Why fly?

Well, I've done it all - flown, cruised and travelled long distances by train and coach and car and it's all a pain one way or another! As I get older my desire to travel far diminishes - I'm an armchair traveller and have no complaints about queues, delays or any other nuisances!

Because I enjoy it. Have just flown out to see my newest grandson and it was a nice easy journey. If you check in online there is no waiting/queuing at the airport having chosen my seat also makes it easier I'm only little and don't find the seats uncomfortable at all. To travel by sea would make journeys just too long for a lot of people especially if they were going on vacation. Each to his own I guess.

Because it would take me six weeks to get to see DD1 &DD2, and six weeks to get home again. And I couldn't afford it anyway.

So the horrible plane journey is a necessity if I want to go and see my family! I just pretend I am in a 'bubble' and can't do anything else whilst on the planes.

Apart from that we enjoy lovely short breaks in the UK.

Because it would take me six weeks to get to see DD1 &DD2, and six weeks to get home again. And I couldn't afford it anyway.

So the horrible plane journey is a necessity if I want to go and see my family! I just pretend I am in a 'bubble' and can't do anything else whilst on the planes.

Apart from that we enjoy lovely short breaks in the UK.

I always feel that my holiday begins as soon as I'm in the departure lounge at the airport. I enjoy the anticipation of flying, marvel at occasional sights below (the Alps seen from above - wow!) and appreciate the speed of travel. I'm excited by flying.
When I was a little girl I used to walk through the fields in the summer to *Ringway Airport for a day out with my brothers. We would take jam butties, biscuits and a bottle of pop or water and imagine that we would one day fly to somewhere exotic, though I never truly believed that I would ever fly anywhere. Occasionally we would go up to the observation area and sometimes sit quietly in the lounge, (the security guards usually turned a blind eye to our presence and we were very well behaved). We used to sit and marvel at the enormous chandelier above our heads and the planes that seemed close enough to touch outside the huge windows.
I've flown in and out of Manchester airport several times now when visiting my mother, but last year I flew on holiday to Greece from Manchester and I suddenly remembered really vividly the feelings that I'd had there as a child and actually became quite emotional with feelings of nostalgia.
* Now Manchester International Airport.

My niece says that flying melts her bones! I think that describes my feelings exactly!

I understand it is different matter if it enables one to see family - we flew to Japan a few times to see DS1 - but I would happily never fly again!

I love flying , part of the whole holiday experience !

Nothing would ever get me on an aeroplane again - I hate every moment of it!

And, to be honest, I think there is too much flying going on. We have the floods and other results of global warming all around us right now. The amount of fuel being burned is mind-boggling. We need to ration it a bit and get it down to reasonable levels. People need to be able to go and see their families and go on holidays of course, but maybe we have to accept we cannot do it as often. Economies are now based upon international travel, and we may need to bite the bullet and cut back a bit and have a rethink.

I used to quite enjoy flying, but not for the last 10 years, it all seems like a pain now. However, travelling by sea can bring on sea-sickness[urk!]and if you want to get anywhere quickly it has to be by plane. Ditto if you want to get anywhere hot/warm in Autumn or Winter.We generally have a holiday abroad once a year, but didn't last year and I enjoyed staying in the UK.I think the airport makes a big difference though, if you can travel from a small airport like Bristol or Southampton, then the experience is much nicer.

We don't fly as DH gets very stressed when he's on an aeroplane. It just isn't worth his obvious great discomfort. So, holidays are in the UK or anywhere within reasonable reach of an European ferry - but there're still plenty of places to visit!

I like flying, but, it's the (nonexistent) disability assistance and (un)helpfulness of checkin staff that stress me!

For most of my life I had a real phobia of flying. I dreaded it from the moment we booked and by the time I had to actually board I would be a quivering wreck and usually made a fool of myself by crying. When my children were growing up I don't think we flew for eleven years. We even drove overland from Malta to England with two babies because I wouldn't get on a plane.
Then, two of our girls married Americans and went to live in the States so I knew I had to face my fear. I joined a marvelous website run by an ex-BA captain and my life has been transformed. Instead of dreading it I am counting the days until I can go again. I know it can be a bit of an endurance test if things do not go smoothly, but on the whole we have been quite lucky so can't grumble. 12 more days to go - cant wait!

I am lucky enough to go to Greece several times a year and it is quick and affordable, just. I take a couple of books and just read. Mind you I nearly always get stopped and bag searched, I must look suspicious. Does it happen to others?

Like tanith and other G/netters I have just returned from visiting my latest DGd and attending another's 5th birthday party! My DH and I also went at Christmas. If we go in the summer we drive but that is not an option in the winter. I always seem to set the alarm off at security even though I remove my belt, watch etc! (Dh says it must be my underwired bra but I'm not removing that)!!!

We always get picked up at security, don't know why! We always seem to be the ones that are searched, patted down, have our hand luggage inspected, yet I think we look like two ordinary, boring middle-aged (well old!) people. DD2 also got searched when she was with us, whereas they let DS (6' 2" strapping young man) through! Whilst they were busy searching us, a nutter just walked through security and prowled around the airport threatening to kill everyone (that was Sydney).
And Bristol also seem to pounce on me as well!

I enjoy flying, but don't enjoy hanging around the airport lounges; and most of all I loathe having to go through security scanners which are invariably activated by my hip and shoulder replacements. It's so humiliating to be patted down every b****y time.

I get that as well. I don't mind. They do it with me sitting in the wheelchair.

Another very suspicious looking granny here. Even going to Norway for Christmas with my husband and two strapping sons it was me they searched whilst the others sauntered through. I can think of only two occasions when I haven't been searched and that's when I was going to/from the Edinburgh meet up.

DH had a truss for a while before he had his hernia operation, he was always led away to a secret room to be strip searched.

I have been searched by Customs only once: at Nairobi Airport in 1968. The only suspicious items were the half dozen pairs of underpants for my then boyfriend and nobody commented on those.

Why not fly? This way I get to visit my grandchildren. It's worth the hassle - which is not that awful. Just tiresome.

I never used to mind flying but the last 3 or 4 times I haven't liked it at all. I also always seem to get pulled to one side, in fact it's a standing joke between us now. Also, since DH suffered a DVT last year he doesn't want to fly again. The 24 hour trip to Oz nearly finished him! We have discovered cruising and that is what we really enjoy now. A half hour drive to Southampton, usually no more than a half hour wait to go on board and we're on holiday .

Getting to Beijing (to see DD and family) in a reasonable time scale means flying but I make no apologies for going Business Class. It costs an arm and a leg but I don't begrudge a penny of it (well maybe some of it !). It is my one big luxury in life and makes the journey bearable.
When I go to Spain (to see DS and family) it is Ryanair.

DS and family (3 boys) are coming here in the summer with Ryanair and are sending all their hold luggage by courier which is far cheaper than paying Ryanair's extortionate baggage charges.

I neither love or hate flying. It is cheaper (in general) and certainly quicker if you are going long haul. We have flown a lot and rarely have any problems. Waiting time at the airport is time to people watch and read or have a meal. I have found whichever way you travel you often end up in queues one way or another at times.