Although the aviation industry has grown and become popular with many tourists, many people have never been on a plane. They will face some difficulties when traveling by air for the first time.
The procedure for taking the plane is basic: Book the flight => Go to the airport to check in (according to the selected date and time) => Check the customs => Go to the boarding gate => Board the flight, and sit on the seat number on the ticket => Get off the plane => Get your luggage.
Let’s check!
1. Book air tickets
To fly to another destination for your holidays, you need to:
- Choose a date and time to fly to the designated destination.
- Buy air tickets: For domestic and international flights, you can book tickets on the airline websites (Vietjetair.com, Vietnamairlines.com, Kayak.com) or at a travel agent near your home or work.
We recommend you buy air tickets from a travel agent for your first time to travel to another country.
- Air ticket prices vary according to the flight time and date. You can buy an early ticket to get a lower price.
- You can choose airline companies and ticket class: Economy class is the lowest rate, and business class has a very high price but much comfort. You get one depending on your affordability.
- After purchasing the ticket, you will receive a reservation code, which is important for checking your flight status. Remember to check your correct name on the booking system if you are booking on the Internet or the tickets if you are booking offline.
- You present this reservation code at the airport check-in counter to check in when you fly.
Booking cheap flights is desirable for most passengers when they need to fly, especially for first-time travelers.
The following flight booking experiences will help you save travel costs for the first time you use flights.
- Subscribe to airline companies’ online ticketing websites and regularly update promotions from the official international airline agency.
- Do not choose or remove the airline’s pre-installed default options, such as additional luggage, seat selection, and dining.
- Cheap flights usually fly at night or early in the morning, so if you do not care about time, you can fly during these periods. The price will be much more reasonable.
- You should book tickets early, from 2 to 3 months, to get the best ticket rate.
One note is that when you book cheap airline tickets, they often do not allow you to change, cancel, or refund tickets. Of course, you can still change the flight date but pay an additional difference according to the fare at that time. You must read the conditions carefully before accepting to travel with cheap tickets.
>> You may want to read about how to book last-minute tours in Vietnam.
2. Notice the luggage limit
You need to notice the following information for luggage regulations:
- Depending on the aviation firm, the weight of luggage is limited to a different level.
- The checked luggage weight for domestic flights is usually less than for international journeys. You must see the conditions or ask the travel agent about this limit.
- If you fly with Vietnam Airlines- one of the famous airlines in Vietnam, travel in Vietnam is 20 kg, and international flights allow up to 32 kg. You may notice the dimensions of your handbags and checked bags to fix their conditions. You see details of luggage on flights here.
- Each passenger is usually allowed to bring one carry-on bag on board for handbags but must meet their standards. We also recommend checking the conditions, which depend on each airline company.
In general, a handbag can contain:
- A bag for a laptop,
- Wallet,
- Small backpack,
- Personal belongings,
- Jacket,
- Books and newspapers,
- Food bag on the flight,
- Blanket or pillow for long journeys,
- Umbrella, Duty-free goods,
- Assistive devices (Ex, wheelchair, walking frame, portable oxygen machine, etc.)
Liquids and limited goods: The Airport Security Division (ASD) allows passengers to bring limited liquids when purchasing duty-free goods through the security door if appropriately packed in a standard sealed bag (STEB). Please ask for details on the types of fluids to be brought.
3. Prepare luggage before flying
You should put all essential travel items in your hand luggage, such as:
- electronics
- rechargeable batteries
- cosmetics
- some snacks (see more snacks in Vietnam)
- light jackets (the air conditioning is quite cold when getting on the flight)
- wallets
- papers to check in and check out
- jewelry accessories (we do not recommend carrying jewelry during holidays).
If you are traveling with small children, you should prepare a small bag to contain the necessary things, such as milk, towels, diapers, thin coats, and wet towels. Everything should be as tidy as possible.
It would be best if you also put in a suitcase other things like clothes or personal belongings that you use.
The trick to saving onboarding costs for luggage is that you should buy extra kg while you buy flight tickets. For example, if you estimate you will have over 20kg of checked baggage, book it in your tickets. Because if your luggage exceeds the weight at registration, that balance will be expensive when you are already in the checking process.
You should lock your luggage suitcase carefully to prevent theft or dropping luggage during airport staff transportation.
