First Time Flying Alone? Use This Amazing 22 Step-by-Step Guide

Flying alone may sound like this to people: How do I navigate the airport? How do I go through airport security? What if I miss my flight? What if I can’t find my boarding gate? Well, if you’ve never flown alone and it’s your first time flying alone, your anxiety is valid. It’s scary to fly across the country or internationally while worrying about all the airport logistics. Luckily, most of the time, the anxiety is all in our heads, especially when it comes to flying.

It’s straightforward to navigate airports, which handle millions of nervous first-time travelers daily. Even seasoned travelers like myself get anxious before flying even though I know what to do and expect. So, here is a step-by-step guide with ten important tips for your first time flying alone and everything you need to know. Whether you are flying alone for the first time internationally or it’s your first time flying alone domestic, this guide will be your best friend.

What to Expect

Here’s a rundown of what to expect when flying alone for the first time:

• Preparing for your travels via packing and gathering documents.
• Preparing for your flight with snacks, an empty water bottle, in flight entertainment, etc.
• Navigating the airport, including checking in, going through the security check, going through immigration (international flights), boarding, flying, landing, and going through customs (international flights).
• Dealing with pre-flight and in-flight anxiety and nerves.
• Being super excited on the plane!
• Feeling overwhelmed and relieved when your first time flying alone goes smoothly.

Preparing For Your Flight

1. Double Check Your Important Documents.

You can’t fly without proper identification! Make sure you have a Real ID, passport, or other proper identification document before flying. Store it somewhere that’s easily accessible yet secure. Also, double-check that your documents are not expired and will stay valid for your entire trip. Some destinations may require passports to have at least six months of validity beyond your trip dates. So, the expiration date is not enough for validity.

2. Check Airline Baggage Restrictions

Liquid, gel, and aerosols in carry-on bags must be in a container of 100ml or less. Typically, for airlines in North America, you can carry up to a gallon’s worth of liquids. However, in other countries, specifically Europe, you can carry up to a liter, and they must be inside a resealable plastic bag. If you don’t have a bag, the airport provides them on repacking tables before the security checkpoint. A checked bag has no limit for liquids, gels, and aerosols.

Lithium-ion battery-powered items like laptops, tablets, gaming systems, and portable batteries must be in your carry-on, as stowing them in a checked bag is dangerous.

3. Don’t Overpack

The last thing you need to stress about is what to bring or not bring on your trip! Or worry about paying expensive overweight bag fees and checking in said bag. If you’re just bringing a carry-on, here are some tips on how to pack everything and fit it all in your hand luggage.

While packing, bring important items like medication, sanitary products, dental hygiene products, and more. Use this checklist while packing to keep organized and on track.

4. Transportation To and From the Airport

Ask a friend or family member to drop you off and pick you up. This will make it less scary to go to the airport by yourself. If this isn’t an option, take an Uber, taxi, or public transportation. You can pre-book Ubers and taxis or even have your accommodation provide an airport shuttle or transfer. Regardless of how you get to and from the airport, always research beforehand and have a plan.

What to Prepare the Night Before

5. Download Your Airline’s App

Your airline should have an app. It should pop up if you search for the airline in your app store. The app will have all your flight information, an option for online check-in, and notify you if there are delays or changes.

6. Check-in to Your Flight Online

Check in to your flight online on your airline’s app or website. Once you check in, you’ll get a mobile boarding pass to add to your mobile wallet. Do this if you are not checking in a bag, saving time at the airport.

If, for some reason, you are not able to check in online, you’ll have to check in at the airport counter desk. Usually, this happens for international flights when the airline requires a passport check. The airline worker will help you print out a physical boarding pass instead.

7. Check Your Bag Size and Weight

Make sure your luggage falls under the airline baggage allowance for your fare. For most domestic flights, you are allowed one personal bag and a carry-on bag. All airlines have a carry-on size limit, but some airlines may also have a weight restriction. The latter is usually budget airlines trying to get people to pay for overweight carry-on bags.

Most airlines are strict with the two-bag policy and will ask you to consolidate bags if you have more than three. If you have more than three bags, you should buy checked luggage.

How to Soothe Pre-Flight Flying Anxiety

Nervous about flying alone for the first time? That’s very valid and normal. Pre-flight anxiety is sometimes the worst because it combines the trip preparation, making sure you make your flight, and getting through the airport smoothly. It’s especially heightened if you have first time flying alone anxiety! Everyone has pre-flight anxiety, not just travelers on their first time flying alone. Here are some actionable steps you can do to ease the anxiety:

• Follow all the steps in this guide to prepare for your flight and get to the airport. It’ll help keep you organized and less frantic as the flight date comes.
• Go to the airport early. Give yourself as much time as possible.
• Keep a checklist of what to do. Things like packing, checking document expiration dates, withdrawing cash, having a pet or babysitter, etc. can easily be forgotten. Make a list and stick to it!
• Start preparing early. People underestimate how much time packing and preparation actually take, and you don’t want to forget something important at the last minute.
• Set multiple alarms if your flight is early in the day so you don’t miss your flight.
• Have a packing strategy. There are many ways to efficiently and effectively pack a suitcase, and having a plan helps make it more manageable. Here are some ways I pack my carry-on, which is now the packing system that saves me time and energy.
• Remember what inspired you to fly for the first time alone in the first place! It will help give you courage to push past your fears.

