It’s important that you enjoy your flight as much possible, so let’s go through the steps you should take, and the decisions you have to make BEFORE you get on the aircraft.
Firstly, of course, you have to make the decision to fly. Facing your fear head on is a commendable decision, and one which will reap rewards when you finally get on that plane.
If you really can’t face flying right now, then I will be covering this in a future article – including fear of flying courses that you can attend, and fantastic hypnosis Mp3 files that you can download and listen to at your leisure.
For now though, I’m just talking to those of you that are ready to face their fear………
Firstly, stop procrastinating and book your flight. Giving yourself more time to think thinks over will only allow more time for irrational fears to set in. Once you have paid, you can start to mentally prepare yourself for the experience.
Firstly, when you book, try and choose a seat at the front of the aircraft. Sitting at the front will benefit you in two ways;
- You will be able to see the crew at all times – providing comfort and a feeling of safety.
- During turbulence the aircraft moves around more at the back. The further forward you are the less you feel.
Secondly, whether you are booking on the phone, the Internet or at the sales desk (or travel agent), ALWAYS notify them that you have a fear of flying, and need assistance. DO NOT BE EMBARRASSED TO DO THIS.
This will be noted, and you will be given special assistance in any way you require (more on this later).
I remember a flight I was on not so long ago. During boarding, a well built man got on the back steps, and stopped just inside the door. For about two minutes he stood there, breathing deeply. I asked him if he was ok, and he then informed me that he was scared of flying. I comforted him, and shared my story of being scared of spiders (which I’m sure I’ll share with you at some point!).
When I told him that he could have informed the airline of his fear, and been boarded before the other passengers, he replied;
I know, but I feel stupid so I didn’t say anything.
It may have been a male ego thing, but it did make me wonder how many passengers suffer in silence on our flights, out of pure fear of looking stupid – or not understanding how the cabin crew can help.
During disembarking this particular passenger stopped, and said;
I just wanted to thank you – your attitude really helped me
I say again: DO NOT BE EMBARRASSED to mention your fear of flying.
The next tip is to ensure you are not travelling alone. As someone with a fear of flying, it’s recommended you take someone who can support you – at least for the first flight anyway. It may sound obvious, but please make sure this person is a confident flyer or your worries will be doubled!
To be continued……..
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