Inadequate savings: personal experience of connecting flights. Off-season in Vietnam: is it worth flying and what to do there? Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid of Airplanes

This is a first-person story with impressions of short and long transfers. Not without advice either. If you have not yet flown with transfers, then perhaps we can save you from a fatal mistake. Or just make the “whites” laugh with their problems.

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Too short transfer in Frankfurt

July 2017. Flight Moscow - Frankfurt - Amsterdam. Transfer 1 hour.

What drove me

It seemed that a short transplant - a brilliant idea. You can save 10 thousand on tickets and at the same time not spend a lot of time at the airport.

How it was

According to Murphy's law, our flight from Moscow was delayed. You experience a very interesting attraction of emotions when the plane to Amsterdam takes off in 5 minutes, and you are still in the air and have not even crossed half the way to Frankfurt.

The stewards did not want to answer questions not related to food and drinks, and pretended that I was asking them about my personal life. There were even suggestions that we know different English.

As soon as we finally landed, I immediately turned on the phone to find some article (like this one) and figure out what to do. It’s good that the airline of both flights was the same: a message immediately arrived with information about the departure to Amsterdam and a new ticket.

Just great. Only here in Frankfurt we landed around 10 pm. And I'm leaving at 8 am the next day, because the flight I missed was the last one. Great time saver, dude.

Upon arrival, we (a group of tired, swearing travelers) found ourselves in a deserted part of the airport, but it was worth going a little further - here it is, a huge crowd, which also did not succeed in transfers due to the fault of the company.

It was terribly hot, the cafeterias were no longer open (at 10 pm). Water machines too. Around only hard fucking dick and other variations of curses that have replenished my English vocabulary.

Then I stood in line for 2 hours to get ... a ticket for the queue for a voucher! According to the ticket, there were 89 people in front of me. At first I thought it was easier to hang out at the airport than to go through all this. But I hardly managed to sleep, and I would have lost another half day (out of 4) in Amsterdam.

Then they brought a lot of different water and sweets. I decided that I would be everything.

As a result, they gave a voucher for a hotel near the airport, checked in for a flight, handed a boarding pass and told where to stomp to get on the bus to the hotel.

By the way, they tried to hide the brochure and information about how and where to write in order to receive monetary compensation. They took away the old boarding pass from one girl and tore it apart (and it is really needed to get the money).

I found out about everything in detail, collected all the pieces of paper in a separate place, but at the time of writing this article (September) I had not done anything. In such matters, I am not a fighter, but rather a whiner and a bleeder, who will be helped only out of pity. I can't even deal with the cashier at Pyaterochka. Don't be like that.

It was necessary to divide a long story with a heading

When I got to the bus stop, I immediately remembered this joke from GTA about "Listen, I'm in the middle of a big shit right now." There were about 100,500 people, about zero buses.

When the next bus drove up, it was occupied by the Chinese, with whom it is difficult to compete in terms of elbow fights in line. And now it's one in the morning, and I'm not at the hotel yet. Get up at 5.

When I was already desperate and just sat down in my pajama pants on the curb, an airport worker ran up to me. Even Johnson's baby does not protect her cheeks from tears like this guy who said that there is 1 more place in a free taxi.

The hotel ended up being a 15-minute drive from the airport, the room was cool, we woke up in the morning for the bus. I thought about getting up a little earlier to start hating the airline, because I was afraid that there would not be enough time for this during the day. But the breakfast was too tasty and the sunrise was too beautiful.

What should I do if I miss my connecting flight?

As you can see, this is all solvable - long and nervous, but solvable. It is important that both flights are from the same company. Otherwise, the task will become at least 2 times more difficult.

There is always a chance to be late for a connecting flight due to your own fault - you do not know English well, the queue was too long, or you yourself were very blunt. In this case, you need to run to the airline representative and ask to take you on board, if it is still possible. Most likely, you will be taken, as it is simply unrealistic to be very late if the first plane arrives on time.

Suppose that with you the impossible becomes possible. You late. If you have a business class, then you should not worry. With a ticket purchased at a special fare or an economy class ticket, things are different. You will have to pay a fine or even buy a new ticket.

Should I fly with a short layover?

If you have a long vacation ahead of you, then nothing bad will happen. At least - you will lose half a day, but you will gain experience and a history that makes you an interesting conversationalist. Maximum - buy another ticket.

