Traveling long haul for the first time
 

I'm twenty years old and I recently booked a trip to Massachusetts to go see a friend and it's my first time traveling long haul - and it's going to be my third time ever flying. I will be flying out from Copenhagen airport (I'm moving back to Sweden in September so this would be the closest airport to me, otherwise I'd be flying from Dublin where I currently live, naturally) to London before getting on a connecting flight to Boston airport. I will be flying with British Airways the entire way and the connecting flights are on the same ticket.

Now, the furthest I've gone on an airplane was between Copenhagen and Dublin, that's it, and it was this year as well. So, as you may know by now, I am completely new at this. I will be flying alone and I'm not gonna lie, I am a bit paranoid. My flight arrives in London at 8:30 and departs to Boston at 11:15 from the same terminal so I'm not really scared that I'll miss the flight, it's just everything in-between.

I guess what I'm asking for is simply some tips on traveling long haul between Europe and the US. What should be in my carry-on, what should be kept in my checked baggage, do I collect my baggage at Heathrow and so on, and so forth. I'd appreciate every tip I can get, if I'm being honest.

Don't put anything really valuable in your checked bags. No electronics, good jewelry, or prescription meds - anything like that should be in your carry on. You probably already know about the 100ml/ liquids in 1 litre baggie for carry on.

You will not collect your checked bag at LHR - you will get it in Boston. At LHR you will pass through security but not immigration or customs. Terminal 5 at LHR is very nice - lots of shopping and restaurants (You may actually wish you had more time there ;) )

In Boston there may be a long queue for Immigration, then you go to baggage collection and through Customs.

oh - meant to add -- have a great trip :)

For long flights you want things to be comfortable and entertain yourself on the plane.

Wear comfortable clothes, not too hot or too cold. In your carry-on: a book or magazine, iPod, pen & paper, hand lotion, earplugs, some people like to take their own blanket or pillow, a few snacks. Also keep anything valuable (money, passport, charge cards) or prescription (meds, glasses, contacts) with you as well.

Nothing valuable in checked luggage.

Mostly the only thing to be "scared" of is boredom(!!) Seriously.

Have a GREAT trip!

Assume your checked bag will get stolen- don't put anything in there that you can't replace in a foreign country. Like other posts said, just wear comfy clothes and bring things to occupy yourself (I like to do thank you notes on a plane if I've got any to do). Assume the plane will be too hot or too cold and wear layers. I always bring my own headphones because the ones on the planes are cheap and nasty. And you have to pay for them.

It is highly unlikely your checked bag will be stolen in its entirely.

Most like it will arrive safely. Second most like is it will arrive late. Next most likely that it will arrive but with something valueable missing from it.

Stolen, lost- however it came to be separated from you, you don't have that stuff. That's all I meant. Clothes are easy to replace. Medication, tablets, passports, valuables, etc. are not.

I take a large scarf to use as a blanket and an inflatable neck pillow. Wear comfy clothes, take a pair or extra socks so yoy can take your shoes iff and have warm comfy feet. Book, ipod, chapstick, gum, hand lotion. And chocolate so you can have a treat midflight :-)

If you are travelling economy, BA won't allow you to choose a seat on-line until maybe a day ahead. It's worth doing if you have a preference. www.seatguru.com offers advice on seating, although it cannot be precise for every single aircraft in operation. Advance check-in can also speed things up at your originating airport; look at BA's site to see how it works.

Bring snacks - you never know when you will get stuck on the tarmac or not have time in an airport to buy food when making connection. Make sure your snacks are not messy or smelly.

Wear comfortable shoes - feet often swell on long flights.

When you arrive in Boston, you will be in Terminal E. You pick up luggage and go through Customs and Immigration. It is easy and usually fairly fast. If your friend is picking you up, there is a short term parking lot at Terminal E (only terminal that still has one) and your friend can go inside and meet you at the place where people exit Customs/Immigration. The area is not that big, so you should meet up without a problem. If you are taking a taxi, there is a taxi stand right outside the terminal.

Make sure your passport has 3-6 months left on it before expiration date.

When traveling internationally, I like to get some of the local currency before I leave home. While there are plenty of ATMs at the airport, it is just one less thing to bother with when I land and am tired.

A reminder - since you are 20, you can not legally drink in the US. Bars and restaurants are serious about this - it is not like most of Europe where almost anyone can drink anywhere. There are some bars and clubs that will not even let you enter, even if you are not drinking. They will ask for ID, and as a non-US citizen they will likely only accept your passport as proof of age - so you will have to enjoy your trip without drinking in public.

Have a good trip and enjoy Boston.

1. Bring a book (or eReader), MP3 player, earbuds, and anything else you can think of to help pass the time in case you can't fall asleep.

2. Check seatguru to what kind of IFE and power options are available for the flight. If you're lucky, you will have a personal IFE screen and it will have a power port or USB port for charging your devices.

3. Call the airline and request a "special" (kosher, halal, vegetarian, bland, etc.) because the special offerings are always better than the garbage everyone else gets.

4. Have a pen handy to complete the customs form. It's less stressful to do it at your seat than after you land.

5. Comfortable shoes are a must. If you don't have smelly feet, as soon as you're seated take off your shoes. For some reason I arrive less stressed if my feet aren't confined for 8+ hours.

6. Bring some snacks.

Ideally all of these items will be able to fit in a cotton shopping bag and can fit in the seat pocket.

Take your handbag to the toilet. You wouldn't leave your bag unattended in a restaurant yet so many do it on a plane.