I don't like long flights either, a 2 to 3 hour flight suits me fine. I'ts not that I don't like flying, I just get sooo bored...
We went to Australia in 2001, as I wanted to see my Mums sister who had had a stroke, and I was dreading the flight. At home I'd be looking at the clock and thinking geeze I'll still be on the ruddy plane now...eeeek!
We decided to have a stopover at Singapore (4 nights) on the way out, and Dubai (5 nights) on the way back, but we did go for 8 weeks in total. The travel company arranged it all for us, and it was totally hassle free! I honestly didn't mind the flights too much, what with the films, eating and sleeping. The worst part for me was the last leg coming home, it seemed like ages. We also stopped at Dubai (4 hours) and Singapore (3 hours) so you could stretch your legs and have a break......
When we got to Australia, we stayed with my aunt for a week, and then went where the fancy took us lol, and we jumped on and off planes like buses!
Then we went back to my aunts for the last 4 days.
It was a wonderful experience, and I am so pleased I did it, we met some lovely people, saw some breathtaking scenery, it was the holiday of a lifetime!
Sanji......you go for it girl!.........you won't regret it I'm sure, and when all's said and done, us mum's have to make sure our kids are OK, don't we????... ........Linda x
sorry nearly forgot.......yes, you are allowed off the plane, at least you were on ours.

Never flew in my life and have no intention of doing so unless i suddenly sprout wings!

Cider Monster, Can I ask why?

I've never really understood how anyone can really enjoy flying in no-frills airplanes and for me it is just a necessary means to an end. I don't like the take-off at all especially if it's very cloudy and I can't see anything out of the window and the plane is shaking more than normal as a result. Strangely, unlike some others, the landing doesn't worry me at all but it's only probably because I'm happy to be back on terra firma again.

I love flying......especially the take off and landing

I love the thrill of those moments even after 100s of flights all over the world short haul and long haul. Can't say I enjoy the boredom factor but it's a neccesary evil if you want to get to where your going and I just put up & shut up and try and amuse myself with a book or some sleep (rarely )

I also like getting to the destination airport as I know my holiday has begun

I can't say I love flying,but nor do I hate it.
I'm pretty nonchalont about it I suppose, it's just a means to an end to me.

But I do admit, even though I am not a particularly religious person, when we are
on the plane, I always say a quiet prayer asking that we don't crash, but that if we do,
can it be on the way home AFTER our holiday. Honestly, I do!

I love flying [pref airbus but usually end up on bloody Boeing's] you take off fly to destination and land, provided you walk away it was a good one.. what i cant stand is the hanging around to check in both outbound and inbound but what really gets up my nose is having to Que at passport control to come back to your home country when under the EEC treaty we are suppose to have freedom of travel without the need of passports [provided you have official ID] once you have entered any EEC country and starting in one counts as passport control should have / is done at your original port of entry to the EEC area

Yes, I agree with you on the point of queuing to get back into the UK and what gets up my nose the most is those stupid roped off areas, where you walk 4 times further up and down the zig zag roped off lanes because they want to get four times as many people in a small space and then you've got some jobsworth stood telling you at the end which desk to go to for your passport checked.

However, as much as I dislike it, I'm glad that we still have our own border checks, otherwise just think of what would walk into this country.
Whilst the UK is part of the EU, it is not signed up to the Schengen treaty, therefore we do not have free movement within the EU and we continue to have our own internal border and checkpoint controls.
Hence why Spain introduced API.

Sanji

having been choronically travel sick for all my life...the weird thing is that I am absolutely fine flying!

I LOVE IT! Everything from the drive to the airport to looking around duty free everything.

I didn't used to be like this though and after a bad flight when i was 17 I was scared for several years and always had to be the last to board so wasn't hanging around on the plane waiting to go. That changed when i had a little boy next to me and I thought 'I can't show I am scared or he will be' and since then I have slowly got better and hence now I lov eit.

My love of the airport was spoilt this year though at Gatwick. We flew on a hot day (unbleievable in uk I know) and the airport was rammed as was a Saturday too. There were so many queues and I got very frustrated so didn't buy things I would normall. The thing that offended me the most though.........other people's body odour!! Oh blimey it stank everywhere. It got me really stressed as I am really sensitive to other people's smells at the best of times but the assault on my senses of hundreds of pits was BAD!!!

Tip to self....never fly at the weekend!!

squirrelchops that reminds me of 1 of our night flights last year when someone im assuming 1 of the couple in the row in front of me took their shoes off and i had to suffer 4 hours of foot odour, it was disgusting, i kept saying louding what a smell someones feet stink etc and they totally ignored me, i felt slightly sick all the way, i didnt like to say anything to 1 of the air stewards, i didnt know what to do , but dont think i would like to suffer that again

Sanji has pointed out that the UK did not join the Schengen agreement which is why we still have passport checks. The older EU treaty just gives equal right of movement to citizens of all countries which is why the "UK passport only" queues became "all EU passport" queues - but everyone still has to queue. In fact Schengen is not purely an EU thing which is why the Swiss have signed up despite not being EU members. But Wizards comment does raise a question which is not answered. Why is the queue to enter Britain always longer than the one to enter a European country on the way out? It's easier for me to get into Germany than to come home even though the Germans do more checks. Why can the Germans scan my passport against their wanted person database faster than the UK staff can look at the photo to make sure it's me? Am I missing something or are the UK checks not run very well?

As for flying, I can take up to 3 hours then I want to go up the front and have a go myself! It's not so bad if I can see the ground and work out where I am (I've even managed that in the dark thanks to practise on MS Flight Simulator!!) but if it's cloudy I get bored. The thing that grinds me down everytime is not the other passengers or the seats - it's the whining from the ventilation system. And don't get me started on hanging around after check-in, if an airline wants me there more than 1 hour before departure they won't get a booking from me!

Apart from the take off (terrible memories of the Manchester air disaster in the 80's - I knew people involved), I absolutely love EVERYTHING about flying, journey to airport, checkin, duty free, etc etc.

Denny

The longer the flight the better as far as I'm concerned!!

Darren

I must be a real oddball, as I actually rather like being in the airport - not the check in & security - but I enjoy the shops, the duty free, the drinkies in the bar etc. I neither love nor loathe flying. It is a means to the end for me. The longer flights are boring, & I have to get up and stretch my legs

Mine are very similar sentiments to Helen's, though I'm claustrophobic and do worry before I get on the plane. I'm usually ok once the effects of a double brandy have kicked in

Love going to the airport, love being there, love flying and love landing and arriving.... however, my hand does not like take off or landing cos missus beaver has to squeeze the life out of it!!!

Does this make me weird?

no neil thebeaver i love it your holiday as started
once you booked in your cases liz

my wife absolutely hated flying and vowed she would never get on a plane again when we got back from spain 5 yrs ago we even cancelled our honeymoon. in the end she did a fear of flying course with virgin and has now flown 6 times and done so many other things she would never have done before it has done so much for her confidence. the best money i have ever spent.

adrian

That's brilliant!

Well done to your wife Bobbiewomble.

Take off is more dangerous than landing. At take off the plane has maximum fuels load and overall weight. The engines are running at above 100% thrust and every rivet is stretched to get the thing off the gound against gravity. On landing the engines are not running at max until you hit the ground and then they use them as brakes plus the fuel load and weight is less.

Best bit about take off is the thump in the back you get as the pilot takes the engines up to max then takes off the brakes.