Here is a list of circumstances under which it is absolutely not worth flying with short transfers:

• You are flying with children.
• You have a limited budget.
• You fly for 3-5 days.
• You don't know English well.

Too long transfer in Munich

July 2017. Amsterdam - Munich - Moscow. Transfer 9 hours.

What drove me

“Fool, the ticket is cheaper, and there are more countries. You can walk around the city all day.

Transfer flight: how it was

Getting around at Munich Airport was easy - there are signs and signs everywhere. In order not to carry a heavy backpack everywhere (yes, I am one of them), it was decided to give it to the storage room. Storage of a bag up to 5 kg - € 3.5 per day. Walking light around the city is priceless.

After reading a bunch of forums where the information is chaotic and chaotic, I managed to find out that the best way to get to the city is by train.

I bought a ticket without difficulty in the machine, there was no queue. Perfect.

I got to the main square Marienplatz in 40 minutes and went for a walk.

At first everything went well. Then I caught myself thinking that I had already gone around everything in the district, there was too little time to “go away”, and there was too much time to continue walking around the return point or sitting in a cafe.

Plus I'm tired and generally bored. As a result, I returned to the airport and stuck there for another four hours. Correction: it was the longest four hours.

If you want the same: useful info

Luggage storage is located in the central area (Z), level 03. Follow the signs with the word "Bulky Luggage". "Bulki" is bulky luggage.

The location of another camera is difficult to describe, it is better to ask at the information desk (which I did). If you understand correctly what the airport employee will tell you, then soon you should find a room on the way, separated by transparent walls. There are also computers and the Internet, but I did not use them.

I was advised to check my luggage in a cell at the station, but there is no point in this. First of all, I don't trust robots (damn Decepticons). Secondly, it is strange to drag your bag to the station and be surprised that all the cells are occupied.

Near the "Bulki" there are vending machines where you can buy a train ticket to the city. Recognize them by their badge with a white letter S on a green background and the inscription Bahn Munchen.

One train ticket costs 12 euros. But if you are two, three, four or five, then it is more profitable to take the Airport-City-Day-Ticket Group. It costs 22.30 euros and will allow you all to ride the whole day there and back. And on the subway too.

You need to take the S8 train to the main site. There is also S1, but it is longer and it can be confusing on the way back. Better keep your head down and remember only S8.

The interval between departures is 20 minutes. The station is located right at the airport, you need to look for it according to the signs, of which there are many.

Should I fly with a long transfer?

If you have thoughts like “Why should I go somewhere, this is an additional expense. I’d rather wait at the airport,” then you are mistaken. It is not known how much you will spend waiting and being surrounded by so many sausage shops.

It is definitely worth deciding on a long transplant if:

• The city where the transfer is planned does not cause much interest and you would not want to go to it on purpose.
• You know how to accurately calculate the time, plan routes and in general you are a control freak.
• Life is a fun carnival.

Long transfers are not for you if:

• You are constantly afraid of being late, nervous and unable to let go of the situation.
• You are traveling with small children.

I hope that the article turned out to be useful and that you do not get into the same troubles, but will approach planning your trip wisely.

If you are reading these lines now, then most likely you are one of the 1/4 of the world's population, whose heartbeat quickens and palms sweat at the mere thought of the next flight. To be fair, aerophobia is one of the most common fears on the planet, however, this does not mean that there is a good reason for this. By the way, most often creative people suffer from this problem (they have an overly rich imagination) and successful people in high positions (a high degree of responsibility). Peace, only peace! Three pillars of the fight against aerophobia: be as informed as possible, learn to control your body (read - nerves) and plan your trip correctly. About everything in order.

Assess risk appropriately

An optimistic start: your chances of being injured in a plane crash are about 1 in 11 million, or 0.00001%. For comparison, there is a 1 in 5,000 chance of dying in a car accident. This means that the most dangerous part of your entire route is driving to the airport. People are much more likely to die from food poisoning, snake bites, lightning strikes and falls while walking in the park than from flying, however, they eat and leave the house with a smile every day, but panic when buying a plane ticket.