When to Get to The Airport

8. Double Check the Airport Code

Before departing for the airport, double check you are going to the correct airport. Big cities like New York, Tokyo, London, or LA have multiple airports; if you’re not careful, you could end up at the wrong airport. And airports are very far away from each other, upwards of a 30+ minute drive between them! This is the most preventable mistake, but you may miss your flight if this happens.

9. Arrive 2-3 Hours Before Departure

For a domestic flight, arrive at the airport 2 hours before departure, and 3 hours for an International flight. Sometimes, if the airport is small or not busy, you can chance it by arriving a little later. However, arriving early is always better if you’re feeling anxious about flying alone. You’ll feel less rushed trying to figure everything out and have time to get to your gate without a racing heart or sweating bullets.

The 2-3 hour arrival time before departure includes checking in bags. However, depending on how busy it is, checking in bags can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 50 minutes. Usually, domestic flights have a self-drop-off bag section where you can tag and drop off your bag fast. International flights typically have longer lines and wait times since people often bring more bags abroad.

Check-in counters also close 60 minutes before departure. So it’s crucial to arrive 3 hours early for international flights! Once you drop off your bag, you’ll receive a sticker for baggage claim. Don’t lose this! If your bag gets lost, it is important for the airline to find it.

Also, account for how long it takes you to get to the airport. If your international flight is at 10 AM and it takes 30 minutes to get to the airport, you need to leave the house at 6:30 AM. Which means you need to be up at 6 AM.

Now, follow the signs to the departure hall and get ready to go through airport security.

How to Get Through TSA

10. Immigration

For international flights, you may have to pass through immigration before departing your home country. Most modern airports have self-service electronic passport scanners for speed and simplicity.

Walk to the gate, put your passport ID page face down in the scanner, look up at the camera, and wait for the gate to open before walking through. Sometimes, there will be two gates you need to pass through, and you will scan your face between the gates before passing through.

11. Get in the Right Line

There are usually 3-4 lines, including TSA Precheck, CLEAR, Flight Crew, and Standard Passengers. Depending on what service you have, you are eligible for different lines. Most travelers, though, will line up in the standard line.

Make sure you have your ID or documentation ready for the security officer to scan at the front of the line. Once they scan it, prepare your items to go through security.

12. Prepare For Security

Security has a reputation for being mean and impatient. For a smooth experience, do these things while waiting for your turn to go through security.

• Take off shoes, outerwear, hat, belt, and empty pockets
• Remove laptops or tablets from your bag
• Dump or drink all liquids over 100 ml (including water bottles or bought drinks)
• All liquids, gels, and aerosols must be under 100ml; otherwise, TSA will confiscate them

13. Be Patient and Prepared in Security:

Personally, dealing with the loose items first makes it easier and faster to go through security. So here’s the security item order I recommend:

1. Place shoes and outerwear (jackets, coats, etc.) and items in pockets and put them in 1 bin
2. If applicable, take your laptop or tablet out of its protective sleeve and put it in 1 bin
3. Put all bags in bins (sometimes you won’t have to put your carry-on bag in a bin, just on the belt)
4. Wait your turn before going through the scanner, and a security officer will wave you through

Sometimes, the officer might stop and swab or pat you down after the scanner if it detects something, but most of the time, it’s no big deal (it’s normal!) Your bag may also be randomly selected for a check, where an officer will ask you what you are carrying, swab, and test it. This is also normal!

14. Grab Your Bins and Repack at Nearby Tables or Seats

After going through the metal detectors, the most important thing is to move out of the way. Take your bins and move out of the way. Usually, there are empty tables or chairs close to the security belts you can repack on. A constant flow of people also goes through security, which is often faster than the rate of bag scanning.

Fumbling with semi-opened bags and loose items feels clumsy, but everyone in security does it with you. Once you’re done repacking, return the bins to the security belt and start heading for your gate.

Getting to Your Gate

15. Look for Flight Information on TV Monitors

Look for large TV monitors displaying all the departing flights and their respective gate numbers. Find your flight and gate number. The TV monitors are where you will find the most up-to-date flight information—don’t rely on airline texts or emails! There’s often a lag between flight changes and the text message or email getting to you, which sometimes make the difference between you making or missing your flight.

