When I tell people that my father is a pilot, they automatically assume that I am somehow "above them" because I have "connections". Let's straighten that out right now. Here are some things that being an airline kid has taught me.
1. Stand-by kinda sucks.
Sure, it's pretty great not having to pay for flights on the company your parent works for, but it's STRESSFUL. I get the last seat on a plane, depending on my position on a list, and I won't know if I make the flight until about 5 minutes before the doors close. And that's a good day. My friends are generally amazed at how calm I am in time-crunch situations, especially when it's the 11th hour.
2. Be nice to the TSA and ticketing counter people.
Trust me, when you're trying to get that last seat for the red-eye so you don't have to spend the night in the airport for a 6 AM flight, you want them to help you. If you're nice to them, they will try to help you AND you fulfilled your quota for being a decent human being for the day.
3. Non-rev's are just as likely (if not more likely) to be pulled off planes.
Yup. Non-revenue passengers are just like normal passengers, minus actually having to pay as much for the ticket. That means the non-revenue list is the first thing that is looked at when removing passengers.
4. Give yourself a full day for travel.
I don't care if you're going on a week-long vacation to Cancun: DO NOT MAKE PLANS ON THE DAYS YOU PLAN TO TRAVEL. That means Day 1 and Day 7 of your itinerary better say Travel. Flights are delayed, cancelled, rerouted, and even turned around for more reasons than you can fathom and it's honestly the luck of the draw if your on one of those flights.
5. KNOW YOUR AIRPORT.
I cannot stress this enough. Know where the heck your going. It would suck for you to miss your flight because you are so turned around that you don't even know which terminal you're in. Cuz if you miss your flight, you start blaming the airport and staff, and then it turns into a whole big mess that no one wants to deal with.
6. Layovers can be fun.
You'd be surprised how many cute shops and restaurants you can find in airports if you take a look around. Once you've found your gate and checked in, take a look around the area (don't stray too far) and see what that section has to offer. Most people are in such a rush that they don't even notice. So take the remaining time of your layover and see what makes that airport unique.
7. Spontaneous trips are great and horrible, depending on the day.
My dad popped his head into my room one day and was like "hey, want to go to Chicago? You have 15 minutes to pack a bag before I have to leave for the airport." GREAT. Having to leave to go back to school three days before I was supposed because flights filled up? Not so much.
8. Hub days are the WORST.
Hub days are the days where EVERYONE is trying to leave or arrive somewhere. It's crowded, lines are long, EVERYONE IS LATE and it's all the airport's/airline's/worker's fault. It makes for a miserable time when you want to leave on a Friday and come back on a Sunday. Please just suck it up and take the time off of work. Everyone will be less stressed if you do.
9. Dress comfortably, yet stylish.
As a pilot's daughter, I grew up dressing for flights like I was walking into the theater or a business meeting. Now, I can wear more comfortable clothing, but I am still held to some standards. If you dress like you put in an effort, you will get more respect than you would if you showed up in sweats and a T-shirt.
10. PLEASE QUIET SCREAMING CHILDREN!
OH MY GOSH! Trust me, I love kids. But I really don't need a kid screaming their head off at 30,000 feet. Trust me; most of us are tired, are dealing with long days of travel, and just want to get home/to our destination. Don't make us cranky.