Be Curious

Most of the fears are born out of simple ignorance of what will happen next. Why is the plane flying so fast? Why is the wing moving? Why did the flight attendant ask you to fasten your seat belts? When we find ourselves in unusual circumstances, our first instinct is to assume the worst. Studies show that 73% of people suffering from aerophobia are afraid of technical problems during the flight. To minimize these fears, try to learn as much as possible about the design of the aircraft and its operation. For example, the most elementary - why can he fly at all? He does this under the influence of four forces: gravity, aerodynamic drag, lift and thrust. As the pilots say: "A plane is happier in the air." Or this fact: at an altitude of 9000 meters, about 9000 kg presses on the door, so it is closed more than securely and cannot suddenly swing open.

Make friends with turbulence

We agree that when a "chatter" begins in the sky, it's unpleasant. But this does not mean at all that something threatens your life at this moment. Turbulence occurs because ascending and descending air currents have different pressures. When the aircraft enters such zones, it begins to shake. Most often this happens while flying over mountains, ocean or sea. For an aircraft, turbulence is absolutely safe - it cannot cause harm to an aircraft. You can get hurt if for some reason you did not fasten your seat belts or your luggage fell on you.

Each aircraft is thoroughly checked

“And suddenly overlooked?” “And what is that patch on the wing?” Familiar questions? Aircraft regularly undergo a lot of maintenance and repair procedures. Approximate ratio: 11 hours of checks for one hour of travel. This means that if your flight takes four hours, the plane was inspected for 44 hours to make sure everything was in order.

Learn to control anxiety

First, just because you are feeling anxious does not mean that you are in danger at that moment. In other words, you can shake like an aspen leaf and still be safe and sound. Secondly, people with aerophobia often refer to the fact that they are "used to being in control." But something tells us that a professional pilot keeps the situation in the sky under control much better than a panicked passenger. Thirdly, each person is able to learn how to regulate the release of adrenaline with simple exercises. First, try to determine which part of the body is fettered by fear. Face? Legs? Rook? For example, a feeling of nervous tension most often blocks our shoulders - the muscles become stiff. Take a deep breath, put your hand on your stomach and slowly lower your shoulders. Repeat 5-10 times. For the exercise to "work" in the sky, practice it on the ground for several months. Thus, by the time you fly, you will already have a serious “sedative”. Another express option: in moments of special excitement, squeeze your left wrist with force - mild pain will help you return to reality.

Unleash your imagination

A rich imagination is a "teaser" for aerophobes. Vivid pictures and possible scenarios for the development of events only increase fears. Tame your imagination and use it to your advantage, or, simply, occupy your head with extraneous thoughts. Think of a place where you feel happy. Where are you always calm? Cosy? Comfortable? Close your eyes and mentally transport yourself there. Focus on every detail. Another obvious option is to distract yourself with a book, a game app, or idle thoughts about “what you want to try for breakfast” or “what souvenir will you bring back from your trip.” Another form of "escape" from fears is a nonchalant conversation with a fellow traveler.

Choose the right flight and seat on the plane

There are a few things you can do ahead of time to help ease your jet lag. For example, try to fly direct flights to your destination - the less time you spend in the air, the better. It is most comfortable to book a seat in the wing area - this area of ​​​​the aircraft is the most stable and least prone to shaking. Other priorities include sitting in the aisle or at the emergency exit, but not at the window (the temptation to check “if the wings are in place” every 5 minutes is too great). For some passengers, the feeling of anxiety intensifies in the dark, so daytime flights are still preferable for aerophobes.

Get comfortable

Flight comfort is a very important factor. Choose comfortable and practical clothes for travel that will not hinder movement or interfere with blood circulation. Favorite music generates positive emotions instead of negative ones.

Avoid news about plane crashes

Many aerophobes become obsessed with the topic of air accidents, which are exaggerated in the press. You don't need to be a psychologist to understand how this news affects the nervous system and cultivates experiences. Avoid the temptation to regularly "feed" your own fears. By the way, this rule applies to films and books about "terrible flights." Favorite series, glossy and entertainment publications work in contrast, with news about new details of the Jolie-Pitt family's divorce.

Most human fears are formed as a result of ignorance. For example, many of us are afraid to fly on an airplane and get into the cabin, covered with cold sweat. If you only knew more about the life of civil aviation, then you would stop being nervous. We take the liberty to fill this gap and provide facts about flight safety.

According to statistics, air travel is the safest.

