Learning to Fly...

One of the 5 things I wanted to do if I had the money was taking flying lessons.. Oh well, I did get some lessons last weekend.. even though this wasn't what I had in mind.
Let me share some of these here.

Let me set things straight - the scope of this article is NOT to get into the reasons that actually caused these learnings to come by. This is just to serve as a reminder of my ... ahem... let me call it.. a momentary lapse of reason. Just to ensure that I don't get into such a situation again.

Anyway, here goes... Things to remember when taking a flight to anywhere -

1. Check the flight timing - Let me rephrase that a little - Don't just check the time... also whether it's AM or PM. You don't want to reach too early or too late. Both are equally bad. (Been there done that)
2. Plan your travel to the airport - Depending on the typical traffic situation of the route you are going to take, include a 30 minute to 1 hour buffer in your travel time to the airport. It's okay to reach an hour earlier and wait at the airport than to reach in the nick of time, miss your flight and wait a lot more than just an hour for the next flight.
3. Do a Web / Tele Check-In whenever possible - If you don't have any check in luggage, a web or a tele check in can make a world of difference. You get to skip the line to get the boarding pass and head straight to the security check line; where you can also, incidentally, ask to be accommodated earlier if you are too close to your flight's departure time.
4. Travel light - It's best if you can do without any piece of baggage to be checked in. If so, your Web/Tele Check in can do wonders for you.
5. Check your options (just in case) - If you still do manage to miss your flight (I wouldn't be the one blaming you), be sure to check all your options. The list may include buying a new ticket, getting yourself rebooked or even cancelling your ticket. Be informed with all options and the time and cost impact of each. Make sure you count your money and make the right decision. I was thankful for the salary getting credited on time before finding myself stranded at the airport. Next time I may not be that lucky.
6. Count your blessings - That, I think, is the most important and should underline all the troubled situations you land in (even those involving a broken ipod ;-)). Blessings could mean having money in the account. It could mean having friends you can call at 11 in the night, 2 in the night, 6 in the morning and so on (Remember 24 hour friendship?). It could mean having a nice book to read while spending your time in an airport terminal. It could also mean finally being able to reach your destinations instead of never being able to travel. There are a million things that are still right with the world even if a couple of them are not. Remember to be thankful for those. I still am. :-)

Hmmm.. that's the list for now. Something tells me I should take a print of this and hang it somewhere near me so that I always know things to do and those not to do. And given the number of times I keep traveling to places, something like this is one of the best gifts I can give to myself!!

That felt good. I hope I have better, safer and more punctual journeys from now on.... Bon Voyage!

~K.