If traveling with your family, you should choose suitcases of the same color. So, when you go to the airport, you can quickly get them and avoid luggage loss. Of course, the staff checks every piece of luggage. But, it can get errors, so you should take the initiative to be the best.
The first-time-flying experience is most convenient when you do not carry sharp objects such as knives, scissors, guns, nail files, or explosive substances such as lighters in checked and carry-on-hand luggage. If you deliberately bring these things up, airport security will keep them.
4. Choose your outfit when flying
Depending on whether your journey is short or long, and to make the flight safe without trouble, you should also have experience choosing suitable clothes to fly conveniently.
It would help if you kept the following in mind when selecting your flight clothes:
- Do not wear clothes with metal attachments, as the security staff will make it difficult for you to pass through the security door.
- You need to take note of the climate where you will come. Without proper temperature preparation, you may be shocked by the cold or heat.
- You should wear clothes comfortably, and not wear high heels.
5. Prepare essential things for flight procedures
You must prepare the following documents:
- Air ticket,
- Visa (if travel abroad),
- Passport,
- Cash to pay taxes (in the local currency, so you should exchange money in your country to avoid high charges).
When arriving at the airport, the passengers move to the check-in areas reserved for the airline company you booked.
Most airports have two areas of arrival and departure. So, when you start flying, you come to the Departure area.
- Departure area: When passengers check in to fly to another destination.
- Arrival area: Where passengers from other destinations fly to this place.
When checking in, you need to pay attention to avoid going to the wrong site. All signs are scattered throughout the airport, so you can easily distinguish them. You can ask the airport staff for assistance.
6. Arrive at the airport to check in
You need to go to the airport before the plane takes off, at least 2 hours for domestic flights and 3 hours for international flights, as per usual standards.
For the newbies, remember that earlier is much better.
- You must be at the exit gate 20 to 30 minutes before starting boarding, so you must come to the airport early to follow check-in procedures.
- Many passengers queue to check in during rush hour or on weekends.
- Customs inspection can also take a long time to get inside the boarding area.
- Following the usual steps, the total time to complete all the processes at the boarding gate is around 1 hour. So, for comfort, you should be at the airport early in advance.
If you arrive at the airport too late, your flight will close check-in counters about 20-40 minutes before departure. As a result, you will not be able to fly that flight.
Thus, you have to buy another flight or change flights. You can ask the staff of the company to know about this case. Please be careful not to get an unwanted experience when flying for the first time!
7. Instructions to read the information on air tickets
The present situation with air tickets is different from that of aviation companies. There are many details about them. But you need to note some information below:
- Class: depending on the classification of each airline, it can have different types, popular with Economy and Business. Business is at the top level, and Economy class is the cheapest.
- Status: OK / Confirmed: The flight date and time are official.
- Date/time of flight: the date/time the aircraft took off at the departure place and landed at the destination, using the local time. You should notice this so you can come to the airport on time.
- Non-stop or transit: a non-stop flight is a direct flight from your point to where you need to go. Transit is a flight that stops at one or several other places before reaching the destination you need to come.
- Name: Your name will be correct. If not, ask the agent as soon as possible.
- Flight code: Your flight code will carry you. You should notice it and listen to the announcement at the airport to get on board on time and the correct flight.
- Reservation code: You do not use this code often. However, it is useful to work with confirmation, which means the reservation code is noticed by airline staff.
In addition, the first time you fly, you need to pay attention to the departure door and notice the announcement from the airport speaker to locate the correct door and time to get on board. This is because most people worry about getting on the wrong airplane or departing at a late hour.
It would help if you asked the airport staff when you do not understand something or do not know where to go.
When sitting on the plane, you need to listen and comply with all flight safety rules. The flight attendant will show you. You are not allowed to take any action on the aircraft, such as opening a window or pulling a life jacket if not needed. All your requests should need the help of flight attendants.
8. Customs inspection
All passengers on the plane must go through the customs check to ensure the safety of the flight and other passengers. You must comply and not pose hazards for the entire flight.
There will be a queue to enter the customs inspection at the airport. To know where to queue, you can see the instruction board, or you can ask airline staff, airport security staff, or cleaning staff.
When meeting customs staff, you must remove your hat and mask, show your air tickets, and provide an identity card or passport (if you are flying internationally).
