good enough but, if not, and your luggage does go on it’s separate nice holiday without you, then its helpful to have a photo of your bags to show the lost luggage people. They have charts of different bag types (I am no stranger to these offices in many airports), but a picture is worth etc etc.

The corollary is to also pack spare jocks and socks in your carry-on luggage should your other luggage go astray. (This tip comes courtesy of the 80s movie The Accidental Tourist and was a godsend in the Istanbul summer of 2014).

56

It should be, since it’s my native and the main language in both Serbia and Montenegro. :slight_smile:

I’d like to thank everyone for all the answers, I expected tops 3 or 4 answers, but instead there’s about 50 of them and I got all the answers, plus a bunch of bonus tips. :slight_smile:

57

It might be interesting if you come back after the trip and tell us how things went, what you were prepared for, what caught you by surprise, etc.

58

Yes, please do.

59

Hi JakeRS, there are lots of good points above. For very long distance flights I’ve really enjoyed Etihad (I’ve flown four 13 hour flights with them), though I don’t know what a short flight is like with them.

Sadly, commercial air travel can be a real pain in the ass. I’m 6’3’’ tall and flying can sometimes suck because of inadequate leg-room. If you’re in the 6ft (or 1.8 m) and taller range, you might want to book either an emergency exit seat (possible extra cost) or an aisle seat.

Though many flyers like to bring everything in their carry-on baggage if they can, I personally prefer to minimalize it. I like to just get on the bloody airplane and not screw around with the overhead compartment if I can.

At the airport, after I’ve checked my bags and before I get to security, I like to take all my metal crap - wristwatch, wedding ring, coinage, belt, cell phone, keys etc - and put it in a ziploc bag and then put that in an outer pouch in my carry-on bag. That can all go through the scanner with the rest of your stuff and you should be able to sail through the body scan. After I go through security I can re-assemble myself.

When you’re at the gate and it’s boarding time, the gate attendant will usually ask people to board by row. I’m personally not a big fan of standing and when my part of the airplane is called (I’m usually in cattle class anyway so my section is the last to be called) I stay seated in the waiting area until the line is really short. If you get up immediately you will be in a line, shuffling along very slowly, for about 20 minutes until you get to your seat.