first time flying....

[minionofmidas]

Short distance flights are usually horrible. Although a short hop after a long flight is usually fine.
Long distance flights are fine as long as you got a window or aisle seat - not a middle one, they're terrible - and your ears don't hurt too much. Mine sometimes do it for days after. The best recipe against it for me seems to be to fall asleep during takeoff.

[minionofmidas]

That also happened to my granddad once. He lives on Corfu now. There is a once-a-week (more often than that in the peak season) direct flight from Corfu to Frankfurt for half the year.
Obviously, the first machine in the year usually takes the first few tourists there, and returns empty. My granddad flew back on that for a home visit.