Going to the security screening area, you must put your belongings in the tray: your backpack, hand luggage, phone, wallet, watch, and belt to pass the security screening. And the security staff will also check on your body to avoid bringing what is prohibited.
9. Boarding
You must be at the boarding gate about 20-30 minutes before the guide boards the plane (the time can change depending on the airport). The staff will check the passengers for the last time.
9.1. Boarding gate
The boarding gate is printed on the boarding ticket. There are seats for waiting at the boarding gate before the departure notice from the electronic board system or the staff.
Airports are usually quite large, so there are many boarding gates, which require close attention.
The doors are quite far apart, especially for international flights. Walking can take tens of minutes, so make sure you are at the boarding door on time.
9.2. Entering the aircraft
- You will follow the airline staff’s instructions to board the plane and find the correct seat. If you need your help, ask the flight attendant to avoid sitting in the wrong place.
- Put your carry-on luggage into the cabin above the seat. If you are not tall enough, ask someone else or staff to help.
- During the flight, you must obey the commands of the notification system, aircraft, and flight attendants. You can go to the toilet while flying and buy snacks and drinks from the flight attendant.
- You must wear your seatbelt during the flight unless you go to the toilet.
- Note that you should whisper or keep order during the flight.
- Ask your flight attendant for details if you need assistance or anything else.
10. During the flight time
10.1. Buy food and drinks
Usually, after the flight takes 20-30 minutes, the flight attendant will notify you to serve food and drinks. The menu is in the bag on the back of the seat in front of you.
You will wait for the staff to push the food cart to your site and tell the flight attendant what you want to buy. Then, you pay for the flight attendant, usually in cash (in USD, a popular payment), but sometimes with other money, depending on the country you fly to.
Many airline companies allow you to order food and drink while buying online tickets or at an air-ticket agent. In that case, the flight attendant will bring the food for you.
After eating and drinking, the air staff will collect garbage and food boxes.
10.2. Going to the toilet
If you want to use the toilet, there are usually two toilets: one at the head and one at the tail of the aircraft.
During the flight, you can go to the toilet without telling anyone. Except when taking off and landing for about 5 – 10 minutes, you have to sit still in a position, not moved, to ensure safety.
11. Landing and getting off the plane
After landing, wait for the signal from the system when the aircraft lands safely. Then, please remove the seat belt, take your luggage, and get off the plane. Do not worry about the landing process because the air staff will tell you through the speaker and guide you on what you need to do.
After getting off the big airports, some shuttle buses transfer you to the doors to go out. You have to walk to the airport gate for small airports to go out.
If you have checked baggage, come to the luggage counter, stand, and wait for your luggage to appear at the conveyor, then pick it up and take it out.
12. Attention when flying internationally
- You must have a valid passport to enter and exit the country. Your passport should be valid for at least six months.
- After checking customs, like flying on domestic flights, you need to show your passport to the airport customs officer to check and seal the permission to exit.
- When flying to another country, you must fill in the declaration of entry (if required) and present the attached passport to customs officers after you get off the plane. So, they stamp to agree that you can come to the country.
- The declaration of entry process will have to wait a bit longer and be arranged more carefully because international guests need to check the information carefully.
- Customs will ask you to look at the small camera to take photos and get fingerprints at the customs counter. You need to put your hand up for the self-scanning machine. This is just a procedure, no matter much.
- For international flights, you have to go to the international terminal to check in and depart. Note that many airports have domestic and international terminals that can be quite far apart. You should read carefully the information about your departure stations on the Internet or ask the agent.
>>> You may want to check the closest airport to Hoi An.
Traveling by plane has become popular and convenient for exploring the world. It helps you not only shorten the time but also save energy. Our safe experiences for first-time travelers on air will help you have a comfortable flight.
Also, you may have a short checklist to prepare well for flying:
- Airline ticket
- Password valid for more than six months
- Visa (needed when flying abroad)
- Cash enough to pay for some airport services ( at less than 300 USD)
- Suitcase (check the dimensions to fit with the air company’s allowance)
- Light jacket to wear on the flight
- Warm coat if traveling to a cold country
- Personal medicine, if any (check carefully; some special medicines cannot be carried to other countries; it is better to bring them with a doctor’s advice paper.)
- Itinerary to explore the beauty of the destinations
- Smiles to have memorial journeys
Are you ready to travel to another country on international flights?
Enjoy your flight!
