Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with flying

How should I plan a trip to Oshkosh for AirVenture?

Nelson — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 11:11:07 -0800

How should I plan a trip to Oshkosh for AirVenture? My partner is a pilot and I'm working on my PPL right now, so we've decided to fly the Cardinal to Oshkosh this year to join the fun. I'm worried about the logistics of 600,000 people descending on a remote area for a week.

Where should we stay? We like our creature comforts and a bit of quiet and privacy, so camping on the field is not for us. The AirVenture site is somewhat helpful with ideas of hotels and houses, any advice on what works? How close do I want to stay to the event? Are all the restaurants in the area overwhelmed?

How do we get around? Since we're staying off-field, we'll need a car. Will driving in to the event every day be awful? How hard is it to find a rental car for that week? I'm considering landing somewhere an hour away and renting a car, but then that'd miss out on the fun of landing at the actual crazy airport.

Special bonus question: I'd have asked this question in an aviation forum, but I haven't found one online I like yet. The AOPA forums are kind of obnoxious. Is there some online GA community site this question would work well in?

If you would look to your left, you can see the pilot craning his neck out your window.

grapefruitmoon — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:37:30 -0800

Flying commercially on some planes, the crew asks you to open your window shades at take off and landing. Why on earth do all passenger window shades have to be open? What is this affecting? It's obviously not the pilot's vision, or at least I hope they're not looking backwards through the passenger windows as they land... How does having the shades open change the functioning of the plane?

In an aeroplane over the sea

bibliophibianj — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:30:20 -0800

My boyfriend has always been a bit apprehensive about flying before, but he's taking his first flight (transatlantic) to see me in a little over a month. Yay! I want to send him a care package full of things that will keep him comfortable and relaxed (especially the latter) during the flight. I have a few ideas for keeping him comfortable (but would like more) and virtually none for keeping him relaxed. What should I include? I'll definitely include hard candy or gum to ease the takeoff and landing, snacks, and socks ('cause it's important to have comfy feet on transatlantic flights). I'll probably include a book, too, though he is afraid he won't be able to read in the air. (He can't read on the bus, train, etc.) What else should I put in to keep him comfy & entertained? He likes music, football, film, and all things 80s.

I am more concerned about him staying calm. He has had one or two panic attacks in the past, and he has no idea how flying will affect him. I can't send drugs, but I can pass names on to him (in England). However, I think we'd both prefer to avoid them anyway. What else can he do to keep his cool while in the air? For what it's worth, I don't think he has a full-blown phobia, and the rational approach may be worth a try.

GET ME HOME!!!

chicago2penn — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:41:03 -0800

I WANT TO GET HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!! Hive-mind, we need your help!

My partner and I are stuck in Philadelphia, and would like to get home to our respective momma's before Christmas. Please help us find ways to do this!

She needs to get to Cincinnati, and I to Atlanta.

We can travel from anywhere within train distance. Baltimore, DC, New York, Harrisburg...
Driving is not an option.

Any ideas are welcome!

All I want for Christmas is my yum smoked meat.

nosila — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:19:12 -0800

I'm traveling to Dallas on Northwest Airlines from Montreal Pierre Trudeau Airport tomorrow morning. I just bought three pounds of smoked meat that is NOT shrink wrapped. Can I take it? Can I carry it on? I just spoke with someone from Travelocity and someone from U.S. Customs at the New York border. Both said to put it in my luggage and it should be fine. I wasn't planning on checking a bag. Obviously, I CAN check a bag, and I will if I have to, but does anyone have any experience doing this, either in checked luggage or carry-on? Thanks!

Best Way to Sell Household Goods?

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:26:11 -0800

In six months, I am moving to Alaska. What is the best way to sell my household goods? I won't need furniture, kitchen supplies, etc. up there. I currently have the standard accoutrements of a post-college, big-city young professional; most of my furniture is nice but of the Ikea variety, my dishware and appliances range from meh to nice, and I have tons of books. I'm going to be flying up, so I need to fit everything I take into three suitcases and a carry-on. My parents can take custody of some stuff (probably mostly books) but not furniture. I don't want to put anything into storage.

