In a month I will be flying for the first time in over 30 years. Partly due to a frightening situation, I developed a phobia of flying and then slight agoraphobia that left me not wanting to travel far.
Turning 60 has made me say to hell with that. Besides, I think that it is good to do things we are afraid of doing.
I last flew on a jumbo jet from Copenhagen to Chicago. There were two aisles and I sat in the center section that had about four seats across. The food was “okay.” There was a current movie shown in flight on a centralized screen and stereo headphones that played the same music over and over about once an hour. I think maybe there were some puzzle books and magazines and a barf bag.
I will be flying to Paris from Philadelphia on U.S. Airlines. The flight will be leaving late – around 8:00 pm. What things will probably be different? What should I expect on the flight itself?
My granddaughter has a window seat. How many seats are usually across?
How many seats across varies with the type of plane. Some have 3 on each side with a center aisle. Some have a configuration like you described, with the center section having 4 or even 5 seats across. You can go to the airline’s web site and see the configuration of the craft for your flight. If you’ve got your seat assignments you should be able to tell where they are.
The in-flight movie will be about the same, except if you want to hear the sound you will probably have to pay about $4 - $5 for headsets. Some airlines will let you use your own, so if you have some, bring them. These days you get a choice of several channels of music as well.
Food will probably be much as you remember. Adequate, nothing special. Soft drinks free, alcohol for sale.
In fact, other than the more stringent security checks, you’ll probably find not much has changed in 30 years. Not much leg room, waiting in line for the lav, if you’re unlucky a cranky baby or two somewhere on board. If you’re really unlucky, a cranky baby in the row in back of you. No live chickens. Fasten your seatbelt while seated; please return your seatback to the full upright position for landing.
Good for you for facing your anxieties. Hope you have a safe and pleasant trip and enjoy your visit to Philadelphia!
Remember those cute little “Strewardress Call” buttons? The reading light? The little nozzle to direct (semi) fresh air at your face? All Gone. (there might be a few still running about, but don’t count on it. Carry on? Overhead baggage? call first. Really.
30 years ago, flying was for the rich, and the patrons were treated (and charged) accordingly. Now it is oriented towards the great unwashed (and, now, criminally-inclined), and partorns are treated accordingly.
Flying is less expensive and comfortable, but more safe. Shrug.
Every passenger jet I’ve been on still has the flight attendant call button, the air vent nozzle, and the reading light.
The biggest differences I notice between flying 30 years ago and flying today are that it’s a lot less expensive to fly, and it’s more uncomfortable. The leg room has decreased as the airlines have tried to cram more rows into the cabin. Many domestic flights have dropped meals in favor of snacks to save money. And of course you go through more stringest security checks before you board.
Likewise re. the call buttons etc. Don’t know who Extraneous has been flying with. Carry-on luggage is theoretically restricted both in size and weight, but smiling nicely normally lets you get away with a hell of a lot more.
Intercontinental you’ll find that more things are free - BA and afaik NorthWest both still give free alcohol, free headsets etc. Although given US’s economics, this may not be the case.
You should be able to find out in advance what type of plane you’ll be on. If it’s a 777 or a DC10, there’s only two seats between the aisle and the window. Likewise, AFAIK, on most Airbuses.
Zoe is taking an international flight, which typically feature all these things.
Zoe, on what type of plane will you be flying? If it’s not printed on your flight itinerary, your travel agent should be able to tell you. Seating configurations and passenger comforts often depend on the variety of the metal box in which you hurtle across the sky. Boeing 777s, for example, usually feature individual television screens, even in cattle-class seating. You get a little controller which you can use to select movies, games, television shows, news and music channels.
Bear in mind I haven’t travelled on an American airlines before–only Qantas, British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Japan Airlines and Emirates–but all international flights I’ve taken have been mostly comfortable. The food can be not-awful, and flight attendents are uniformly polite and extremely helpful. Alcohol, meals and headsets is free on these airlines, but maybe your American airlines are different.
I took my first flight in 1985, and it’s not that radically different now. Of course, I fly usually once a year, so the changes have been gradual. And they still have those little air vents and the buttons to press to get the stewardess, at least last time I flew (a little over a year ago).
Bring anything you don’t want lost (medicines, eyeglasses, credit cards, camera, film, irreplaceable stuff) with you on carry-on. Don’t trust it to checked baggage. I speak from experience.
Remember to not have nail files or clippers with you though, because those will be confiscated.
Wear comfy clothes, have a sweater with you (in case the air conditioning gets overzealous) and bring a book to read.
All obvious things, but hey—my sister, who should know better, couldn’t remember them all last time she flew, so I thought it worth a mention!
As a young’un, I still find it hard to believe that people would ever dress up just to fly. If that’s what you were thinking of doing (no idea if they were still doing that in the 1970s), don’t bother. The only people you’re likely to see in suits and uniforms while flying now are business travelers, the military, and Boy/Girl Scout troops.
Every flight I’ve been on, totalling maybe 100, up to a few months ago, has had a stewardess, light, and air button. Where have (and what have) you been flying?
I also don’t think flying was for “the rich” in the early 70s. Certainly in the 50s and 40s, but my non-rich parents were flying me all over the place in 1974.
also, aside from the weird post by extranious, you’ll find the seats a bit more cramped, more entertainment options, a bit more security at the airport (but you don’t have to call ahead for carry-on, altho they’ll be more strict about size restrictions).
I hate flying too… Hopefully your flight will be smooth.
Nobody has dressed up to fly since about 1957. Or go to a ball game. (i laugh every time i see old baseball clips from the 50s). Altho these days, I sorta wish people would.
