If you are flying for the first time in your life (either solo or joined by someone in your situation) then you are in the right place 😊

We’ve all been there … fear of the unknown, anxiety, feeling lost at the airport, going through security checks, etc. I hope this helps you overcome your fears and make the airport your second home.

I have grouped the information in several articles, this being the first one, starting with the basic aviation concepts😊

General aviation:

• The plane is the safest mean of transportation. Yes, incidents can happen but they are very rare compared to car accidents, for example
• Pilots go through a very complex training (also known as pilot school) and it can take even 3 years to get their pilot license.
• Cabin crew (mostly referred to as flight attendants) are trained for all possible situations that might occur on board – from basic quarrels between passengers to first aid, CPR and even baby delivery
• All flights have at least 2 pilots: 1 Captain and 1 first officer. The Captain (or pilot in command) is the highest authority during a flight and is the highest skilled pilot with several thousands of flight hours.
• Air law is very strict and all crew must adhere to it, most common being the flight hours limit.
• Pilots cannot take off or land whenever they wish. Or whenever someone shouts from the cabin that they were supposed to depart 5 minutes ago and they are late. Take off and landing are performed ONLY after clearance from the control tower. Not obeying the ATC (Air Traffic Control) directions and commands can put the entire air traffic in severe danger
• No matter the airline, flights can be cancelled or delayed without any prior notice, especially due to extreme weather conditions or emergencies. Remember that passenger and crew safety is the top priority for any airline
• Turbulences can be scary, but the plane will not fall from the sky. Also, pilots know how to avoid turbulent areas as meteorology is an exam subject for their license 😊
• Go arounds are a safety maneuver, especially at airports where landing is a bit challenging (such as Madeira airport)
• Diverting is usually performed when the destination airport is experiencing bad weather conditions (such as dense fog, heavy rain or snow, thunder or hail storms or extreme wind). For example, you were supposed to land in Rome but you landed in Venice because of a dense fog covering the area around Rome airport. Follow the crew’s instructions
• Emergency landings can happen and they are usually due to technical reasons, medical emergencies or offensive passengers (those that had a little too much alcohol before boarding or light a cigarette on board)

Type of airlines:

1. Network carriers – operate both intra and intercontinental flights
2. Low cost carriers – usually operate intracontinental or local flights.
3. Charter airlines – mainly operating seasonal direct flights to main vacation destinations (such as Greek islands, Turkey, Spanish Islands, Egypt, Iceland, Lapland, etc)

Network carriers operate both intra and intercontinental flights, from short haul to ultra long haul. The flights are operated with different sized aircrafts (starting from A320 or Boeing 737 up to Airbus A380 or Boeing 777). Depending on the companies’ business, catering on board (such as food and drinks) may be included in the price or they can be purchased on board. Some European airlines have implemented the “on-board shop” during the pandemic to cut operational costs, as the demand was low due to travel restrictions. Usually, on long and ultra long haul flights meals are included.

Most of them have economy and business class seats and some of them have other seat options such as “premium economy” (pretty much economy but with extra leg room and more comfort), first class (private, very luxurious, unlimited catering, small amenities kit, seats can turn into beds or you can have like a small 1 bed hotel room for yourself, etc) and even suites, which are the most expensive and are literally a luxury hotel room inside a plane, shower included.

Seat selection is usually included in the price and can be selected upon ticket purchase or at online check-in for free. The cheapest fare usually includes two cabin bags (large and personal item) and a checked-in bag up to 30kg, depending on the airline. Free airport check-in unless stated otherwise.

 You might also hear the term “flag carrier”. This term is attributed to airlines that were or still are owned by the government of their home country and represent their country internationally. Their livery is usually painted to match their flags, or national symbols or colours, especially the fin. Examples:

• Qantas – Australia
• Austrian Airlines – Austria
• Air Canada – Canada
• Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) – Denmark, Norway, Sweden
• Finnair – Finland
• Air France – France
• Lufthansa – Germany
• Aegean Airlines – Greece
• KLM – Netherlands
• TAP Air Portugal – Portugal
• Qatar Airways – Qatar
• TAROM – Romania
• Iberia – Spain
• Swiss – Switzerland
• Turkish Airlines – Turkey
• Etihad Airways and Emirates – United Arab Emirates
• British Airways – United Kingdom

Low costs are exactly what their name says. They are sometimes called “the bus from the sky” as their prices are sometimes ridiculously low (if you are lucky, you can find a round trip ticket from Paris to London for 30 euros, which is almost the amount I would pay for a taxi to the airport).

Some low cost companies: EasyJet, Eurowings, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Jet2.com, Vueling, Volotea, Sky Express (Greece), Transavia, Salam Air, Cebu Pacific, Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines, IndiGo, Air Arabia, flydubai, Jeju Air. The #1 low cost is Ryanair (Ireland), ranked by the number of transported passengers, followed by EasyJet.

