Questions about flying on a plane....planning a trip

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bulldawg
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Bulldawg

Guest
Hey everyone
Code: 
            I have a few questions. I am planning a trip to go see my gf in CT in April next year. And since the last time Ive been in a plane I was a toddler I have some questions lol.
How far ahead should I book my flight? And is expidea.com a good site to use to get plane tickets? If so should I also book my hotel room from that site or separately?

And how big of carry on bag can I have? I tend to pack light and am hoping to use just a carry on bag (even if that means me going to a laundry mat in CT lol I just don’t want to mess with baggage claim).

And my last question is can I take my grooming products(like mouth wash toothpaste deodorant shaving gel) on the plane? Thanks everyone! I just want to be prepared!
 
Hello,

I’ve gotten the best trip prices between 3 weeks and 2 months before a trip. There are thousands of websites to buy plane tickets so you’ll probably get a lot of answers…I often buy plane tickets for myself or for family and friends, and orbitz.com usually has the best prices. It is also a very reputable site. Expedia.com is also a good place to buy plane tickets, and it is an excellent site to book a hotel.

Before you book a hotel room, go to tripadvisor.com and search for the hotel. This is a big hotel review site.

You can bring a medium-sized backpack on the plane (but not a big camping pack.) The bag has to be a certain size and you will find this information on the airline website.

You can take grooming products on the plane, but it all must fit in a one-quart freezer ziplock bag, and you can’t have any big bottles.

Traveling with a just a carry-on bag is not difficult and this is what I usually do.
Bulldawg said:
Hey everyone
Code: 
            I have a few questions. I am planning a trip to go see my gf in CT in April next year. And since the last time Ive been in a plane I was a toddler I have some questions lol.
How far ahead should I book my flight? And is expidea.com a good site to use to get plane tickets? If so should I also book my hotel room from that site or separately?

And how big of carry on bag can I have? I tend to pack light and am hoping to use just a carry on bag (even if that means me going to a laundry mat in CT lol I just don’t want to mess with baggage claim).

And my last question is can I take my grooming products(like mouth wash toothpaste deodorant shaving gel) on the plane? Thanks everyone! I just want to be prepared!
Click to expand...
 
Check out the TSA website for restrictions on what you can or cannot bring into the secure part of the airport or on the plane in carry on luggage. I think the bottle size is 3oz each and all of them must fit into a single quart size zip top clear bag.

The airport may have additional rules like at ours you cannot bring outside drinks into the secure part of the terminal even if you drink them before boarding the plane. You can buy a bottle of water inside the secure part of the airport and I encourage it. At our airport you cannot bring in outside food like fast food but pre-packaged things like granola bars are OK.

Make sure that you pack a few granola bars or something else that can pass through security because I once got stuck sitting on the tarmac for 3 hours. At the time my flight should have ended is when we finally took off. There was no food on the plane except microscopic size pretzels. I know other people who sat on the ground even longer in a plane with no food or water. Even if you don’t need your snack, you will be OK for the return trip, just in case.

Depending on where you are going from and to, the best deal can sometimes be found on the individual airlines’s website. LIke Southwest has fares at their site that you cannot get elsewhere, even with fairly short notice.

Remember that if you choose to do the carryon bag for clothing, you still get a “personal” bag like a briefcase, messenger bag or large handbag (for the women) that must fit under the seat in front of you. I use that bag for my entertainment like a paperback book, the small snack, the water bottle and most importantly ear plugs and any medications that I might need to take.

I also have a pair of noise canceling headphones (Sony) that work well on planes or elsewhere to mute the engine or room noise so that I can actually hear the music from my mp3 player or the in flight movie. Regular head phones like ear buds don’t work for squat on a plane with the roar of the engines drowning out the music. You can likely pick up a pair of the noise canceling head phones for about $25-30 on sale since the price has come down this year. I suggest the ones that completely cover the ear as better than those that just rest against the ear. Both are better than nothing. They are great as a noise blocker even without being plugged into a source.
 
Some things to keep in mind: The bag has to fit under the seat in front of you. (That varies between different models of airliner.) If you use up most of that space, you will not be able to stretch your legs out. Don’t count on being able to put it in the overhead locker.

I made the decision a few years back that checking my luggage was less hassle than hauling my carry-on bag around the airport - for some reason my flights all left from the furthest gate - and not having room to stretch my legs out. And I’m 5’8". The first time I did it, I arrived at my destination **not **aching all over! A pleasant change.

I used to fly 3 or 4 times a year, and my suitcase was only “lost” once - and they delivered it to my door the next day.

God bless this Advent season,

Ruthie
 
Ruthie said:
Some things to keep in mind: The bag has to fit under the seat in front of you. (That varies between different models of airliner.)
Click to expand...
Your personal bag must fit under the seat in front of you, but your large carryon does not need to fit there. (I doubt that half of the roll-ons that I see people bringing on planes today would fit under any seat…)
 
ack said:
Your personal bag must fit under the seat in front of you, but your large carryon does not need to fit there. (I doubt that half of the roll-ons that I see people bringing on planes today would fit under any seat…)
Click to expand...
The point that the PP was trying to make was that overhead bin space is a premium now that so many airlines are charging for checked bags. More people are bringing the biggest bag that they can carry on. This results in more people having check the luggage at the gate. Personally, I would be more worried about losing my luggage if it was checked at the gate then checked at check-in. Personally, I only bring one bag that would fit under the seat if there wasn’t room in the overhead bin.
 
I didn’t read through all the posts, but remember that your toiletry articles (liquids) that are in the quart-sized ziplock bag must be less than 3 ounces – I think that’s correct. Double check on the TSA website. They are very strict about it; and if they are not 3 ounces or less, the WILL make you toss them.
 
Nanny_PK said:
I didn’t read through all the posts, but remember that your toiletry articles (liquids) that are in the quart-sized ziplock bag must be less than 3 ounces – I think that’s correct. Double check on the TSA website. They are very strict about it; and if they are not 3 ounces or less, the WILL make you toss them.
Click to expand...
As long as it’s only the bottles!!!

smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/7/7_10_5.gif
 
Bulldawg said:
Hey everyone
Code: 
            I have a few questions. I am planning a trip to go see my gf in CT in April next year. And since the last time Ive been in a plane I was a toddler I have some questions lol.
How far ahead should I book my flight? And is expidea.com a good site to use to get plane tickets? If so should I also book my hotel room from that site or separately?
Click to expand...
I usually book directly with the hotel itself, and also with the airline itself. Travel agents add extra fees on to your hotel charges. My preferred hotels are either Super 8 motels or Fairmont Hotels, depending on the situation. Both have excellent service.
And how big of carry on bag can I have? I tend to pack light and am hoping to use just a carry on bag (even if that means me going to a laundry mat in CT lol I just don’t want to mess with baggage claim).
Click to expand...
Just make sure it’s something that you can easily carry if you have to walk a long distance. Sometimes it’s quite a hike from the check-in to your actual terminal.
And my last question is can I take my grooming products(like mouth wash toothpaste deodorant shaving gel) on the plane? Thanks everyone! I just want to be prepared!
Click to expand...
You can’t bring the ones you use at home, but you can bring travel-sized bottles. If you’re staying for longer than a week, it might be easier just to stop at a drug store on the way in to your hotel and pick up the necessaries, instead of bringing them with you.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top