How Do You Feel About Flying On September 11?

Sometimes you can find good deal flying on 9-11. Several years in the row I was flying between NYC and San Diego for less than $100

Just got off a flight. My 9/11 began in Qatar, ironically, arguing with airport security over razor blades.

I was to fly on September 11, 2001 in the afternoon to DTW, but obviously, my flight was cancelled. It was not until October 31,2001 that I took another flight. I travelled a lot during that time period, but I drove. The only time since that I have flown on September 11 was coming home from DTW on 9/11/2011. It was odd and a plane was escorted into DTW via fighter jet while I was waiting for my flight. It was the 10th anniversary and everyone was on edge.

I remember watching the TSA agents interviewing passengers as they got off planes. I was struck by how little rights we have when we are airside. It was a very paranoid moment. There was no wifi, no one had a cell signal. You felt cut off. It was a very odd feeling. Our flight was delayed for 3 hours. I have no worries about flying on 9/11, but the paranoia was frightening. The TSA agents were acting like little generals and were openly challenging people in the boarding area who balked at their questioning. I was confronted at the boarding gate and told that I could be detained somewhere if I didn't feel like answering their questions.

That experience has made me re-think flying on 9/11.

I was in my second year of college and woke up to my roommate talking about what was on the news. We all thought that it was just a horrible accident, since at that point only one plane had impacted. I had to stop home for something, which is right near BDL, when I learned of the second plane impact. While home, the normally noisy skies were quiet, since all flights had been grounded, which further confirmed that this was a terrorist act.
Within the coming days, I realized that while what these !@#$!@#$ did was beyond horrible, when I saw every single home with an American flag out front, I believe in someway, it made us stronger.
A few weeks later, my job hired a new employee who I later found out was a financial advisor who worked in the towers. He told us many things about that day, and how he was lucky enough to be on one of the lower floors and was able to get out fairly quickly. He stopped being a well paid financial advisor and began doing work he loved instead. It opened his eyes to see that money is not better than hapiness...
I honestly don;t think I would have an issue flying on 9/11 if I had to, but would not go out of my way to book a flight for this day.

Man. The disparity in writing quality really comes through here. I was totally against adding contributors; now I'm kind of wishing for nothing but contributors. Kudos, Nick, Travis, and Tiffany.

It's really interesting to hear how different Ben's perspective was than mine when I was just a few years older as a freshman in high school. And it profoundly impacted me and was etched into my brain. Perhaps it was the photo of my mom and I in front of the WTC taken just 3 months before, or 3 years before having traveled to the top with my dad.

I seem to fly almost every 9/11. Fares are always excellent because so many people avoid flying on 9/11. Today, I am doing my usual weekend commute, but in the past I've done several mile runs on 9/11. The events of 14 years ago are a horrific tragedy no matter what date it is today. To me, it's just another number.

I was working on Pine Street, a few blocks away ... I suffered from PTSD for a while though I didn't put it all together then ... anyway, today is the first time I'm flying on 9/11. I don't have any qualms flying on this particular day though.. just happened to be Friday for a long weekend... and no, the flight wasn't particularly cheap though I did get upgraded 🙂

Well, I just got off a connecting flight into DCA, so I guess no, no qualms about flying on 9/11. I don't think it even tripped a red flag in my mind when I booked this trip a couple of months ago that I was flying on "that" date until a few days later. It's a date. Many bad things happened on many dates. We can't let ourselves to continue living in fear of the past.

I just boarded an Alaska flight ORD-SEA, so I have no hesitation. Like others, I will always remember and reflect on the events. Something traumatic or so graphic as what we all witnessed on TV, is indelibly etched into our minds. So, certainly worth being reflective, but feel we should LIVE our lives and resist the temptation for superstition - much less fear - to prohibit us doing otherwise.

Safe travels to ALL of you,whenever and wherever you travel!

We all have stories about 9/11 ... so I won't address. But ...

Would I fly on 9/11. Sure. I'm not superstitious. It's a day like any other.

i was living on the upper east side. 20 years old at the time. my roommate woke me up to tell me. we went on the roof but couldn't see far enough downtown. ended up at a friend's apt where we all watched the news on tv, numb. tried calling downtown to check on my friends there but the phones weren't working. that evening my best friend who lived on water street emailed me to let me know he was ok. i remember fighter jets flying overhead above manhattan. feeling a new kind of fear.

i will fly any day of the year. they tried to rob us of our livelihood and alter our routines to cater to their supposed power that day. but they have none, just a cowardly misconception of what it takes to topple a resilient people.

@ThtsaPaddlin: I couldn't agree more...