There is no business class and the seats are pretty packed. These are the most common practices for any low costs:

• In the ticket price ONLY one cabin bag is included. Usually it is a backpack or a personal item (such as a purse) that MUST FIT under the seat in front of you and there are strict sizes imposed by each airline
• Large cabin bag, such as a trolley bag or a bigger backpack that exceeds the size of the personal item is purchased separately and is usually in the “priority bundle” and it can be more expensive than the ticket (let’s say you paid 16 euros for the flight from Rome to Lisbon but the priority option is 25 euros)
• Seat selection is for free only if you buy the most expensive type of ticket, which includes checked in luggage (usually 20kg and will be dropped at check-in desk)
• Nothing is for free – food and drinks on board must be purchased and they are overpriced
• If you do not purchase a ticket with checked-in bags, seat selection at the moment of the purchase is available at extra cost (sometimes it can be more expensive than the ticket itself). Otherwise, random seats will be allocated at check-in. Yes, you will have seat 11B and your travel partner in seat 23C
• Extra leg room seats are freaking expensive. These are usually at emergency exits and if you look strong enough, you might get a free upgrade as the cabin crew must ensure that there is at least 1 person sitting there to help in case of emergency evacuation.
• Check-in at the airport is available at extra cost – some low costs in Europe were charging up to 50 euros for that. So make sure you check-in online for free.
• They are very sensitive to cabin bags and if they smell that extra 50 euros can be collected, they will ask you to place your bags in the “size” checker.
• If you bought the cheapest ticket with only one small cabin bag, you are allowed to bring on board ONLY ONE BAG! You can’t have a laptop backpack and a small purse
• Boarding is usually done via bus, even at airports that have mobile terminals

Charter airlines are usually operating seasonal direct flights to main vacation destinations (such as Greek islands, Turkey, Spanish Islands, Egypt, Iceland, Lapland, etc). They usually have contracts with tour agencies and their main purpose is to take you on your summer or ski destination holiday.

Some examples of charter airlines: TUI, Corendon, Sundair, Sunclass Airlines, Edelweiss, Smartwings, Jet2, Arrow air, etc

Charter flights cannot be booked as standalone, directly from the airline website, as they are sold as part of the holiday package, together with accommodation. Also, they might not appear on Flightradar24 when you see them lading at whatever airport or you are plane spotting.

Also, it is not uncommon for flag carriers or low costs to perform charter flights. However, these flights will not be available for purchase on the airline website, even if the flight has been confirmed and the schedule announced, such as once or twice a week. For example:

• Aegean Airlines (Greek flag carrier) – charter flights from Brasov (Romania) to Crete (Greece)
• TAROM – Romanian flag carrier – charter flights from Bucharest and Cluj Napoca (Romania) to Skiathos and Lesvos (Greece) – if you look on TAROM’s website and you type from Bucharest and then type Sk in the to field, the only option is SKG, which is Thessaloniki airport, although they have confirmed weekly flights, every Tuesday
• Animawings (Romania) – charter flights from Bucharest to Kittila (Lapland, Finland) during the winter months and also to Hurghada (Egypt), Tunisia
• HiSky (Romanian low cost) – charter flights from Bucharest to Thailand and Madeira
• Sky Express (Greek low cost) – charter flights from several European cities to Greek islands.

Airline Alliances – an arrangement between airlines to cooperate and extend their network. You will hear the senior cabin crew or the pilot saying something like “welcome on board of Air Canada, member of Star Alliance” or “on behalf of Air Europa and Sky Team we would like to thank you for flying with us”. The main purpose of the alliance is to make the passenger experience as smooth as possible. You will also see when you are booking your tickets that some flights are operated by another airline (both direct or connection), although you book your ticket from one company’s website.

Tickets:

Use search engines such as Google flights or Momondo to search for the best flights (either direct or connecting) from your home city (or nearest airport) to your desired destination. Then proceed to purchase them from one of the places below:

• Airlines’ official websites – this is the best option and highly recommended. Sometimes they can have significant discounts, they offer rewards such as miles that can be redeemed at future purchases or you have extra perks (such as priority boarding, lounge access, etc depending on your frequent flyer level) or you can buy something like a discount bundle for a whole year (usually at low costs). Also, in case of unforeseen circumstances, communication is much easier, you can manage your booking or add any extra services. You also have full visibility of the airline luggage policy and easier check-in process. You can select your seat when you book (if available) and also select the type of meal you would like, such as vegetarian, kosher, halal, gluten free, lactose free, etc (if meals are included)
• Authorized resellers or 3^rd parties such as Booking, Vola, Kiwi, Expedia, Opodo, etc. – even if the prices listed on these websites are much lower than the airline’s website, there are some things you should consider before purchasing:
  • All these websites (or at least the majority) have commissions or extra fees (such as service fee, which is not cheap at all. For example, Vola has a 27 euros service fee). These fees might not be displayed.
• • The price shown includes ONLY cabin luggage (small personal item for low costs).Communication can be a painful, any change in the booking has to be done through their call center, etcSome airlines (such as Ryanair) have a dedicated process for bookings made through third party agents and not from their website. Read the full process here
  • In case of delayed or cancelled flight they cannot rebook you on the next available one (for connections)
• Tour operators or travel agencies – much safer than the above option, they usually offer full package (checked in bags included) and will try to find the best solutions that fit your needs. They are also responsible to find to an alternate option in case of flight cancellations  (assuming that they have been informed in a timely manner). However, they should not be blamed for last minute cancellations or delays.