Before coming to Tulane, I was definitely not a frequent flyer. I would endure the dreaded airport with its crowds and chaos maybe once a year for vacation but otherwise relied on driving to get me anywhere that I needed to go. Needless to say I am now a well seasoned plane passenger seeing that I have been on ten flights (almost all of my flights have been connecting) just in this first semester. Now, with my extensive flying experience, I have chosen the top five worst things about flying from college back home and vice versa.
1. Checking bags.
In a plot to take even more of your money, airlines charge an extra $100 for every bag that is over 50 pounds. This inevitably means that I will end up stuffing my carry-on with piles of clothes in order to avoid paying the fee. This also means ruining my highly organized suitcase which will then be very difficult to unpack.
2. Airports in general.
Airports are very stressful places with people rushing to get through security, print their tickets, get to their gates, etc. On top of the tension, airports such as in Dallas and Atlanta are massive and difficult to navigate. The combination of the stress and sheer size of airports is overwhelming to say the least.
3. Flight times.
Numbers 1 and 2 are made worse by the fact that flights between Louisiana and Boston are always at terrible times. Walking around the airport at 6 a.m. after leaving either my school friends or my family is thoroughly depressing.
4. Seating on planes.
Since many of my plane tickets are purchased shortly before I planned to leave, I have frequently been stuck sitting in the middle seat. The middle is the worst because first, you are between two strangers who will either talk a lot (which can get annoying) or not talk at all (which is uncomfortable). Either way you will have to awkwardly ask them to stand while you try to get to the bathroom.
5. Layovers.
While airports have a wide variety of restaurants and shops, these places are hard to enjoy when you have to lug around two oversized carry-ons. Sure, I will still indulge in some Pinkberry or Chipotle, but not before knocking over multiple things with my suitcase.
