Flying Wed

[spiffyone]

I'm flying to a conference in San Francisco on Wed and here are my worries, in no particualr order:

1. New airline, American, never flown American before.
2. American was the airline that had the 9/11 guys on it...right?
3. First class...surely I will be struck down for such hedonism.
4. Flying in afternoon...don't like...last time I did this, I had a panic attack.
5. Flying out of new airport...Logan...we usually do Providence.

(I really am like Rain Man...see?)

6. Have to get myself to airport alone and meet my husband there since we are arriving from 2 different places. (Most of my nightmares actually have to do with being lost and disoriented in the airport).
7. Never flown in the dark before, flights will be into the evening.
8. Never flown this far before...Boston to St Louis then St Louis to SF...then the return trip is a nonstop (!)
9. Have to defend my masters thesis the day before we fly (I am prepared and really not that worried about it, but it is just like 1 more thing)
10. We are going to a place that has earthquakes and is apparently overdue to get one.

Like Rain Man, I like having information...so anyone who has flown cross-country, or into SFO or St Louis or out of Logan, before and can tell me anything useful...that would be great.

3 more days...our first flight is Wed at 3:50 pm.

:cry:

[DALBIRD]

Spiffy-

Hey, I just flew from DFW to SFO last week on American. I too got upgraded on the way out to First Class. On the way back, however, I did not get upgraded.

American is fine. I am kind of a SWA guy since most of my travel is just to Austin from Dallas. But, when I venture outside of the Wright amendment area, I usually take American from DFW.

Here is my take on your points

1. AA is fine. They are like the other majors. You will probably be on a larger plane from BOS to SFO with better entertainment (movies, etc.).
2. Yes, two of the planes were AA. I was in the air on AA during the attacks heading to Nashville from DFW. When I landed (8.30am 9/11) I got to see first hand the massive shut down and confusion at the airport realtime. No worries now.
3. First class is not a great as it used to be. For my first class breakfast, I got a choice of a box of ceral or some egg dish. I think first class is like coach used to be foodwise. the large seat is nicer though
4. No worries on the afternoon departure. Heading west, you will be in daylight most of the time any way. Good execuse for a couple of drinks versus a morning flight
5. In 1999, I was on a six month project in Boston. I flew out of Logan everyweek. I always liked popping out of the Ted Williams tunnel and just being at the airport basically. You have a good view of the harbor.
6. In SFO, AA has only a few gates in one terminal. No worries there. If he is on another airline it easy to catch the shuttles to the other terminals.
7. See above in question 4
8. It was about 3 hours to SFO from DFW. Probably the same from BOS to STL. You will have 2 hours of bordom. On the way back you will have 5 hours
9. I am sure you will do great.
10. I was there last week at the 100 year anniversary of the big one. So, if it did not happen then, I think you will be alright:lol:

Have a good flight

[StPeteMark]

1. New airline, American, never flown American before.
***Recently flew AA to Miami and then another trip to Phoenix. AOK!

2. American was the airline that had the 9/11 guys on it...right?
***Bad guys can be anywhere...don't let them run your life.

3. First class...surely I will be struck down for such hedonism.
***No, the rest of us are just jealous!

4. Flying in afternoon...don't like...last time I did this, I had a panic attack.
***Probably because you were tired and not using your tools.

5. Flying out of new airport...
***No difference than flying into a new airport...look at it as a new adventure!

6. Have to get myself to airport alone and meet my husband there since we are arriving from 2 different places. (Most of my nightmares actually have to do with being lost and disoriented in the airport).
***The great benefits of cell phones...agree to meet at the AA ticketing area. You can talk yourselves to each other.

7. Never flown in the dark before, flights will be into the evening.
***The view at night over cities is BEAUTIFUL!!! When we landed in Phoenix last month at night, I was spellbound by the lights on the ground.

8. Never flown this far before...Boston to St Louis then St Louis to SF...then the return trip is a nonstop (!)
***I've flown from Tampa to Phoenix 3 times and Tampa to SF once, in the last two years. Boredom is the biggest issue so take a lot of reading material, MP3 player, and/or DVD player with noise-canceling headphones. For me non-stop is better...it's such a hassle to change planes!!!

9. Have to defend my masters thesis the day before we fly (I am prepared and really not that worried about it, but it is just like 1 more thing)
***As Sean indicated, this is the only thing that should pre-occupy your mind.

10. We are going to a place that has earthquakes and is apparently overdue to get one.
***Each area has its own natural risks; we just have to keep hope that we'll return from our destination safe and sound.

Have to great flight and say Hi to the seals at the Fisherman's Wharf!
.