Probably the safest day to fly

Writing this comment from 36,000 feet above Nebraska, second flight of the day, and second or third time I've flown on 9/11. My flights are full today. The Delta lounge near the F concourse in MSP was packed. I have no qualms about flying on 9/11 and have several times today thought of a friend's brother who was killed in the north tower. Traveling today is a good "f*ck off" to the people behind the 9/11 attacks.

About to get on a flight, naturally. Definitely a day to reflect and never forget what happened. I'd say I'm a bit more aware of what's going on around me when flying on 9/11 as I'm sure that the idiots around the world would love to cause more troubles on this day just to turn the knife a bit. Do I think anything even remotely like 9/11 will happen again - nope. I'll be first out of my seat to tackle anyone trying to hijack my flight, and as has been pointed out by security experts around the world, the traditional plane hijacking is dead because there are so many people that would do the same as me as well.

Being just 2 at the time (yes I am a young reader) and living about 25 minutes away from ground zero in Long Island, my father was a first responder as a member of the NYPD. thankfully he came out with some serious injuries. Almost ironically, he now works for Delta. But like I said, this day is just too dark for me to even wrap my head around.

I don't fly a lot but whenever I've looked at trips in September it's always been on my mind.

Well today I flew home from Sweden and as I sat there (crammed in KLM coach) telling myself that it was no less dangerous than any other day I couldnt help but feel less relaxed than normal.

Part of me thinks that if I schedule myself around the date then there is an aspect of 'letting them win'. But ultimately I needed to be in one place on the 10th and I wanted to be home ASAP so it was a head over heart decision.

I was a senior in high school on 9/11. My high school was located in the Bronx, and I could see the World Trade Center every day as my bus crossed the Whitestone Bridge from my home in Queens.

The principal made a PA announcement during my English class that some planes had collided near the WTC (which wasn't quite what had actually happened), and she said that students who had parents who work in the Twin Towers should come to the office. She also said that the school was on lockdown until further notice, meaning nobody was allowed in or out.

The next few hours were filled with a lot of fear and uncertainty. The cellular networks were overloaded, making it difficult to reach family. Classmates who had planned to apply to Harvard and Yale were instead talking about enlisting in the armed forces. The bridges and tunnels were closed, and for a while it looked like many of us wouldn't be able to get home that day. Students who lived in the Bronx wore handwritten signs that said "Need a place to stay? You can stay at my house," offering potentially stranded students shelter for the night.

We did make it home, and the usually loud bus ride was quiet and somber. When we caught our first view of the black smoke that appeared where the towers used to be, there was a collective gasp.

I'm kind of a robot when it comes to emotions, but 9/11 is an exception. It invokes a lot of feelings in me that are hard to deal with. I can't even imagine what it must be like for people who lost family members.

That all said, I don't have concerns about flying on the anniversary. To me, the important thing is that we remember what happened.

Flew today Louisville to CLT. Wife flew from DAL to CLT.

I do reflect on 9/11 but does not stop me from travel.

I'm with Andrew B. I don't have issues with flying on this day. The important thing is that we remember.

Americans should remember all the victims and heroes including fire, police, ems, other first responders, and the thousands of construction workers and support crews that came from all 50 states to help clean up the mess. Some of them are living victims - now sick and dying from exposure to the pulverized material. May this or anything like it never happen again.

I still remember where I was on that day, and what I was doing. An inspector called me on the radio to tell me that "a commercial jet airliner just crashed into the world trade center.." I told him that he had to be wrong - no matter what he heard on the radio - and that it was probably a small jet or prop job. Several minutes later, he radio'd me again and told me that "a second commercial plane had just hit the world trade center." I left the office and went home where I watched the series of events unfold in real time. As I left the Pasco County government center, I saw people running outside to their cars. Some of them were crying.

Words can not describe that day. I always hated New York, and growing up in the suburbs wasn't fun for me. It was too crowded. There was way too much traffic. It was a jungle. I was glad to have escaped to Florida when I was in my twenties. When the first tower fell, somehow in my mind - I was transported back there again as if I had never left. I was one of them again. My friend Jim worked in the trade center. He was on a cigarette break (outside on the sidewalk) when the first plane hit. So he RAN. This is the first time that I've ever heard of cigarette smoking saving someone's life.

Let us not forget that nothing has really changed since that day. In fact, it probably got worse. There is more evil in this world now. Hatred begins in the heart. It can be cultivated to a point that it makes something like this possible. The victims (and heroes) of this tragic event deserve to be remembered; at least that is one man's opinion. http://www.ada-parking.com/never-forget-911.html

I was in senior in high school in the DC metro area, and my dad worked at the Pentagon, so that September day remains indelibly etched into my memory. The thought of this being "just another day" to the generation behind me is distasteful. I hope it doesn't become another meaningless holiday of far-off origin. But, on the other hand, life must go on. It's not my first choice, but to pick another date when flying on this date makes the most sense seems almost like capitulation to those who attacked us 14 years ago. I think the ideal scenario is to reflect on that day while going about our business. Never forget, never let it happen again, but never change your patterns out of fear.

