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[scarlet]

I'm in Hong Kong airport waiting for next flight and it's like 3am pst so I can't message anyone so I thought I would start a thread.

I wanna hear people's stories about best and worst things they experience flying.

I just took a shower in an airport lounge for first time and I feel refreshed! The shower was huge, almost spa like. The flight was relaxing with good meals and I got a decent nap. This was a good flight experience so far.

I like flying personally.

My first time was in HK too, after spending whole day in Disneyland I went straight to the airport and took a shower.

I hate waiting for connecting flight, and tbh I can't stand flying more than 7-8 hours. And I don't wanna use the toilet in airplane cuz I feel uncomfortable and very self conscious so flying for more than 8 hours is torturing.

 

[MikeHattsu]

Hate all the waiting.

 

[Mac@NeoGAF]

I actually brought their uniform so that my GF could wear it around the house.

Woah!!!

 

[Nere]

I hate everything on it. You have to wait for so long to get into the plane even. You are probably going to sit next to some annoying passenger or there will be a baby on board who will cry the whole flight. It will be boring as fuck and you won't be able to sleep cause the seats are uncomfortable. You are going to think while flying, what if the plane has some problem and we all die? My favourite part of it is when it lands and you know it is finally over but then you might still be scared because will you get your luggage or did they sent it with another plane by accident? Overall just an awful but mandatory unfortunately situation to be in

 

[John Kowalski]

Old ladies who offer chocolate.

 

[Fbh]

I like being able to travel a long distance in a short amount of time. It's still amazing that I can wake up in Europe and less than 24hours later I can be at my mothers house in South America.

I hate sort of feeling helpless though. My mind knows that there are less chances of me dying on a plane than in a car... but I hate knowing that IF it crashes there is pretty much 0% chancea of surviving. Plus the whole fall must be one of the most horrible experiences.

Still... I just try to not think too much about it and relax. Because otherwise it's not so bad. You have an excuse to spend several hours just watching movies or reading

 

[Window]

Good airports are a world unto their own. Feels like you're in a mini city.
Now I feel like watching The Terminal (never seen it).

Worst? Thoughts which flow through your mind when there's turbulence.

Also lol at "people who recline in Economy are assholes", if I paid for the seat you can bet your ass I'm gonna use it to the greatest extent possible.

This is a contentious issue on GAF

 

[NoblesseOblige]

I love everything but the possibility of sitting next to someone who stinks.

 

[jotun?]

Hate:

• Security Theater
• People whose carry-on luggage is too big to fit in the damn bins
• People whose bodies are too big to fit in the damn seat next to me
• Uncomfortable seats, where even if I manage to fall asleep I'll wake up with a crazy sore neck and tailbone

Love:

• Acceleration at take-off
• Watching out the window while descending toward the clouds
• Beats the hell out of driving

 

[Osahi]

I like how fast it gets you to your destination (relativaly), the sensation of taking of, the people from all over the world you see at the airport, and, when I have a good flight, the 'me-time' you get to read or watch a movie (but I find that more easy to do on the train). Also, the view from the windows when passing over a city. I fly to Portugal a lot, and flying in on Lisbon is awesome, because usually the plane needs to turn over the city, giving you an awesome view of the city and the Tagus from above. Last spring we flew over Paris on a clear day, and you could make out the Eiffel Tower and other monuments. Just incredible!

I don't like a lot about it too:

- the security checks. Especially the X-ray thing for your lugage. I find it very stressfull to have to make sure you have nothing in your pockets while a line of people is waiting behind you and the security people are urging you on. I'm used to flying now, so I manage to do it on an automatism now, but there was a time I forgot my belt or watch all the time and could expect a pat-down.
- The waiting. Oh god, the waiting! I'm always way to early at airports because of fears of long lines or porblems at the security check (almost missed my flight once because every person in front of me needed a pat-down), so I tend to sit around in the airport A LOT. Some airports have nice shops to visit, but some are really barren or borring, especially when you fly low-cost.
- The space in the plane. I'm nog the biggest person (1m79), but I have long legs and I have a hard time getting comfortable in a plain.
- the fluctuating prices. You never really know if you got a good price or not, because a week after your booking prices could plummet or rise.

 

[Hoo-doo]

My father was talking to me just the other day how he flew business class to Australia with Emirates in the new Airbus A380 they got.