You’ll know if your flight is delayed, canceled, or has a gate change from the flight monitors.

Follow the signs for your gate number and letter area. Depending on where it is, it could be a short or long walk.

16. Check That Your Gate Exists

Know where your gate is first if you have extra time and want to grab a snack or drink. I’ve known several people who thought they had time to grab a meal or snack before heading to their gate and realized that it was actually much farther than they thought.

What looks like it’s just around the corner might be the last gate down another terminal. Always go to your gate first to know where and how far it is from airport amenities before you wander.

17. Be At Your Gate Early

You need to be at your gate at boarding time, which is typically 30 minutes before departure time for domestic flights and 45 minutes for international flights. The boarding gate will typically close 15 minutes before departure, meaning the flight attendants do not let anyone on the plane, even if you are at the gate.

People don’t realize that departure time is when the plane leaves the runway and is in the air. So, being at your gate at boarding time is necessary for an on-time flight.

Tip: Make sure to use the bathroom during this time. Otherwise, you’ll be waiting 30 minutes to go!

Boarding the Plane

18. Board by Group

There are different boarding groups during boarding.

First, it’s pre-boarding for disabled passengers, passengers who need a little more time to board, or passengers with young children. Generally, you do not need it to say you are pre-boarding on your ticket. If you fall under those categories, you are allowed to pre-board.

After pre-boarding, it’s first class, business, economy, and budget or saver fares. You cannot board earlier if you are not in that group, but you can board later. For example, an economy passenger cannot board during first-class times but can board later if desired.

The flight attendant will scan your boarding pass and check your ID to board. Walk down the designated path to the aircraft. Sometimes, there will be certain areas for specific rows, so pay attention when you walk.

19. Find Your Seat and Stow Bags

The seats are usually grouped ABC and DEF, and the side of the plane on which it is placed depends on the aircraft. The flight attendant will check your boarding pass and direct you to the left or right side of the plane if there are three columns of seats.

Stow larger carry-on bags in the overhead compartment and personal bags under the seat in front of you. If the overhead compartment is small, put your carry-on bag in with the top handle facing you vertically.

Take-Off

20. Time to Relax

Buckle your seatbelt, and if you’re in the window seat, make sure the window shade is open. Once the plane takes off, you cannot stand or go to the bathroom until the seatbelt sign turns off.

Some people use the bathroom on the airplane before sitting down, and I think it’s allowed, but I have never tried doing that.

Once you’re in the air, take advantage of in-flight entertainment if available. If you’re looking to sleep, here are 5+ tips to help you get some zzz’s before you arrive.

How to Soothe In-Flight Flying Anxiety

You don’t have to be a first-time flier to have flight anxiety! Many people feel nervous flying, whether it is irrational or not. If you experience in-flight anxiety, first, pinpoint what exactly is making you feel anxious. Do you fear the airplane will fall out of the sky? That the airplane will crash into another one? Is it that you are not on the ground? Pinpointing what makes you anxious is the first step to helping you ease those feelings.

Just remember:

• Flying is the safest transportation method. There have only been three fatal airplane crashes in the last 15 years.
• There are extreme safety measures for all flights, and all airplanes are designed to handle flying in an emergency.
• Flight attendants and pilots are trained for emergencies
• Thanks to physics, airplanes cannot physically fall out of the sky like in the movies.
• Turbulence happens because of changes in wind or airflow. The plane is still flying during turbulence, which doesn’t mean anything is wrong with it; it’s pretty normal!

How to Deal With Turbulence Anxiety

Turbulence can cause anxiety even in the most seasoned travelers, and that’s normal! As mentioned, turbulence occurs from changes in wind or airflow—think of it as potholes in the sky. While the airplane ride feels bumpy, turbulence has never caused a plane crash ever.

Here are some things to help calm you down if you feel turbulence anxiety:

• Turbulence is common and routine, which does not mean something is wrong with the plane.
• If the flight attendant isn’t freaking out, there’s no reason for you to freak out. They fly way, way more often than most people, and know what is normal during flights.
• Skip the caffeine! I definitely downed coffee before a flight, which did not help me feel less anxious.
• Pilots want you to have a smooth flight, but sometimes, nature does its thing. Luckily, hundreds of people are working behind the scenes to ensure your flight lands safe and sound.
• When people say they “flew through a storm,” they did not. Pilots cannot fly through thunderstorms, and they go around them. The turbulence you feel is actually the turbulent air surrounding the storms, but you never go through them.
• Do breathing exercises to lower your heart rate and ground yourself. Count to 5 and back down to 1 while taking deep breaths.
• Distract yourself with movies or in-flight entertainment to take your mind off of your anxiety.

