I work for a travel company, my family live interstate, and I’m on a mission to visit every country in the world. So you’d think I’d be a pretty good flyer, right? Yeah… no. I hate it; it freaks me out. But after years of flying, I’ve finally figured out some solid Dos and Don’ts for calm, relaxed (read: boring, uneventful) flights. Check them out and take some of the stress out of your next trip.
Don’t…
Panic. Not before your flight, not during it, and definitely not after. You and me, we’re going to get through this together.
Me, getting through this.
Do…
Plan ahead. Check your luggage restrictions (weight limits and any rules about carry-on items such as liquids) and pack for success. Prepare your most airport-security-friendly outfit (slip-on shoes, no belt, no metal jewellery or hairpins) and pack carry-on electronics, aerosols, and liquids so they can easily be removed and checked. Find out what time you’re supposed to arrive at the airport, then give yourself an extra hour.
Basically, make your trip to, and run through, the airport as smooth and stress-free as possible. Anxiety has a nasty way of building on top of itself, so the last thing you need is a random traffic jam or extra-long security line adding to your stress.
Don’t…
Watch Alive on the flight, or Air Crash Investigation the week before. Why would you do that?!
Do…
Check out this time-lapse video showing the average number of major flights that zip around the world every day. Or this one one of just Australia. More than 100,000 flights carrying more than 8 million people take off every day, and almost all of them will be safe, uneventful, and (probably) boring. I’m sure plenty of clever clogs have already told you that “flying is the safest way to travel” and I hate to be one more. But the numbers don’t lie, and a handy visual can really help you get your head around them.
Don’t…
Listen to other passengers. Don’t listen to them in general (eavesdropping is creepy), and definitely don’t listen to their commentary on plane noises, turbulence, or last-minute maintenance. They’re not aeronautical engineers, they’re just some guy who’s probably going to lean his chair all the way back the second you take off (jerk).
Do…
Watch the flight attendants. They fly every day – thousands of flights, millions of kilometres. And they do it in style – fresh-pressed uniforms, perfect hair, no mid-flight morning breath. They’ve seen it all before and your flight is just another day in their sky-high office. They know what’s up and if they’re not worrying, why should you?
By the way, those awesome flight attendants are there to help. Chat to one before take-off, when they’re checking seat belts or handing out those random wash cloths (seriously, what’s the point of those things?). If they know you’re nervous, they’ll stop by occasionally to see how you’re going.
Don’t…
Worry about turbulence or weird plane noises (regardless of whether or not the jerk in front of you is keeping his mechanical opinions to himself).
Do…
Bring noise-cancelling headphones to block out both plane sounds *and* obnoxious passengers. And book a seat towards the front of the plane or over the wing, where you’ll feel less turbulence.
I’m sure those same clever clogs from before have also told you how turbulence is normal and completely safe. It actually feels much worse than it is – even the worst “drops” are usually less than 15m, which is nothing when there’s more than 11km between you and the ground. But it still sucks. So bag that wing seat and don’t look back
Prime airplane real estate.
Don’t…
Drink the service trolley dry. I know, it’s tempting – a little drink (or five) can take the edge off a stressful day, so why not a stressful flight? But alcohol irritates your digestive system, which isn’t a brilliant idea when you’ve already got butterflies in your tummy. Do you want to puke in an airplane toilet?
No. You don’t.
Do…
Drink lots of water. It won’t do anything about your nerves directly, but it’ll help stave off travel dehydration (caused by the super-dry air pumped into airplane cabins), which means you’ll feel better after your flight. And the more positive flying experiences you have, the less the idea of flying will freak you out.
Water, not vodka.
Don’t…
Rely solely on in-flight and electronic entertainment. You’re not allowed to use them during take-off and landing, and you don’t want to be caught out if your batteries die or your seat-back monitor is faulty.
Do…
Bring a bunch of fun distractions. I’m a fan of the good ol’ book – hours of undisturbed, guilt-free reading time is one of the few things about flying I do look forward to. But trashy magazines, travel-size board games, puzzle books, sketchpads, and colouring books (adults’ or kids’) are all good too. Anything to keep your mind busy and make the hours, *ahem*, fly.
Don’t…
Forget to breathe. Ever. It’s kind of important.
Do…
Download a relaxation or mindfulness app, like Relax Lite (for iOS or Android) or Breathe2Relax (also for iOS or Android). While not for everyone, breathing exercises can be incredibly helpful in managing anxiety (hey, they’re a distraction if nothing else). But breathing exercises – like all forms of exercise – take some practice to get right. Try to make them part of your daily routine in the weeks leading up to your flight.
Don’t…
Be hard on yourself. Even with all the tips and tricks in the world, flying jitters are common. You’re not alone.
Do…
Treat yourself to ice-cream or any other in-flight goodies on offer. Hey, you’re confronting your fear (flying) to do something awesome (travel). You’ve earned it.
Best flight ever.
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