He has a fully reclinable sofa in his own separate booth, complimentary tablet to use while flying, a personal wide-screen TV right in front of him, his personal minifridge for drinks and snacks. All kinds of fancy stuff.

I mean, he even got to take a shower at 30.000 feet.

That kind of luxury would sure as hell make my flights go a little smoother.

 

[EhoaVash]

I hate the tiny ass bathrooms :c

I had a 21 hour flight. All the sitting hurt like hell Mon.

 

[la flama blanca]

After doing 14 hour Amtraks most of my life, flying is the shit!

 

[MicH]

I generally hate flying. Being 195 cm tall my poor knees are smashed up against the seat in front me. Take off/landing and turbulence (unless it's extreme) don't bother me anymore and my ears don't hurt during take off/landing anymore either. I've flown a lot in my life. Just hate being stuck in that tiny, cramped seat for 9+ hours

I once flew first class when I was 10. That was freaking amazing. It was a 9 hour flight, but I had so much room and the meals were delicious!

 

[VAD]

Always flew in economic.
Love seeing the landscape from above.
Love watching movies in the entertainment system

Hate the motor noise, especially when I'm trying to sleep
Hate the seats
Hate to use the plane toilets

I dream of being able to fly an A380 in first class one day, traveling in your own room with open bar and a shower must be a game changer.

 

[RageWaffles]

Love flying. I love the feeling of take off. Gotta have a window seat so I can watch clouds the whole time. Don't mind turbulence; it's kinda fun, except for when it makes my drink spill. I'm pretty short, so the amount of legroom is fine; I actually always bring a backpack with me so I can put my feet on it. The only thing I really dislike about flying is when the security line is super long.

 

[danowat]

My father was talking to me just the other day how he flew business class to Australia with Emirates in the new Airbus A380 they got.

He has a fully reclinable sofa in his own separate booth, complimentary tablet to use while flying, a personal wide-screen TV right in front of him, his personal minifridge for drinks and snacks. All kinds of fancy stuff.


I mean, he even got to take a shower at 30.000 feet.



That kind of luxury would sure as hell make my flights go a little smoother.

I bet it does, I fly to Aus with Qantas on their A380, and it's a bloody cattle market in economy, I'd have said the A380 is a worse plane to fly economy on than the old(er) A340 was

 

[bobbytkc]

There is very little I like about flying. It is dry, there is a constant humming noise, and cramped, even though I am not that big at 174cm tall.

Economy class peasant obviously.

 

[RibMan]

Love:

It's the fastest way to get to another country.

Hate:

1) Flight and boarding delays.

2) Flight and boarding delays.

3) Flight and boarding delays.

4) The airport. It's a slow, intrusive, and at times, needlessly complex experience. A lot of airports are outdated -- PA systems that sound like a pocket radio from the 70's, bathrooms and lounges that are cramped and poorly ventilated, screens that struggle to display more than 5 lines of information, etc. I do not envy people who have to revamp 30 year old airports.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

I love getting somewhere faster than driving.
I hate everything else. The right seats. The security process. Going off on the metal detector due to implant. Pat downs. Having to test my daughters formula. Rude TSA members. Takeoff. Landing.

 

[giant_frying_pan]

I still think flight is amazing. I appreciate the engineering and physics behind it.

I really don't like the over-the-top security checks at places like Heathrow T5. I've been to the US post 9/11 although the TSA hadn't yet ramped up to what it is today.

 

[teruterubozu]

General inconsistencies. Too many variances in price, airplane quality, airports, terminals, services, amenities, on-time flights, etc. I hate how flying is one big guessing game and your experience is mostly dictated by chance no matter how much you pay.

 

[Littlefang]

I love how flying lets you travel anywhere (relatively) fast.

I hate anything that sets out to delay my travel that isn't necessary. At least with plane mechanical issues, it's totally understandable why I have to wait for it to be fixed. But recently, I had a flight take off half an hour late because there were a few people arguing about having to check their giant carry-ons. And I hate when people stand super close to the luggage carousel and block the area next to them with a luggage cart.

Also this one is basically a non-issue but I hate when the in-flight movie and tv show options suck.

 

[Llyranor]

Pros:
- Getting halfway across the world in less than a day
- Catching up on old movies
- Not being super tall means I at least get legroom

Cons:
- Sitting in an uncomfortable seat for hours
- Dozing in and out of consciousness, while feeling miserable. I sleep on planes, but it is not restful sleep
- Cramped toilets

 

[M52B28]

I can fly Southwest for free, so I've grown a hatred towards the company.