I flew last year on 9/11 and my flight was half empty, so it was nice.

I was planning a weekend trip to NYC and was booking for this weekend but when I realized it was 9/11 I changed my trip to another weekend. Not because I'm afraid to fly today it just seemed disrespectful for me personally. I felt like it would be rude to be a tourist in NYC on such a somber date. Again, this just how I feel and certainly don't judge others for their decisions on this day.

I did my first solo Europe trip on 9/16 -- the second day planes were back in the air. There were three other passengers on the plane to Detroit. Detroit to Gatwick was packed with folks trying to get home. In London, everyone who heard my accent wanted to talk. The most amazing trip of my life.

I flew into DCA just days after flights resumed in 2001 and it didn't bother me. I don't have any worries or reluctance to fly on Sep 11th, and have done so in past years (even to/from NYC and DC). The odds of an anniversary attack seem small to me, and it's otherwise just another day. I wouldn't avoid flying to HNL on December 7th, for example.

But some are uneasy about it and that's fine.

sheesh .... put me in Seat 1A and I don't really care.

Remember Pearl Harbor !!

I was in a big business meeting at the Cleveland Airport Marriott when it happened. They told us about it at a break at 10am. I cried a bit. Oddly, after the break (during which I called my parents in LA to tell them I was ISk, waking them up) they continued the meeting. I still don't get that.

That night we all went to diw Cleveland for dinner. The place was empty except for maybe two restaurants. We saw Bush's address, which was comforting though I'm not a fan. Later, in the bar, a few of us considered renting a car to drive back to the west coast, but I ended up flying on the 14th. That was eerie.

I am currently connecting in ORD on our way to Croatia. LAX security was tight this morning but it was fairly quiet there. It's quiet here in Chicago too.

I'll never forget flying on September 11th, 2002. I didn't have any fear whatsoever, but most other people did. Our flight was eerily empty. On a plane that normally fits 176, we maybe had 20 people total on the flight. Upon landing in Orlando, Florida......there was cake, drinks, and celebration. Everyone was very pro-America and pro-freedom and wanted to show their support! It was a memorable experience for sure. I'll never be afraid to fly; and that was part of the reason why I wanted to be in the air on that day, one year later.

I had just boarded a plane on 9/11/01 when the news came then we got off the plane and watched a TV in the terminal until it was announced all planes were grounded. After this discussion, I think I should complete that flight on 9/11, maybe next year, too late now.

I don't mind flying on September 11. I flew back from HNL today. The planes were full, and no apparent anxiety among the passengers.

On 9/11 I was delayed going to work for some reason and was about to turn off Good Morning America and head out the door when the host, Charlie Gibson, said there was a report of a plane (a small plane I believe he said) colliding with the World Trade Center. Being a private pilot, I decided to keep watching. When they switched to a live shot of the towers I was shocked. There was a big smoking hole in one of the towers, and what was even more disturbing for me was the weather was CAVU, severe clear. It was a brilliant, cloudless day. "What the H" I thought. "How could a small plane hit that building in this weather?" Plus the hole looked too big for a small plane impact. I was riveted and kept watching. There was a lot of speculation from the announcers while they kept the cameras trained on the towers. A few minutes later, the TV showed another plane, which was clearly a commercial passenger jet, approach from the right at low altitude and slam into the other tower. It was a moment where I had to pinch myself and question if I really saw what just happened. It took a few seconds to sink in, but then I decided I better get into work pronto.

One of my coworkers had a son at Cantor Fitzgerald. He was at work that morning unfortunately.

@Lucky, kudos to you and your team (and other commenters) for the deeply poignant and moving post. A beautiful way to remember and commemorate the horrible tragedy.

Beautiful commemorative post. Thanks to you all.

You remember what you said when you were 3 years old... I call that cow dung.

And I don't give 9/11 any extra attention compare to any other day. Why? Because by doing so, instils fear and I'm not going to allow someone else scare me. And it was 14 years ago, time to move on

I don't remember this day very well, as I was still very young when it happened, but my dad remembers it very well, as he'd just gotten off a flight into Singapore when he saw the news.

I flew yesterday back to man from dxb, didn't really give it too much thought until someone Asked me the other day if it was a good idea! It was my birthday on the 10th so it was a time I wanted to head back.