Of course I've thought of Craigslist, but is there a better way? I'd like to maximize the cash I can put away from selling my things. I'm also interested to know what the proper timeline is. Can I expect to get rid of a one-bedroom apartment's worth of stuff in a month? Two months? Two weeks? I live in a large East Coast city with a reputation for transiency. Any bonus moving to Alaska (Anchorage) tips also appreciated!

Anonymous because I haven't given notice at work, and won't for a while. Throwaway email: movingtoalaska10@gmail.com

I know the names don't match, but it's really me! I swear!

arianell — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:22:48 -0800

Someone purchased an airline ticket for me, but booked it under my nickname instead of my legal name. I don't have any photo ID with my nickname on it. Will I be able to fly? (I know there have been previous questions asked about this kind of thing, but none since these new TSA guidelines were implemented.)

Everyone calls me by a nickname that is very different from my "actual" first name. Say my name is Josephine, but I go by Scarlett because of my hair color.

Anyhow, my boyfriend booked a trip for us, and he forgot to reserve my ticket as Josephine instead of Scarlett. We called the airline, and they can't/won't change the name on the ticket. Instead, they kindly offered to let us purchase a replacement ticket for the low low price of $600, which neither one of us can afford.

I know that, until recently, you didn't actually have to show ID to procure your boarding pass or get through security, although the agents at the security checkpoint would flag you for an extra screening. How much has this policy changed? Does it seem likely that I'll be able to board my flight? If not, do I have any other options?

360 minutes, 48 toys.

Bardolph — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:36:30 -0800

It's small, it's interesting, I WANT TO PUT IT IN MY MOUTH: suggest everyday objects or materials that will amuse and delight a six-month-old baby? Baby B, age 6mo, will be taking her first-ever plane trip this month. The flight is only three hours each way, so rather than trying Benadryl I'm just going to try to keep her entertained for that time. I estimate that this will require one new toy for every 5-15min of flight time (so, as many as 12-24 toys total each way).

Luckily, it doesn't take much to engage her at this stage; pretty much any graspable object, particularly with interesting colors/textures/sounds, is enthusiastically received. (She's still not at the point of doing much with things beyond looking, shaking, and chewing.) Consequently, I'm looking to compile a ginormous list of small household/craft/kitchen/natural objects I could take along as "toys" on this and future flights.

Criteria are pretty lax: ideally, objects would be
(1) small,
(2) not poisonous,
(3) not sharp or pointy
(4) not choking hazards, i.e. big enough not to fit through a paper towel tube, although all play will be under close adult supervision anyway.
(5) cheap-- either <$3 at your standard neighborhood craft/hardware/department/grocery/kitchen store, OR freely found outdoors, OR already present in the average American home.

I'd love to get a list as comprehensive as possible, so please err on the side of inclusivity in suggestions. Ideas so far include a sheet of waxed paper, silicone basting brush, kitchen prep bowl... what else?

Kicking Children. Airplane.

zarq — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:12:09 -0800

How can I stop my toddlers from kicking the seat in front of them on an airplane? Can anyone suggest possible solutions for preventing or blocking a 19 month old toddler from kicking the airplane seat in front of them? Does some sort of shield-like contraption exist that keeps their feet from connecting?

My wife and I have flown with my kids a handful of times now, and as they've gotten older and taller, we've had to use our hands to block them from repeatedly kicking the seat front of them. That's only moderately successful. It makes every flight endless, as we (and presumably the people in the next row,) pray for them to fall (and stay) asleep.

They're too young to fly in a bulkhead seat, which would give them plenty of room. They're also still too young to be reasoned with... or bribed with a pony. (I tried.) Inexplicably, my wife still refuses let me pack them in with the luggage. ;)

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Unidentified Flying Boat

renovatio1 — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:07:14 -0800

AircraftFilter: Help me identify the aircraft in this photo I looked entirely through my copy of The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft and found a couple that have a similar fuselage, wing placement, and tail section but they are quite obviously not the plane in the photo.

I did a quick search for airplane spotter / identification forums and couldn't find anything that looks all that good. I'll try posting to airliners.net or contacting an aircraft site owner (e.g. www.aviastar.org) but I figured I'd try here first to see if anyone knows; thanks!

Can you use airport amnesty bins to erase certain crimes?