You’ve flown Qantas and the service has been “uniformly polite and extremely helpful”? You must fly business or first class, then.
I’m an Australian, and am rather proud of the national carrier’s safety record. But Qantas flight attendants have been among the most surly i’ve encountered on any airline. Within Australia, they have exactly that reputation, although it’s probably more on domestic rather than international flights.
Since i moved to the US, i’ve flown mainly on United, and the flight attendants have generally been very nice, both on domestic and international flights. The overall level of service is declining, mainly in response to the airlines’ need to compensate for lower fares. For example, on a flight from Oakland to Chicago last week, there was no free food, but we had the option to purchase a horrendously overpriced meal provided by a restaurant chain (TGI Fridays). Furthermore, they only took on board 30 meals for a plane containing about 200 passengers, so even if i had wanted a meal, and even if they had the vegetarian food that i require, i probably would have missed out.
Semi-related: with TWA moving its hub out of St Louis {No-Longer-} International Airport, people say it’s far, far less crowded, all the time. As in, like, never crowded anymore, at all.
…
If I was in the area I’d kinda like to divert and take a look at it myself, as I have a hard time imagining such a thing–but now they get nervous if you park within six miles of the place and you get a tonsil swab and rectal exam just to get in, in that order if you’re lucky.
~
Prepare yourself for major disappointment. They now treat you like a criminal instead of a valued client. You will be searched and have to go thru metal detectors. You have to show id, you cant bring your nail files and cuticle scissors on the plane. Sometimes they make you take off your shoes. They dont have stewardesses anymore, they have flight attendents, and they are not young, pretty, and charming single young ladies wearing miniskirts anymore - flight attendent school is no longer a “charm school”.
They dont give out free playing cards, nor free drinks. You cant go up to the cockpit and look at the pilots flying the plane anymore. Most flights dont even feed you anymore. The planes are mostly full, and the seats are more packed in. They dont have the big screen movies anymore. YOu cant get to the airport at the last minute and expect to get on board, and they wont hold the flight for you if you are late or in the bathroom after checking in. There also is no “express” or whatever they used to call it, where you dont have to check in or wait in any lines.
Frankly, I dont know anything that has gotten better.
When you realize that, adjusted for inflation, airfare today costs about half of what it did in 1974, you may understand why you don’t get as many services as you used to. Something’s got to give.
That may have been true in the 50’s, but in the 70’s flying was cheaper than it is now. I paid $99 round trip from LA to NY in '77.
Flying is about as safe, not necessarily safer
The airline decides the configuration of the plane, so not all 777s are created equal.
My husband works for “a large airplane manufacturer in the Seattle area” so he knows a bit about the equipment.
U S Air flys Boeing /MD equipment. Its unlikely they would use a DC10 for international, but it could happen. The most likely, would be a Boeing 777.
U S Air’s configuration in the 777 is 7 seats across (2, 3, 2.) If it did happen to be a DC10, the seating would be 9 across. (2, 4, 3)
They have a bit more leg room than the cattle car airlines, but not as much as they did in the 70’s. The seats are only slighly narrower than they used to be.
Because it will be somewhat cramped, and a long flight, be sure to get up and move around as much as possible, at least once or twice an hour. Blood clots can form in one’s legs under such conditions. My husband’s answer is fly first class. ( of course, we never have… but he keeps saying it.)
As far as luggage, there are a few things that will get you through the process with fewer headaches.
Carry NOTHING sharp, pointed, or heavy. That includes nail clippers, little bitty screwdrivers for glasses. No aerosol cans. No chemicals that could hurt someone in any way, like splashing in the eyes. Go through your purse while you’re packing. Its where a lot of women get caught. “Oh I just forgot” doesn’t fly anymore. I had a little flashlight they took away. It wasn’t 6 inches long, I’m not sure how I could take over the plane with an itty bitty flashlight, but they seemed to think I could.
Avoid anything metal in your carry-on if possible. things they can’t identify with x-ray has to be unpacked & looked at. (No fruitcake, it doesn’t x-ray well.)
Wear comfortable clothing, long pants, no nylons. This is what-if safety. Nylons melt in a fire. Exit slides tear up exposed skin.
Slip-on low heel shoes, if possible. Many airports will ask they be taken off. I’ve had to sit on the floor to retie my shoes, & at 58, I find it undignified. Also, avoid metal in your clothing, belt buckles etc. They will have you undressed. Using the hand held metal detector isn’t good enough. The walk-through metal detectors are more sensitive. The metal in my underwires sets it off now. I’m tempted to just wear my jammies next time I fly.
If you’re carrying a film camera, don’t put film in it, they may want it opened. Digital is no problem.
Your checked luggage will probably be opened out of your sight.This is home land security, not customs. The airlines and airports have down-played the increase in theft since the increased inspections, but better to be safe. If you’re carrying anything of great value, you should carry it with you. It may mean taking it out to show and tell, but better than losing it.
As you might have guessed, getting to the airport early is a must. They will do what they can to get you on your flight if they lines hold you up, but no garantees.
The security folks work under unpleasant conditions. They work long, hard hours mostly on their feet. They are cranky. Don’t try to joke with them. You’ll end up in a little room. Don’t argue with them. You’ll end up in a little room. Just follow their directions, and get through as quickly as possible.
Good Luck, and enjoy your trip!
Zoe, do you mean U S Airways? There is no U S Airlines that I know about. I would check the web site. It usually has type of aircraft and other info. You can also call the airlines and ask about type of food served, etc. Most flights allow you to choose options like kosher, low sodium, etc.