[scaredy_cat]

I will be flying out of Dulles, which I believe was the 3rd airport the 9/11 planes departed from.

Terrorists are really the only thing I Don't worry about on the flight.

[PositiveLY]

Hi Spiffy -

I have a very weird question to ask you...

Were you brought up Catholic?

The reason I ask....


3. First class...surely I will be struck down for such hedonism.

[glamtart]

Most of my advice is really similar to everyone else's, but I thought I'd add my perspective too, just in case it helps you!

1. New airline, American, never flown American before.
I fly American all the time, almost every weekend. They are great! I've never encountered a problem on their flights.

2. American was the airline that had the 9/11 guys on it...right?
With all of the security these days, terrorists don't stand a chance. Remember that when you're waiting in long security lines at the airports.

3. First class...surely I will be struck down for such hedonism.
Flying first class is fantastic. I get claustrophobic sometimes in coach, and I really appreciate the extra room in first. Plus, hello free drinks! :D

4. Flying in afternoon...don't like...last time I did this, I had a panic attack.
Flying in the afternoon is awesome if you get to see a pretty sunset!

5. Flying out of new airport......Logan...we usually do Providence.
Logan is a fine airport. I've flown in and out of there several times with no problem whatsoever.

6. Have to get myself to airport alone and meet my husband there since we are arriving from 2 different places. (Most of my nightmares actually have to do with being lost and disoriented in the airport).
This can be really frustrating - like getting lost in a mall x 10! I second the cell phone advice. Logan's actually pretty easy to manouver once you're in the terminal.

7. Never flown in the dark before, flights will be into the evening.
Again, pretty sunsets! I actually love flying at night, because I can't see how high we are - sometimes knowing I'm so high up scares me a bit. That's one reason I like flying over clouds, too - they obscure the distance to the ground. I try to catch some ZZZ's when flying at night.

8. Never flown this far before...Boston to St Louis then St Louis to SF...then the return trip is a nonstop (!)
I've been to all of those airports - they're all fine. I was stuck in St. Louis for almost an entire day (I was flying standby), and it's pretty boring, so be glad that you'll just be stopping over! I prefer nonstop flights, myself, because they take so much less time. You'll get home a lot faster (yay!) with the nonstop flight than if you stopped again. StPeteMark's advice about finding ways to occupy yourself is great. I almost won't fly a long distance without a DVD player anymore. Having something to focus on really helps me forget to be scared!

9. Have to defend my masters thesis the day before we fly (I am prepared and really not that worried about it, but it is just like 1 more thing)
Congratulations on finishing your thesis!!!! Enjoy your defense and don't let your fear get in the way of doing an awesome job.

10. We are going to a place that has earthquakes and is apparently overdue to get one.
I was there in January and also there in January of last year... no earthquakes! Tons of people live there every day and they are all OK. I'm originally from Arkansas, and the fault line in my hometown was supposed to get a major earthquake back in the 80s. We had earthquake drills in school and everything. We're still waiting for that quake, but I guarantee you it doesn't keep people up at night.

[EyesSkyward]

Let's not forget that any flight in an airplane, first class or not, is pretty hedonistic when you think about it. The vast majority of people in this world haven't even set foot in a plane.

How about owning your own car? Telephone? TV? Mighty darn hedonistic in the grand scheme of things. And only 15% of the planet is on the Internet.

Basically, if God decides to start striking people down for hedonism, He's gonna have a mighty full docket!

- Jeff

[Rebecca]

Spiffy, your concerns have been so thoroughly addressed so far … I can add little except my good wishes and confidence that you’ll pull all the aspects of this trip together and that it’ll be a good time for you both.

Is your husband a non-fearful? It would be great if you could interview him for us and record any insights about how non-fearfuls think. It’ll help you during the flights, and we need to know, too. :cool:

:wave:

[spiffyone]

helpful, all of you. Really.

Yes...I used to be Catholic. Now I'm not. NOt that there's anything wrong with that, of course.

I think "Boiled Peanut" will be my mantra if there is turbulence.

:tongue:

[EyesSkyward]

I think "Boiled Peanut" will be my mantra if there is turbulence.

I am, literally, LOL! Now I have this image of someone sitting on a plane, eyes clamped shut, hands gripping the armrests, muttering "boiled peanut... boiled peanut... boiled peanut..." :lol:

But I bet you'll do fine, Spiffy!

- Jeff

[LeslieDEN]

Hmmm ... Spif, if guilt works, would a twist on the "eat your vegetables because there are people starving in China" guilt trip help you appreciate your obligation to enjoy first class?

