Fear Of Flying

Before you travel, make sure that you have sorted out all the necessary requirements. As well as PMT (Passports, Money and Tickets), remember to arrange any visas or travel health requirements that you may need. 

Leave yourself plenty of time to get to the airport and get your transfer from the car park or bus station to the terminal. If you are arriving by car you can save time by booking your airport car parking in advance.

Always remember that you have no access to your suitcase from check-in until you collect it from your destination airport so any medication you may need must be packed in your hand luggage. It is also a good idea to have something to do or read with you, as you might not fancy the TV programme or film on offer (or there might not be TV screens at all). 

Once inside the airport terminal, you first need to go to the check-in desk for your flight. However, you will only be able to do this once your flight is open - check the flight monitors or departure boards in the terminal to find out when and where you can check in. You will need to present your passport and tickets, as well as any hand baggage. This is also where you hand over your hold luggage. The check-in attendant will give you a boarding pass and receipt stubs for any bags that you have checked in.

After checking in you need to go through to the departure lounge - at most airports you will have to pass through security before you can do this. Security checks can take some time but are an essential part of flying safely. You may have to take off your coat and jewellery, so be prepared for this. You may also be asked to open your bag for inspection - this is normal, so don't let it alarm you.

When you get to the departure lounge, you should be left with enough time to relax, grab a bite to eat or do a spot of duty-free shopping. Whatever you choose to do, make sure that you keep an eye on the departure board to see what time you need to head towards your gate. Bear in mind that at some airports it may be quite a walk or even a shuttle ride to the gates, so leave enough time.

Once at your gate, your flight and seat number will be called by the flight attendants, then you will need to queue up to present your passport and boarding pass. After this you will be directed to the plane.

On boarding the plane you may be asked to show your boarding pass again, so don't put it away just yet. Once you have taken your seat bear in mind that the cabin crew will only close the doors once all passengers have boarded, so you may be sitting there for a little while. They will then take you through a safety demonstration - don't let this worry you. It is a routine procedure on every flight but you should still make sure that you understand the information given.

During preparation for take-off you may find that the noise in the cabin increases - this is perfectly normal. If you do begin to feel a little queasy, opening the cold air vent above your head will help. When the aircraft has reached a certain height, the captain will turn off the seatbelt sign meaning that you are free to move around the cabin. At certain intervals during the flight, however, you may be asked to return to your seat and fasten your seatbelt. This is purely for safety reasons in case of turbulence.

Turbulence (invisble air movement) can cause un-smooth motion of the aircraft, so could be the most feared aspect of a flight. It is caused by atmospheric conditions outside the aircraft and may result in a bumpy feeling. If worried about this, some people find it helpful to look out of the window at the wings of the plane, as the perception of motion inside the cabin can be much greater than it actually is.

Drinking plenty of water on a flight will not only keep you hydrated but will also make regular toilet breaks necessary. This gives you a good reason to take a walk, stretch your legs and get some exercise, especially on long haul flights. If you are a nervous flier, avoid alcohol as it will dehydrate you and increase feelings of anxiety.

At some point during the flight, depending on where you are travelling to, you may be given a landing card by the cabin crew. Have a pen handy to fill this in, as you will need to present it on arrival. As you start on the descent to your arrival airport the seatbelt signs will be switched on again and as you land there may be a jolt as the wheels touch the runway, then increased engine noise as the aircraft slows down.

The plane will then take you towards the airport terminal. You may have to get on a bus to take you up to the terminal. Once inside you will need to present your passport (and landing card if applicable) to the immigration authorities, then go through to reclaim your baggage. This should be clearly sign posted but you can always ask an airport official if you're not sure where to go.

If you have never been to your departure airport before, do a test run to see how long it takes to get there and figure out where the car parks are. That way you will avoid departure day stress about making it in time.