We are all interested in news, so the fact of frequent accidents on highways cannot escape our attention. Indeed, traffic reports are full of accidents, many of which end in death. While air crashes are extremely rare, but for some reason, reports of incidents that have occurred in the sky are exaggerated with terrible force. However, as you understand, getting on an airplane is much safer than going on a road trip. If you look at the statistics, you will find out that the chance of a person dying in a car accident is one in five thousand. The chance of dying on board an airplane is much smaller: one in eleven million. Even a lightning bolt and that is more likely to kill a person.

Plane crashes draw attention to themselves

No TV channel or news outlet will bring a news story about a car accident to the front pages of newspapers. Unfortunately, such incidents have become commonplace and hardly shock anyone. Whether it's the wreck of the liner, which often entails the declaration of national mourning. Human grief is disproportionately large, because a plane crash claims several tens and even hundreds of passengers' lives. This news is worthy of close attention, it plunges people into shock, it can be exaggerated for a long time, speculating about the reasons that led to the tragedy. Thus, despite the fact that every year there are only a few single crashes of airliners around the world, the average layman gets the impression that air crashes occur on a regular basis.

Flying is getting safer every year

In the mid-twentieth century, when passenger air travel was just emerging as an industry, fatal accidents occurred on average once in every 200,000 flights. Over the years, aircraft designers have improved aircraft models, providing them with more and more measures aimed at passenger safety. All this has led to the fact that now commercial transportation has become safer, which is confirmed by statistics. These days, fatal accidents in the sky occur on average once in every two million flights.

Flying is an unpleasant change of scenery. From familiar conditions, a person finds himself in a new environment, over which he has almost no control. But thoughtful preparation and moving forward on a personal plan creates a useful feeling that you are in control, at least in part, of the situation. It helps to dispel unnecessary worries.

A couple of days before your flight, for example, make a list of all the things you plan to take with you and the things that need to be completed before and during the flight. As you complete items, cross them off your list.

2. Learn more about aircraft

People often experience fear of the unknown and obscure things for them. Perhaps you are afraid of flying precisely because your knowledge of airplanes is shaped mainly by tragic news and Hollywood blockbusters.

Understand how aircraft technology works, at least in general terms. Take a look at the same Wikipedia. Knowing, for example, that airplanes are statistically the safest form of transportation, and that a little turbulence is normal, will surely calm your worries. Remember, informed is armed.

3. Arrive at the airport early

Rush is a stress factor. In order not to worry also because of a possible delay, it is better to calculate the time so that you can do everything. Ideally, always arrive at the airport early. Thus, you will insure yourself from unnecessary worries and save strength for the flight.

4. Pamper yourself

While waiting for your flight at the airport, seize the moment and indulge yourself before boarding the aircraft. Buy a drink or food that you would not otherwise allow yourself. Deviate from those frameworks and rules that you strictly adhere to in everyday life. Relaxing (only without alcohol!) in such a situation is always useful.

5. Take a break from the source of fear

The fear of flying makes us fixate on one thought like: “Oh my God, I’m miles above the ground!”. By endlessly frightening yourself with such a mantra, you risk having a nervous breakdown even before the plane has covered half of the way.

Try listening to music, a book, a podcast, or a mobile game to help stop the panic coming. Before boarding the plane, you can call friends or family. If you are flying with relatives or acquaintances, start a conversation with them on an abstract topic.

6. Think positively

Focus on the purpose of the flight. Remember why you are flying, to whom and what awaits you when you get off the plane. After all, you are probably heading to a resort, to a new country for you, to relatives or friends, for a coveted internship or to study at the university where you have always dreamed of getting.

7. Think about the people around you

Dozens, hundreds, yes there - millions of people - fly somewhere every day, although they do not always like it. Look around in an airplane or airport: there are so many of them nearby. The realization that you are not alone and that others share your fear and overcome it is very reassuring.

8. Pray or Meditate

If you are a believer, try to mentally turn to God for support. Surely this will give you the strength to deal with fear. If prayers are not for you, meditate: drown out all thoughts and try not to think about anything as much as you can. This practice helps to relax.

9. Act confidently, even if you are scared.

Smile at the neighbor in the chair, even if you yourself are shaking with fear. Who knows, maybe a conversation with your fellow traveler will be a lifeline and help to distract. In all your actions, proceed from the message: “What would I do if I were not afraid of flying?”. And act as if you really are not afraid, try it: at first it will be difficult, but you will get used to it and understand that 99% of your fears were completely in vain.