Damn That Television — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:07:50 -0800

Where can I find the written laws that regulate amnesty bins at airports? (Amnesty bins are the bins right before the metal detectors in some airports where you can, according to signs, throw away anything that you can't take through security without penalty.) And, related, are these actually legally binding, or just a gentlemen's agreement? Could someone hypothetically put a stolen painting in the bin, and be free of legal consequence of having stolen it?

looking for a big open space in the east bay

zeoslap — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:20:10 -0800

What is the biggest flat open field open to the public in the East Bay (closer to Montclair the better) Looking for the best spot to fly small electic rc planes.

Foul weather fiend

Sova — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:30:58 -0800

Where can I find information about the chances of a flight being delayed or grounded by foul weather? I'm planning to travel early Feb 2010, but all of the airports I'm using are fairly northern and for various reasons I may struggle to deal with unplanned delays. I want to know what kind of time margins I should build into my plans when organizing my trip. The codes for the airports I'm looking at are MAN, AMS, SEA, and PDX.

Is there a place where I can get historical delayed or grounded flight information for these airports? And is there any good advice for avoiding weather delays? I've tried looking on flightstats.com and a couple of other sites, but they seem to be focussed on current information.

Oh, his aching legs!

odayoday — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:37:36 -0800

How can I arrange an overnight layover, and how much will it cost me? My very tall boyfriend and I are planning to visit my dad in Shanghai, and we're hoping to find a way to give his legs a rest between flights. I've tried to book exit row seats in the past, but was told that we would have to use airline miles to do so in advance. We can't afford business class, but I'm hoping there may be a way to arrange our flights so that we have an overnight stopover somewhere in Europe (halfway to China) so that he gets a break from the cramping. Has anyone done something like this, and how would I go about it? Also, will it cost us a lot more this way?

How not to get detained at customs

nostrich — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:35:03 -0800

At what point during the customs process did they decide I was a "red flag" and how do I avoid it happening again? I'm travelling to the US in the next couple of weeks -- to Indianapolis, probably via Ohio, if it matters -- and I'd like to know how I can avoid being detained at customs again, and what I should say if I am.

Last time I was in the US -- which was less than 3 months ago, which I understand may be a red flag in itself -- I was asked to get my luggage and "go to that room" after trying to get through at customs. I don't remember the details very clearly, but this is how I think it went down:

The guy at the desk asked what the purpose of my visit was, and I told him I was visiting my girlfriend (mistake #1, I suspect). Then we went through the usual hoohah of taking my fingerprints and so on. He asked how long I intended to stay, and I told him 3 months. He said I can't stay longer than 90 days, I told him I knew that and would not. He also asked how much money I had with me, and I told him $200, which probably didn't help. He asked some other questions, but I don't remember them. That was when I was asked to collect my luggage and go to a side room he pointed me to.

The guy in there was very brisk and unfriendly and immediately took to a thorough search of my luggage, and lots of questions about the purpose of my visit, the majority of which I don't recall. I do remember that he asked for the phone number of my girlfriend and called her to corroborate my story. He was very concerned that we were planning to marry while I was in the country. We both assured him we had no intention of doing so. Eventually, I was allowed to pass through -- having re-packed my luggage myself, of course.

Ridiculously, at one point, he alse noted that I seemed nervous and asked why. As if being detained at customs wasn't enough to make a person nervous!

I later noticed a label in my luggage that informed me that it had been searched at some point before reaching customs, too. I'm guessing because my computer (a Mac Mini) was inside. So I'm wondering if that showed up on their system at customs and was a contributing factor.

The circumstances this time will be largely the same. I will have more money -- closer to $700 -- for one. But this time, my purpose _is_ to get married, and then return home to apply for a K-3 visa. I will also be travelling with largely the same luggage.

I'm assuming my luggage was what prompted the difficult questions, and my wrong answers that prompted the eventual detaining. If I'm right, I'm almost certain I'll at least be questioned again. So what should I say if I am?

Honesty is usually the best policy. But telling customs I'm here to marry my girlfriend is almost definitely a bad idea, right?

At the moment, I'm thinking the best course is to say I'm merely visiting a friend, and leave out all the romantic stuff. Why do I have my computer? I'm a geek, I can't go 3 months without my computer, sir!

