Tips and solutions for fear of flying

6 quick tips to no longer fear flying

• Pick your seat when you book
• Arrive at the airport early
• Sleep well, eat well, and stay hydrated
• Let the cabin crew know as soon as you board
• Know how to handle turbulence
• Stop focusing on accidents

Pick your seat when you book

The first tip against fear of flying is to pick your seat as early as possible, at the time of booking. Choosing your seat is a matter of personal preference: aisle, window, or middle.

The aisle is often preferred if fear of flying is linked to a mild form of claustrophobia: it is the side that lets you get up whenever you like, to stretch your legs or go to the restroom. As a rule, choosing seats toward the front of the plane is recommended: that is where turbulence is felt the least (which is why first class lives there).

Whatever your choice, booking your seat in advance lets you control one first element of the flight: where you will sit. It is a small extra to take ownership of the moment and approach the trip with greater calm.

Arrive at the airport early

Our second tip against fear of flying is to arrive at the airport well in advance. That extra time will let you stay calm in case of a hitch at check-in, bag drop, security or boarding.

This time before the flight is also an opportunity to take in the activity at the airport and on the tarmac. Use it to walk up to the windows and watch the ballet of planes taking off and landing. You will see that no aspect of aviation safety is left to chance and that everything is perfectly under control.

Sleep well, eat well and stay hydrated

We also recommend preparing for the flight with a good night's sleep, as far as possible. On the day of the flight, favour a healthy diet and avoid constant snacking. Also best avoided: too much coffee and chocolate. Finally, do not forget to hydrate well before and during the flight — cabin air is drier than usual.

Let the cabin crew know before takeoff

Cabin crew are trained for this. They can offer advice against in-flight anxiety. Don't hesitate to flag it to them once everyone has settled in, simply saying "I sometimes get afraid on planes" or "please let me know if there will be turbulence." They will do what they can to reassure you and help you have a good flight.

Know how to handle turbulence

The most useful tip against fear of flying is to demystify unfounded fears. Like urban legends, they are hard to kill. The most widespread is the one about air pockets and turbulence, supposedly threatening the integrity of the plane.

Nothing of the sort: turbulence, even strong, is part of normal flight conditions. There is no risk for the cabin or the on-board instruments — planes are designed to take it. It is simply some wind, with no danger. As for air pockets, they do not exist. In short, if there is turbulence during the flight, tell yourself it is perfectly normal.

Stop focusing on plane accidents

There have never been so few plane accidents relative to the number of flights. The average is estimated at around one accident per 7 million flights, and on top of that, most accidents are not fatal. The progress of aviation safety is such that it is more likely to win the lottery than to be in a plane crash.

Despite that, the rare accidents are extensively covered in the media. While the car or the bike are infinitely more dangerous, news channels and specialised sites act as a magnifying glass. If you have a predisposition to fear of flying, we recommend avoiding alarmist coverage at all costs and turning to balanced, expert sources such as IATA.

Solutions against fear of flying

• The Fofly E-learning programme
• Medication for flying
• Relaxation and cardiac coherence exercises
• Hypnosis
• Homeopathy
• Fear-of-flying apps

Useful as those 6 tips against fear of flying may be, they cannot cure every in-flight anxiety. Fear of flying is different for every passenger. It comes from different causes and expresses itself to varying degrees. If your level of in-flight anxiety is close to phobia or panic, the recommendations above may not be enough.

Don't worry, there are still many solutions to overcome your fear of flying. Everyone can recover durably — no one is incurable. All it takes is finding the right method, which is why we share below a selection of the best solutions against fear of flying.

The Fofly E-learning programme

We start this list with one of the most effective solutions against fear of flying: a structured programme that combines real aviation knowledge with cognitive behavioural therapy. The Fofly E-learning programme delivers exactly that, online and on your own schedule, designed and led by an airline pilot and a psychologist.

Its main advantage is flexibility: you follow it from home, at any hour, and revisit any module as many times as you need. The content is the same one Fofly has been refining since 2011 with passengers in person — only now adapted for self-paced learning, which fits the way many people actually consolidate new habits.

The best methods against fear of flying combine psychology (more precisely, CBT), aviation safety knowledge and practical application. You learn, for instance, that planes are equipped with safety systems offering triple or even quadruple redundancy. They are also inspected in detail before every flight: if a takeoff is happening, it is because everything is perfectly in order.

Medication for flying

Medication against in-flight fear should be used in moderation, and only on medical prescription. We strongly advise against self-medication, which could worsen certain in-flight symptoms.

Medication can be a solution against fear of flying as a tranquilising factor. Antihistamines are the most common: as motion-sickness drugs, they help prevent nausea.

However, if your fear of flying is stubborn, tranquilising medications will only be a crutch to get you to your destination. They are to be avoided in the long term because they can mask the problem — and delay recovery just as long.

Relaxation and cardiac coherence exercises

Relaxation exercises are often part of the therapeutic toolkit to treat anxiety. They count as a real solution against fear of flying when it expresses itself at light, even advanced, degrees. Anxiety is also fuelled by the alarm signals your body sends you, rightly or wrongly. Relaxation exercises let you control these signals and restore calm.

In particular, cardiac coherence exercises are a real solution against fear of flying. By giving you control over your stress, they can be used on board as well as at home, or in any anxiety-inducing situation.

Hypnosis, a solution against fear of flying

Hypnosis is frequently mentioned as a solution against fear of flying. It is a very interesting therapy that can yield excellent results — if the patient is receptive to hypnosis. It is recommended to choose the right hypnotherapist, with experience in flight phobias, and if possible a doctor. In the best cases, 3 to 4 sessions are enough to get rid of fear of flying, notably with the age-regression technique.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy is among the easiest solutions against fear of flying to put in place. That said, its effectiveness has not been demonstrated by conclusive scientific studies. It is not to be dismissed outright: as a soft medicine, its calming effects are useful in the mildest cases. For the others, we recommend other, more effective solutions.

Fear-of-flying apps

A final tip: fear-of-flying apps. They let you carry an ally in your pocket against in-flight anxiety. Some free apps offer a mix of technical knowledge and relaxation methods — enough to make real progress. We of course recommend Fofly, an effective fear-of-flying app available on Android and iOS.

There are many solutions against fear of flying. To find yours, you do not necessarily need to try them all. On the other hand, you should get started as early as possible. Fear of flying is always curable, but it risks growing if you try to ignore it. Only effective care will let you fully enjoy the happiness of flying.