ugghhh flying again.

[mattbiernat]

anyone in here has a little fear of flying. for me it seems to be getting worst the more I fly. i am flying tonight two planes for a total of 10 hours. hopefully my plane won't crash - i mean seriously what is up with that fear???

[GomJabbar]

I take about 1 flight a month. Generally doesn't bother me too much unless the weather is bad. Even then, I just have a measure of concern.

My wife had considered being a stewardess when she was in her early 20's. Now she hates to fly, and really gets stressed out when she has too. Her mother lives in another country, so my wife doesn't have a whole lot of choice in the matter if she wants to see her mother on occasion. It was one flight to see her mother that really started her fear. The weather was so bad that the plane couldn't land in the city it was supposed to, so it went to another city in the mountains and landed there. After waiting a bit, the plane took off again and went to the original scheduled destination. I guess the flight was pretty bumpy, and because I wasn't there to help soothe my wife's nerves, she got really stressed. She was traveling with our young daughters at the time, so she worried about their lives too.

[rkawakami]

Given the current health crisis going on here and in Mexico (swine flu), I'm more concerned about the air inside the plane than the air outside the plane or the plane itself. Flown several trans-Pacific flights in my time and the "scariest" one was flying into the old Hong Kong airport (c. 1984). I swear that if I could have rolled down the window I might have been able to "high-five" some of the residents there . I suppose it could have been worse; I arrived and departed there in the evening so I couldn't get a real good look at the buildings we were passing by. Most "interesting" flight was probably in a DeHavilland Dash-8 from Colorado Springs to Denver. Being able to look up the aisle into the open-door cockpit, while barely flying above the traffic down below, was pretty fun. This was back around 1981-82.

[ArtShapiro]

i mean seriously what is up with that fear???

Your fears are well-founded. One can generally find a plane I've flown upon by the fingernail gouges in the windows. Let's face it - most planes crash and it's so routine a catastrophe that the newspapers bury the story on page 17. This is all to be expected given the shoddy maintenance and cost-driven issues that make the normal passenger airliner reminiscent of a broken-down junker car lurching down the highway.

And the horrors of dealing with the lines and security aspects at the airport are enough to panic the most serene of souls. Did you all see in the news how the TSA was concerned about a curious smell from the piano of concert pianist Krystian Zimerman, who flies his own piano to recitals, and blew up the piano? (I am not making this up - Google it.)

You are doomed - we will miss you in the forum.

Art

[rkawakami]

Data on airline vs. automobile traffic deaths, as measured by both annual numbers or as in passenger-miles, shows that you're more likely to die on the road than in the air. Most planes don't crash and the only reason you see one in the news is because it is rare when compared to the number of traffic accidents which results in fatalities. I'd much rather travel long distances by air, in planes flown by well-trained pilots, than take my chances with encountering a newly licensed teenager (sorry, younger daughter) or a reflex-impaired senior citizen (sorry, Dad) driving a two-ton vehicle on the interstate. Sure, with a single wide-bodied plane accident there's a greater chance that the number of victims will exceed any traffic accident, but that's the only reason why you'll see that splashed on the front page or in the "film at 11".

ref: http://www.iii.org/media/facts/statsbyi ... t_735941=3
ref: http://www.ntsb.gov/aviation/Stats.htm

[mattbiernat]

okay and so my plane broke down during the flight -- we had to land at the nearest airport. i mean seriously what is up with my bad luck??? i drive 3000 miles to miami and another 3000 miles from miami to LA and no problem. I fly 1500 miles and the [censored] plane breaks down. this is the second flight out of the united states that i have something not so fun happening. i am ready to give up on flying or at least overdose on some serious tranquilizers.

[rkawakami]

Wow.. the only thing I can say is don't board any flight from Oceanic or Ajira Airlines .

[Brad]

Ray's facts support what I have heard.

Flying will not be safe until you eliminate the drive to the airport.