But is lying to customs like this likely to get me in trouble somewhere down the line? Can they check up on this stuff? And more importantly, will it affect my chances of being granted a visa?

Flight footage needed for art project

fidgets — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:41:37 -0800

Where can I find a 2-5 minutes of aerial POV footage of a plane flying through clouds (as a single shot)? I need it for the baselayer of a video that will be one element of an installation. I have scoured every film and documentary about flight that I could get my hands on, as well as numerous ArtBeats/Getty (and similar) effects plate libraries. So far I have not come up with anything longer than 30 seconds, and while I can edit those together a single shot would have a much stronger effect and be greatly preferred.

Thank you in advance for your answers.

Can you help me decipher this airline ticket code?

mrunderhill — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:59:41 -0800

Can you help me decipher this airline ticket code? Penalty
CXN BA 100 EURFL RESTRCD/CHG BA 100 EUR

Thanks!

When buying a plane ticket, how do you decide whether to cash in your frequent flyer miles?

inatizzy — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 06:45:49 -0800

When you buy a plane ticket, how do you decide whether to cash in your frequent flyer miles, or pay cash and earn the miles? I have a specific decision to make that's prompting this question:

I've accumulated about 50,000 frequent flyer miles on a major airline over about 5 years of personal domestic travel. I'm going to Buenos Aires in September, one-way, economy, and I can either:

a) buy a ticket for about $450-500 (on two different airlines that I don't normally fly, with 2 stops on the way, about 16-19 hours trip time), or

b) spend 20,000 miles (on "major airline", 1 or 2 stops along the way, 14 hours trip time).

To buy the one-way ticket on "major airline" would cost around $1800 or more and I'd earn 5800 frequent flyer miles. Way too much for me to pay!

How do you decide whether to spend the miles or the money? I've really never been sure when to cash them in, but I'd sort of like to do that now because I could use the $$ to help secure an apartment, settle in, etc. (I'm moving there on my own without a job to pay for moving expenses.) But I'm also a little hesitant because I wonder, is this really getting the best value for my miles? Should I save them for later?

For what it's worth, I'm probably going to be in South America indefinitely after this trip and I'm unlikely to fly the "major airline" to travel between cities and countries there. However, I may use it to come back to the US for visits (such as at Christmas). Thanks for your advice!

Ordering a return ticket Melbourne to Los Angeles with V Australia; can I travel to LA and cancel the return flight for a refund?

Eastgate — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:31:51 -0800

I'm going to be flying one way from Melbourne, Australia to Los Angeles with V Australia. It's cheaper to book a return ticket than a one way ticket. Can I cancel the return flight and get a refund? I'm looking at going via Premium Economy with V Australia and getting a "Premium Deal" ticket from Melbourne to Los Angeles (approx. $923) and selecting a "Premium Flexi" ticket for the return journey (approx. $2500). After arriving in LA, I would want to cancel the return ticket. Is it possible to do this and get a full refund of the $2500 for the return ticket? Has anyone had experience doing this kind of thing before?

Going with a return ticket option was much cheaper than going with one way. I had considered selecting a "Premium Deal" ticket for the return, but I read that there was a $550 cancellation fee, which is why I'm asking about the "Premium Flexi" instead.

This music that makes you feel you can fly?

zaebiz — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 05:32:23 -0800

What's the origin/name of this soaring music piece from this breath-taking video of wingsuit base jumpers?

Why do the pilots at Airtran always fly the plane like they stole it?

UMDirector — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:50:39 -0800

Why do the pilots at Airtran always fly the plane like they stole it? No matter where they seem to hammer the takeoffs and come in hot on landing. So far I have only experienced it on 717's but I have had it happen on multiple flights and airports. It's not a negative I just know they seem to really haul hot and fast through the sky and ground.

As an LCC I know time in the air and turns are important to them but still seems higher than SW or others.

Do they recruit from a specific division of the armed forces such as the Navy that does hot and fast take-offs/landings?

Any other ideas?

