It’s natural after any tragedy involving air travel to pause and reflect on our views about travel.

How do we benefit from travel? What do we enjoy about it? Why do we travel and why should we continue to do so? MommyPoints’ dad wrote a nice post on the subject recently.

This discussion, in which Foreigner asks fellow travelers to share what they consider to be the best part of flying, was started prior to the recent tragedy in the Ukraine. But now seems as good a time as ever to read the replies and remember again, in spite of tragedies that cause us to wonder about the meaning of it all, all of the joyful experiences flying, and more generally, traveling, have brought us and will continue to bring us.

The best parts of flying, as related by the members of the Australian Frequent Flyer community:

…take off is the best part. So much promise for a journey about to begin, or the final stage of a journey soon to conclude. ~JessicaTam

Is everything an acceptable answer? ~harvyk

Not being a slave to the mobile phone and emeil for a few hours is bliss. ~Captain Halliday

Pressing the button that reclines my seat to a lie flat bed. ~Welsh-Kiwi

…if I had to pick one out, it’s staring at a 380 from the aerobridge and wondering how the hell that thing gets off the ground! (Even after 30+ flights on them!) ~Ari Gold

Turning left at the end of the air bridge ! ~spudseamus

I do love the landings. Approaching cities such as SIN, BKK, HKG, SYD at night time is a truly beautiful sight. The lights to me are amazing. And then the feeling as we are about to land is difficult to explain where the wheels are still in the air and the anticipation of the wheels touching the ground and then touch down. ~JohnK

I enjoy watching the excitement in children’s faces as they board their first flight – likely off on some sort of Holliday and the memories it brings back of my fist few times flying. ~Steady

For me, there is usually a point somewhere mid-flight where I take a moment – or several moments – to stare out the window and sort of reflect/meditate on where I’ve been and where I’m going. Not just on this trip, but in life in general. That is my favorite part of flying.

What’s your favorite part of flying?

Read the thread in its entirety: The Best Part of Flying?