Small planes, shitty snacks, just shit.

I don't mind flying them, really, but I hate having to cram into a full flight with other brawny Americans next to me. That's the problem with such cheap flights.

When I start work, I'm going to start building up my rewards points for an international airline.

Also, I can't really complain, especially since I fly from San Francisco to New York for fun .

I'm not even sure how much a ticket like that is.

 

[Blue Lou]

I had a window seat during a lightning storm (very minor and it was in the distance). That was beautiful and scary.

 

[Halcyon]

I hate everything about it other than getting to a place you want to be in a reasonable amount of time.

I hate:

booking flights.

the cost.

driving to the closest city to get to an airport.

the 2 hour early wait I will have because I'm anxious that I won't be there on time.

the boarding process.

the taxi-ing

uncomfortable seats

airpressure headache and slight nausea

overpriced food

watching everyone fidget with all their bullshit tablets and phones.

having to wait to get off the plane after landing when all you want to do is get out of the hellhole and breath some fresh air, but this fat fuck is taking 3 minutes getting their flabby fat arms high enough to pull out the carry on that was too big to stuff into the compartment in the first place.

 

[poutmeter]

Used to like flying, until I got a free upgrade to business class on an overbooked flight.

It's just not the same anymore.

 

[Meadows]

Like:

The adventure of it. It's very exciting (more so than in the US where passengers are treated like shit!)

Airports

Going somewhere cool

Dislike:

The idea of dying in a fire

Turbulence

Security at US airports

 

[AppleSeason]

It's more like what's not to hate. Tiny planes, configurations with not enough toilets, being served meat, damaged suitcases, CDG prices on everything, telling me to switch off my Gameboy Advance because it is going to make the plane crash...



The worst thing? The humiliation conga that is going through security:

- Take every electronic from your carefully assembled bag and place them on a separate tray
- Take out all of your metal and put it on another tray, including belts, jackets...
- Get chastised because you forgot to remove the water bottle you bought at the airport
- Being stopped at the full body scan because there is something wrong with your crotch (yay for being transgender).
- Try putting everything on at lightspeed to reach the boarding gates on time.

 

[danowat]

The idea of dying in a fire

The idea of falling to my death is a bit of a recurring theme to me when I am flying.

It would take you about 3.5 mins to fall from 35'000ft, ok, so you'd arguably be hypoxic for a min of that, but still........

 

[ThatStupidLion]

love international flying.

hate turbulence. hate being stuck on the tarmac. hate arriving early and not being able to land/reach gate.

 

[daveo42]

Love:
The speed of travel.

Looking out the window and watching the Earth go by. Even better from lower altitudes so you can see all the action moving around down below.

Going to new places.

Hate:
Excessively long lay overs.

Constipation.

TSA man-handling my goods and giving me a chemical swab every time I pass through their scanners.

 

[The Wall]

I don't hate anything about flying. I find it extremely calming/relaxing, actually.

 

[The Albatross]

I generally dislike flying, in that if I could travel quickly in any other way I would. I dislike the whole process of it, long lines, having to get somewhere hours ahead of time, the cattle-like herd being ushered into a torpedo. I hate how little control I have over the whole thing.

But, those are all inconveniences that I suffer through for the greater convenience of being able to travel virtually anywhere in the world in less than a day.

Things I love: At lower altitudes being able to see a whole city or region from above.
Things that make me uncomfortable: Take off. I really dislike taking off. I don't mind landing very much, because I'm assured "Oh, we'll be on the ground soon." I'm also tallish, 6'4", so fitting into the seats especially for long flights is really uncomfortable, but that's something I have to deal with virtually everywhere. I also don't nap/sleep during the day and I can't sleep on flights so overnight flights are kind of brutal for me... basically staying awake all night.

 

[Cowie]

I'm 6'4 and I've got broad shoulders. Fuck coach, and fuck the cost to upgrade to better seats.

I upgraded to the better-than-shit tier at the last minute for a 10-hour flight, had the row to myself and actually enjoyed flying once. But whenever it comes to looking at ticket prices it's really hard to pull the trigger on a seat that won't make me miserable.