To buy or not to buy...That is my question.

clpage — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:50:18 -0800

How soon in advance should we purchase airline tickets to get the cheapest flights? I already perused the previously asked posts about cheap airfare and most of them were 3-4 years old. Given the change in the economy (and the downturn in the airline industry), I thought I would query the Ask MeFi community once more.

The husband and I are flying from DC to Portland, driving up to Seattle, and then flying back to DC at the beginning of August. When I started checking airfare prices about a month ago, Southwest and Frontier had the most reasonable fares.

However, over the past 4-6 weeks, the prices on those same flights have gone up by almost $200.

The husband read an article on the NY Times which suggests the best time to buy airfare in the current economy is 6-8 weeks out. In your recent experience(s), what are the chances that the prices (on these or any other airlines) will go down if we wait until the 6-8 week mark? Since our travel dates are fixed, should we just suck it up and buy now?

Thanks in advance for your help!

How do I get the stamina and health of diplomats, CEOs and politicians?

wingless_angel — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:42:08 -0800

I'm just about to start a new job that will involve a lot of travel, negotiation, and meeting and greeting. How do I get the stamina and health of diplomats, CEOs and politicians? I'm going to be starting a new job in which I have to travel a lot and be on my game, meeting a lot of new people. I hope this job will put me on the path to more NGO work and one day, the EU or the UN.

My health, while not exactly fragile, can be easily upset by sinus infections, asthma, migraines and jetlag. I have read in the past about CEOs who swear by 6am starts, yoga and exercise to stay alert and healthy and I will gradually start to do this. But what can I do for my overall health and resilience while flying a lot and being away from regular routines? Any roadwarriors here in a similar situation?

I have travelled a lot, but predominantly for leisure which means I have more time to do these things, but when I've travelled for conferences etc that's when I've fallen down in the past by not exercising, eating well and succumbing to sinus problems. My main exercise is cycling, and I can't take my bike ont these trips!

I don't want to become superhuman and work 24/7, but I do want to make sure that I am alert, engaged, and healthy on the road. How do I stay healthy and increase my stamina?

How sucky is flying going to be with my bum ear?

fructose — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:07:13 -0800

Have had barotitis in one ear (basically ear drum is sucked in and there's fluid built up behind it) since a Thursday afternoon flight. Flying home tomorrow. Anyone flown with this? Does it hurt a lot/suck? I have had this before, with an ear infection to go with it, but that time it happened on my return flight, so I didn't have to go on a plane again with my ear messed up.
I have seen a doctor who offered to write me a note to see if the airline would let me take a later flight, but that isn't an option. He said it would be safe to fly, but it may be really unpleasant. Right now I don't have much pain, but I have really muffled hearing/ear ringing and it hasn't improved much in the past 2 days. I fly out early in the morning, with one long flight, and one short flight, and am nervous about how it's going to go. Note: I've been trying the pop your ears while plugging your nose thing (dr's suggestion also) with little improvement, so no use in suggesting that. The doctor said that this will probably not get completely better for at least a week. I usually have severe ear pain when I fly, but I want to be prepared (he suggested 600 mg of ibuprofen before the flight, and OTC nasal decongestant spray during).

Hippest Woman in Seattle

tejolote — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:04:53 -0800

Help me fly to Belgium for surgery next month: I'm scheduled for hip surgery in Ghent on the 29th of April, and I have no idea how to schedule my flight. My leave and return dates are flexible, and I plan to go a few days before surgery to do some sightseeing (my first trip to Europe!), but I'm very, very worried about leg room after the surgery.

Business class tickets from Seattle are looking to be $4000 round trip, which I can't afford, nor can I borrow. Coach is around $670 (Continental Airlines) and up. The money I have to spend on a ticket is around $1500. I've heard there's a possibility of buying an upgrade the day of the flight for something that approaches my total budget, but I don't know if this is a rumor, or if not, what the chances are of space being available to purchase an upgrade.

I'm using ITA software to check prices. Should I call an airline directly to buy a ticket? Should I suck it up, and ask the doc for more painkillers for the flight back in coach? Should I find a travel agent? I've never flown internationally, so I have no idea what I'm doing, and I'm nervous as hell.

I'm so very excited about finally having surgery and about going to Europe and seeing Ghent. Help me get there safely, and get back as comfortably as I can after surgery.