Arrival

21. Take Everything With You

Before landing, empty the seat pocket in front of you. The number of times I accidentally left something (ahem, my passport) in the pocket is embarrassing. Once you leave the plane, you cannot get back on. Before leaving the plane, remember to grab any snacks, water bottles, electronics, etc..

Once the airplane lands, stay seated until the seatbelt sign turns off. You’ll quickly notice that some people rush to grab their things and leave. It can get annoying, but some people also have connecting flights to make, so I get it. Tell a flight attendant if your connection time is short, and they’ll help you get off first (minus the glares).

22. Customs + Baggage Claim

You’re almost there! If you’re in a foreign country, you’ll pass through customs before formally entering the country. You’ll need a visa and a customs declaration form, depending on the country. Usually, flight attendants ask passengers on the flight over if they need a form and help them understand what they need.

Line up to customs with your passport, visa, and customs declaration form (if both are applicable) and wait until you see a customs officer.

The officer will take your passport, sometimes your boarding pass, and all necessary documents. They’ll ask you how long your stay is, what your travel purpose is, and if you have a flight out of the country. You’ll look to the camera for a picture, and when you clear, you’re welcome into the country.

Tip: Check whether a country requires you to have a flight out. Travelers tend to overstay their visas in certain destinations where it’s cheap for them. Don’t get blindsided; check beforehand if your destination requires a flight out on the country’s customs website. If you really don’t know when to fly but the country requires a flight, book one with an airline that allows you to change it for no fees.

Head straight to baggage claim if you have checked bags. If not, follow the signs for ground transportation if you’re getting picked up, ride-sharing for Uber, taxis, and public transportation.

Now, your solo travel journey awaits!

10 Tips For Your First Time Flying Alone

1. Send your travel and flight itinerary to a family member or close friend. Some people feel better knowing someone else knows where they are, whether on land or in the air. They’ll also be able to check in from time to time about your trip.
2. Again, get to the airport early. The less rushed and pressured you feel, the more you can think clearly and focus on getting through security and to your gate.
3. Let go of the expectation that your travels will be perfect. You never know what will come up, and it’s best not to have any expectations about how your first time flying alone will go. You may forget a swimsuit, glasses, medication, or even a passport. We are never fully in control, and that’s okay.
4. Bring food and an empty water bottle. Some budget airlines don’t give any food, so it’s best to prepare for the worst and bring your own. You can refill water bottles in the airport, too! Nothing is worse than being anxious and on an empty stomach or thirsty.
5. Have someone, whether a family member, partner, or friend, send you off at the airport. It’s always nice having someone with you until you go through security.
6. Use the bathroom before boarding. You won’t get to use it for another 30 minutes once you get on the plane.
7. Use noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs. The white noise of the airplane is quite loud and can be uncomfortable for hours, so being able to block it out is nice.
8. Bring a charging cable and battery pack.
9. Dress comfortably! Here are some comfy airport outfits to try.
10. Don’t accept random packages or bags from strangers at the airport. You don’t know what’s in them.

3 Additional Tips for Flying Alone as a Woman

1. If your seatmate is harassing you or making you uncomfortable, flag down a flight attendant and let them know. They’re trained to handle these situations, and they are your friends.
2. Someone may ask you vague questions like “Are you by yourself?” and “any friends with you?” which sound innocent, but you can never be too careful. You can give vague or false answers if you don’t feel comfortable answering: No, you’re not alone, your friend/family is a few rows back. Your family or friend is picking you up when you land. Your friend or family member is a flight attendant, pilot, etc.
3. Pack feminine hygiene products in your personal bag where they are easy to access. This includes pads, tampons, skincare, a toothbrush, etc. Many women like to use hydrating products on the plane since the air is dry, but this can apply to all genders.

Solo Travel Tips

If this is your first time flying alone, chances are, this is also your first time traveling solo! It’s very normal and okay to feel anxiety on your first solo trip, especially when it comes to safety.

The best advice is to use street smarts, never disclose to strangers that you are alone (use judgment), and be aware of your surroundings. Otherwise, eating alone can also be an adjustment, but once you practice eating alone a lot, you might end up enjoying it.

But most importantly, I wish I had known how lonely the first solo trip would be. It’s a very common experience to feel lonely the first time around, so you’re not alone. Aside from that, here are some other things I wish I had known about solo travel beforehand. Luckily, making friends on your solo trips are one of the best parts about traveling solo. It can be easy if you know how to make new friends when solo! My favorite way to make friends is through tours or mutural friends.

Have a Smooth First Time Flying Alone!

Flying alone for the first time is nerve-wracking but also so exciting. You’ll find out that navigating airports and catching flights are very easy and straightforward. Sometimes, the fear of the unknown overtakes our senses. But once you push past it, the scary thing is not so frightening anymore. Then, you might even love the thrill of boarding airplanes and seeing the beautiful world pass by. Happy travels and your first time flying alone!