I have no problem in flying on sept 11 personally but being British and not being as impacted as our U.S. Cousins may be part of the reason, I certainly respect people's choices and would understand why people want to avoid flying that day.

Safe flying all.

Just flew MIA-DUS on 9/11. I will not let my travel plans be influenced by some idiots. I do admit though that after booking I realized that I would be flying on 9/11 and it did feel kinda strange. Unfortunately it's a date we will always remember.

@Lucky: I actually got one of those really private window seats on AB in business class. The seat is really great, unfortunately the headphone jack was broken, which really sucked and the cabin was full and I couldn't switch seats, so no inflight entertainment system for me. Really curious what AB will offer in terms of compensation.

I boarded flight SA203 that departed JNB for JFK at 9:25 pm on 09/11/2015 and it did occur to me that I was flying on 9/11, heading for "ground zero". One does think about it because there are folks out there who have serious beef with America and 9/11 did show that America is vulnerable, which could create copycats. However, on this particular instance, SA203 was not to arrive at JFK until 6:40 am on 09/12/2015 and it was not a US-based carrier, so I was not too worried. We landed without incident this morning and I am writing this from the safety of my home after almost 3 weeks away on this big trek:

EWR-BRU-MXP-BRU-FIX-JNB-JFK, on UA, LH, SN, and SA -- all *A carriers.

Even when booking the JNB-JFK segment way back when, it did occur to me that I would be flying on 9/11 but was not deterred because I saw no reason why this particular flight should be singled out for a hit... 😉

Ben,
First, thank you for rewording the last paragraph of your post. "Worthwhile" is a lot more appropriate. Nick's comments resonated the most with me. While ultimately I wouldn't fly or not fly because of the date, I don't want to "normalize" the day either - but perhaps that's inevitable. Having lost a really close friend - one of the pilots - that day it will never be a normal day for me, but each anniversary gets a little easier. While I can replay every minute in my mind, each year the tragedy of it all is a little less emotionally consuming and the sadness recedes a little further. I have so many memories surrounding 9/11 but one that sticks in my mind right now is one of going back to New York a couple months later for the first time after 9/11. As the plane made it's final approach into Newark, there was a deafening silence as everyone just quietly stared out the windows at the gaping hole that now existed in the beautiful skyline. It really was gone. Like a lot of other things. Just gone.

I flew all day yesterday. Not sure if it's directly related but award availability was pretty good when I booked the week before.

After a tragedy, the hardest thing to do is to get up the next day and go on with life. Some days are easier than others, but when I am reminded of what happened, I am brought back (like reading these posts). Moving on with life is what we need to do to survive, so flying on that day is a sign of progress. Two steps forward for every painful step backward to a past memory.

I am not gonna tell you what I did and where I was on 09/11/2001. This is not what the post is about.

09/11/2001 was the day when I decided for the first time to fly from Germany to watch the Daytona 500 in 2002 (visitors from Florida that became very good friends were at Germany together with relatives from California).

It was my first time at all flying across the Atlantic (at the age of 41!). And why did I decide on that? I said it then and I say it today: I will never, ever let Osama bin Laden and the likes determine my life!

I've been flying ever since, in the meantime millions of miles and sometimes every 4 weeks between Europe and California (I know this doesn't sound a lot to some of you guys but considering my job it wasn't always easy) and I never hesitated to board an aircraft - not on Friday, 13th nor on 9/11. And I will not give in to terrorists telling what to do and what not to do.

So, yes, I will fly on every 9/11 if it turns out like it - just like I spend some time at the World Trade Center site at New York City each time I am visiting Big Apple.

I was in TATL plane on 09/11/01 immigrating to Canada. Got announcement from pilot that flight is being diverted back due to US airspace being closed "due to bombing attack". Saw the true picture on the ground. Could not wrap my head around it (still can not, on some level). Finally reached Canada 4 days later.
That 4 days of disruption is the only disruption I allow to fear-tactics of terrorism. I continue on, respecting and remembering the victims, ignoring any fear, resisting urge to add "disruptions". Terrorist have taken too much. They are not taking the day away.
Will fly. Will remember.

Early this morning I sat aboard a flight from NYC to Florida. My flight departed around three in the morning from JFK. On 9/11/2001 I was a child. I was almost 5 years old at the time of the attacks in New York City. We moved there from the UK earlier that year. I was off school that day. We could smell smoke from our apartment. My 18 year old sister got up that morning to make herself a cup of coffee and she turned on a radio so that she could hear the news.
Suddenly she cried out in shock. A plane had hit one of the towers (my dad knew something was up). We spent the rest of the day wondering what would happen next. I turned 5 almost two months after that. I have never forgotten what happened a hour later as the towers fell that day either. We had gone shopping at a shop near the WTC.