There are people with upgrades pending! People who have requested upgrades using 500-mile segments, using straight miles, whatever, and they've been told their status is just PENDING. They're sitting on pins and needles in "Status: Pending" purgatory, wondering if their upgrades will come through.

Think of those poor people when you are in first class. You're obligated to enjoy first class, if not for yourself, then for all those people in coach who didn't get the upgrade they requested. If you don't enjoy it, you are being so terribly wasteful of the great bounty you have received.

As I'm neither a theologian nor a therapist, I have no idea if this will work. But I do have an upgrade pending.

[WillFlyToDisney]

I am, literally, LOL! Now I have this image of someone sitting on a plane, eyes clamped shut, hands gripping the armrests, muttering "boiled peanut... boiled peanut... boiled peanut..." :lol:


Oh and Spiff why not alternate with the old standby - Jello, jello, jello...

Jello for the little bumps and Boiled Peanuts for the medium bumps (I am sure you wont have ANY big bumps but if you do then - HOLY JELLO BOILED PEANUTS will work!)

[spiffyone]

The big bumps are the Fried Dill Pickle bumps.

:D

Ok - I'm putting my info on the tracking board...for some reason, I feel more in need of tracking vibes than usual.


:cry:

[spiffyone]

...an "M83" is an MD-80, right? I thought we were flying a 757 and I just re-checked the website. I have flown on MD-80s before. Please tell me this isn't some new little plane that I don't know about.

[WillFlyToDisney]

Spiff - it is the same as an MD-80. No worries. American flies a ton of them in their fleet - they call them Super 80s!

Breathe in... breathe out... breathe in... breathe out...

And good luck on the thesis!!!

[StPeteMark]

Spiff - it is the same as an MD-80. No worries. American flies a ton of them in their fleet - they call them Super 80s!...We flew the Super 80 to Phoenix and back last month, with one stop in Dallas. In Coach, it has a 3/2 seating plan. Prior, I was hesitant because I flew Delta's MD-88 in December and hated the cramped knee room. Apparently, American resolved this issue several years ago by reconfiguring the rows and increasing the knee room. It made a big difference and we had a comfortable flight in Coach. But I just remembered...you're going first class so I wouldn't be worried at all.
.

[WillFlyToDisney]

Oh and Spiff, ask to meet the pilot. Capt Steve flies Super 80s for AA.

:ray:

[Rebecca]

I think "Boiled Peanut" will be my mantra if there is turbulence.:tongue:Let us know how it works. Seriously, this could be a useful tool that could be stickied …

Think about it. The phrase “boiled peanut” breaks your obsessive thought loop immediately because it’s inherently absurd. And, it has absolutely no connection with flying. Plus, boiled peanuts are humorous objects, and they're purely Southern. So, by thinking of boiled peanuts, the brain is actually forced to drop Rain Man/OCD mode and replace it with laid-back, mellow, Southern sangfroid. Good humor and objectivity are restored. And it is easy to see yourself jetting here and there and returning to eat boiled peanuts yet another day.

I think a boiled peanut mantra definitely counts as trickery, and that Barb would approve.

Tools are tools … we just have to pick them up and use them. (Oh, and I think it was Jeff who told us it’s “bold” peanut, not “boy-uld” peanut.)

[Barb-SAN]

Spiffy...You already got tons of great advice...so I'll just add my wishes for a smooth flight tomorrow...and a fun time in San Francisco. Hope all went well with the thesis today.
Barb-SAN:)

[spiffyone]

Thanks everyone...my thesis defense went extremely well yesterday and now I'm a 'master'...how exciting.
I'm leaving here in an hour to drive to the remote lot and get on the bus that goes to...that place. When I get there I have to meet up with my husband somehow (cell phone triangulation) and then he usually deals with all the ticket-y things.
I really have been in pretty successful denial for 2 days that I'm not flying, I'm just driving somewhere where I get on a bus. After that, some other stuff will happen that I don't have to worry about now.

One of the nicest consequences of this board (besides the fact that I actually fly now) is that my anticipatory anxiety time, which used to be 6 weeks, went quickly to 1 week, 2 days, 1 day, and now it usually doesn't strike until I get to the ticket counter. I mean, if you gotta have it...it's nice that I get it so late now.

I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks for all your support....

[PositiveLY]

Rock on! The most important thing you can do is get on that plane and you're doing it!

[scaredy_cat]

We'll be waiting to hear from you!


Good luck!

:thumbsup:

[glamtart]

Congratulations on your defense and getting your degree!! That's fantastic.

Have a wonderful afternoon of flying, and don't forget to look out for beautiful sunsets. They look so much better from the air.