 

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Love - Getting to my destination sooner

Hate - Everything, and I mean everything else. I hate to fly with a passion, but I'll do it to avoid long car trips. Airports and all the security checks, the scheduling and requirements to be there so early, the prices in the airport, the babies on the plane, dealing with other people in general, etc. etc. I'm 6' 5", long-legged, and also cheap so the seats I have to sit in may as well be torture devices. Also, I always have to sit in the aisle seat because of my long legs but also because my wife always wants the window so I don't even get to look out on the earth below. Bah!

 

[inm8num2]

Love - complimentary pretzels.

Hate - everything else. Last summer the guy behind me was snoring all flight long. The noise wasn't the issue, but rather I could feel his disgusting breath passing by my neck and face every time. Even worse, it smelled like absolute shit. That encapsulates why I generally hate the experience of air travel.

 

[Damaniel]

Love taking off.

Hate the idea of dying in a burning fireball, still being concious, strapped to my seat, all the way down from 40,000ft.

Love Landing.

..that's about it really

This right here - doubly so when there's turbulence. Of course, this is probably the least rational flying fear, since takeoff and landing are - by far - the parts of the flight most likely to end in disaster.

 

[Deleted member 18827]

I fucking love flying. Rolling down the tarmac and taking off is one of the greatest things I've ever experienced. I guess It's still just such an amazing thing to me that I revert to a child like state. Even the airports and waiting between flights.

 

[SmartBase]

I've never flown in economy on an American airline so the worst experience I've had was a 13 hour flight being surrounded by loud babies and their equally annoying parents. Nothing some IEMs and hearing loss couldn't fix.

 

[milanbaros]

Like: the champagne, movies and sitting at the bar at 40,000 ft (when it is the right plane).

Dislike: the beds are never that comfy, and the air pressure can make some of the food and wine pairings a little off compared to what you'd expect on the ground.

 

[SlickShoesRUCrazy]

Hate the seats. Hate the lack of leg room.

 

[SMOK3Y]

Love taking off.

Hate the idea of dying in a burning fireball, still being concious, strapped to my seat, all the way down from 40,000ft.

Love Landing.

..that's about it really

This is me... its why i drive everywhere (haven't been out of AU)

And i know more chance of dying in car but yeah it don't matter

 

[Kisaya]

I just get anxious before and after. I can't stand waiting at gates which is why I try to arrive at late as possible.

 

[Apathy]

I just like the act of flying. If you think about the math and science involved it's pretty much as close to magic as we can get. The world is a gigantic place and getting from one place to another by flying is just amazing.

What I hate? The people. Impatient, rude, disgusting humans. Worst, children on planes, from babies to anything before teenagers, and the parents that bring them. Just like we need more adult only restaurants, we need adult only airlines (it at least adult only flights).

 

[Yamauchi]

I have anxiety so flying is pretty terrible for me. Constantly bombarded by negative thoughts and worries. And the whole airport experience -- lines, not knowing what to do half the time, etc -- sucks.

On the other hand, I love the international experience of flying: being in foreign places, seeing people from all over the world, and so on. But yeah, if I am just flying in America, there's nothing pleasant about it for me.

 

[The_blonde_and_blue]

Oh boy.

Hate:

1. I'm 6'6, so flying is in NO way comfortable in anyway. Really long trips are the stuff of nightmares.

Love:

1. I honestly love how amazing the thought of a bunch of people crammed in a tin can above the earth at insane heights. It's always illuminating to think about just how impressive such a achievement is, (as someone mentioned above, it's almost magical in a way) and the fact that it's something we totally take for granted now.
2. I also love that feeling when I finally land. I almost always feel like I cheated death in some miraculous fashion, so my total outlook changes for a few days.

 

[Concrete Charlie]

That feeling of the wheels leaving the ground and you're now in the air and you have no control over your life. It's all up to a stranger flying the plane. Yeah, that feeling of helplessness puts me off flying in a big way.

I do like looking out the window though, so I've got that going for me.

 

[whiterabbit]

Wow, a lot of tall people here. I'm 5'8"ish. So not too tall for those seats, but sometimes there's not enough arm room or I'll be tired of sitting so long.

I usually like flying. It's fun to be in the air. Mostly from Oregon to California and New York. I've only flown internationally once to Israel and England when I was 13 or so.

Here's a song called Airplanes by 5 Seconds of Summer.

Airplanes cut through the clouds
Like angels can fly, we'll never die
Sirens cut through the night
Like screams set on fire, rising up higher
Like I've something to prove, nothing to lose
In this city, in this city woah