Perhaps you are flying with children or a spouse, who also have a hard time. Find the strength in yourself for them and help them cope with fear.

10. Manage your body chemistry

Do not drink coffee, strong tea and energy drinks for at least 24 hours before departure. In this way, you will minimize the presence of caffeine in the body, and therefore reduce your predisposition to anxiety.

In moments of excitement, breathe deeply. Remember that intensive oxygen exchange is one of the best remedies for anxiety.

If you are so afraid of flying that you start to panic, take a few drops of valerian tincture or other sedative. You can also try mild sleeping pills. But check with your doctor first about this.

Statistics stubbornly claim that this mode of transport is the safest of all available.

• Let's see, is it dangerous to fly in air transport?
  On the plane, some passengers feel comfortable, while others look forward to landing. Some are so panicked that they prefer the ground mode of transport, at the expense of their own time and comfort.

• Every day people travel thousands of kilometers in the sky for various reasons, is it dangerous?
  First of all, you need to fly with a positive attitude. Recently, news from all over the world has been broadcasting about the crashes of liners and numerous victims. It is not surprising that many refuse the opportunity to travel by this mode of transport. But, the wolf is afraid not to go into the forest, so you should take into account the following information when traveling by plane.

Myth 1: Airplanes are dangerous to fly.

The slogan of any airline is: "The well-being of passengers comes first."

Modern aircraft meet all standards, they are reliable and undergo regular checks. Theoretically, the failure of aircraft equipment during the flight is impossible, there were several cases when the technique failed. Whether it is dangerous to refuse flights, each tourist decides for himself. Many do not even think about the risk when flying on an airplane.

Choosing flights of large companies, you can be sure of their responsibility. Such companies hire the best pilots who pass tests, pass exams, demonstrating their professionalism. Knowledgeable people say that in most cases, the human factor affects the plane crash, the technology in this case does not fail.

We recommend that you just relax during the flight - after the plane has taken off, nothing depends on you. Why worry again? It is better to direct your efforts to have time to take the best seats on the plane, which will help maximize your feeling of comfort on board the liner.

On a note:
How to choose a safe seat on an airplane?
Useful recommendations - what seats on board the liner you should pay attention to when choosing seats for the upcoming flight. An informative article about which places on an airplane are considered the safest during a flight: reasonable explanations and arguments.

Myth 2 - Planes crash all the time.

Any fear prevents a full life. But, the fear of flying can cost a person a career or personal life. It is absurd to give up the trip of your dreams just because you are afraid to fly. The way to the airport can be much more dangerous. Is it worth it to be afraid of flying on an airplane, if life is generally an unpredictable thing?

I would like to point out that there is minimum share of risk, but flying on an airplane means saving time on other equally important things. A person is frightened by the inability to control the situation; aircraft passengers are not subject to this. If the bus can be left at the nearest stop, then the plane cannot. Sometimes fear can take over a person’s mind to such an extent that he completely forgets about the established rules of behavior on an airplane, which creates a nervous atmosphere among all passengers. Details of air crashes can now be seen in the news, read in newspapers and even watch videos of the crash itself on the Internet. Such shots, of course, terrify and make you think a hundred times about the danger before fastening your seat belts in the cabin. But, is it worth believing everything that is broadcast on TV? How true is the information? It should be noted that there is a greater chance of dying from obesity, a lightning strike, or a hippopotamus attack than crashing while flying over the clouds.

From scientifically proven - safety

How safe is an airplane to travel? There are many misconceptions, legends and opinions based on rumors and stories of other people about the safety of moving by this transport. It should be noted that official statistics differ from the results of social surveys. Is it dangerous to give preference to air transport? Of course not! It is possible and even necessary to fly an airplane, despite the fears that one has to face. People believe that the air mode of transport is the most dangerous, while the ground does not pose such a threat. In fact, everything is exactly the opposite, it is proved that There is only one accident per million flights. while car accidents happen every day.

Air crash researchers argue that the cause of the accident is a combination of rare circumstances, the percentage that they will be repeated is negligible.

When giving preference to this type of transport, keep in mind that every three seconds a plane lands safely on our planet.
Have a nice flight and soft landing!