The 6 Stages of Flying Alone

Travelling completely alone is a whole different experience and you can learn a lot about yourself in the process. Once you get past the anxiety, it’s incredibly fun and life-changing. As someone who started flying alone at a very young age, I can vouch for the fact that flying by yourself will change the way you see the world, especially when it comes to solving problems without anyone’s guidance.

While flying alone isn’t for everyone, it’s worth a try! If you’re thinking about taking the plunge, here are a few stages of flying alone that might be knocking on your door from when you book your flight ticket.

1. The Mixed Emotions

• The day you have been eagerly waiting for is finally here! You will wake up at the crack of dawn even though your flight is scheduled for 11 PM because the anxiety is killing you. 
• Triple-check your boarding passes, hotel information, travel insurance because you’re convinced you forgot something. Triple-check your passport expiry date once again to ensure you did not get the year wrong. 
• But you can do this! A life-changing adventure lies ahead.

2. The Goodbyes

• You finally convince your parents or significant other to drive you to the airport. There will usually be that dramatic curb-side goodbye before you pass your bags through security.
• You have probably put all your documents in the bag but the security man will force you to show him your passport and boarding passes.

3. The Security Check and Passport Control

• Once you finally get up to the actual checkpoint you feel so much pressure because you have to lift your massive suitcase and put it in the scanner. Then, you have to take your laptop out of your backpack and now it has to go in its own separate bin? Sigh!!
•  You also are told to remove your shoes, this is always awkward when you forget socks, but keep moving anyway!
• You’re not done with your luggage! Once you reach the airline checkpoint, there is more pressure as you hope your luggage is below the limit!
• The lady at the teller will remind you that you forgot to check-in online so she will pick the only seats available(The middle one) – Lucky you!!

4. The WAIT

• As you sit bored and alone at your gate while waiting to get on the plane, you begin to watch people and scope out who is going to be on your flight and who will be your possible seat buddies. This is when you pray that they are not the snoring type or the seat hoggers😂
• You also look for the people that you might recognize from classes or previous trips home. This is also the point that if you’re lucky, you will find a friend and decide to sit together on the flight(Very rare but a girl can hope)

5. Boarding the Plane

• Finally! After 30 minutes or (let’s be honest) 1 hour of sitting at the gate, you arrived extremely early because passport control is always a toss-up, you finally get to board.
• It’s also time to say hello to being squished in the middle of two strangers who are already seated by the time you get there. 

6. The Flight

• Settle in and get comfy! Depending on whether or not the person sitting next to you is attractive, determines when you put your headphones in. If you think you might spark a conversation, wait a little longer to put them in.
• However, if you are next to an old couple that looks rather chatty, put them in as soon as possible. Take it from someone who got the entire life story of a couple celebrating their Golden Anniversary…
• Now sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. It wasn’t that bad was it?

That being said, none of these should put you off globe trotting. Start planning your next dream destination on your bucket list and be sure to check out Standard Chartered Travel Policy while you are at it!. 

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