Brad

[tomh009]

Data on airline vs. automobile traffic deaths, as measured by both annual numbers or as in passenger-miles, shows that you're more likely to die on the road than in the air. Most planes don't crash and the only reason you see one in the news is because it is rare when compared to the number of traffic accidents which results in fatalities. I'd much rather travel long distances by air, in planes flown by well-trained pilots, than take my chances with encountering a newly licensed teenager (sorry, younger daughter) or a reflex-impaired senior citizen (sorry, Dad) driving a two-ton vehicle on the interstate. Sure, with a single wide-bodied plane accident there's a greater chance that the number of victims will exceed any traffic accident, but that's the only reason why you'll see that splashed on the front page or in the "film at 11".

Quite ... flying is likely the safest practical form of transportation from point A to point B. Maybe walking is safer, but it'll take a rather long time to get there. Trains would be the only thing safer, with a first-world train system, which unfortunately doesn't exist in North America.

I flew some 200K miles last year. With a reputable airline that maintains its planes and trains its crews, I feel safe and comfortable (well, within the constraints of the coach seats) while flying.

[killer]

Everyone seems obsessed with getting to places quickly.

Ships are so much better as a means of transport. I don't mean cruise ships ... I mean working ships.

It is a little known fact that every freight ship can carry up to 12 passengers with neither a passenger charter nor a doctor on board. They offer incredibly comfortable conditions and none of the, "Remove your footwear and your belt, show us your haemerrhoid cream sitting inside a plastic bag, no bottles unless you buy from us," mentality of the airports.

I hate air travel because it is such a challenge at every stage ... worse than being told what to do at junior school. They boss you around and make everything so unpleasant that death seems a good alternative. We gave up all our freedoms so easily and nobody said it was wrong. How odd.

[tomh009]

I hate air travel because it is such a challenge at every stage ... worse than being told what to do at junior school. They boss you around and make everything so unpleasant that death seems a good alternative. We gave up all our freedoms so easily and nobody said it was wrong. How odd.

Fully agreed -- see my signature line!

[mattbiernat]

and so I missed two connecting flights by 10 minutes. US airways told me to fly so San Juan next day and wait up to 6 days for another flight.... oh and to top it all they said that I would have to pay for all food and hotel expanses.... not to mention that I waited 5 hours by the counter for them to come to this conclusion....

[GomJabbar]

I thought you had rights to protect you in such situations, but after looking at a couple of web pages, it doesn't look so good. I guess travel insurance might well be worth it when traveling out of the country.

I suggest talking with some other carriers and see if they can honor your ticket. This can work with a paper ticket, but may be problematic with an eticket. I had a different carrier honor a paper ticket that I had once.

If another carrier will not honor your ticket, then make yourself a nuisance with US Air. Squeaky wheels get the grease.

IMO US Air is one of the worst carriers.

[emeraldgirl08]

Bring something to distract you.

Take a mild sedative.

If you drink; get a beer... or two

Don't mix alcohol and meds tho. Pick one or the other!

Board the plane sleepy so you'll be naturally sedated; just hope you don't need your wits if something like "Lost" happens. Sorry couldn't resist.

Maybe next time you should find alternative ways of getting to your destination?

[Marin85]

Don't mix alcohol and meds tho. Pick one or the other!

...or just get some coke and put an aspirin into it (sad that it´s just an urban myth)

[hausman]

I suggest talking with some other carriers and see if they can honor your ticket...

I would see what other flights are available ASAP and make a reservation on one of them. If that carrier won't honor your US Air ticket, go to the US Air counter, show them that you have a seat on another carrier and ask that they provide authorization to pay for it. (It's been a while but IIRC there's a standard protocol for doing this among scheduled carriers.)

Squeaky wheels get the grease.

The key is to stay polite while being persistent. Keep asking why they won't put you on another flight when they can't get you out on one of theirs for a week. Ask to speak to a supervisor or manager. Don't let them give you the bum's rush. Make sure to record (on paper) all conversations, including date/time, employee, what was promised, what was denied, etc. Let them see you do this so they'll get the message that you're serious and that this incident will come back to haunt them long after you're gone. You want give them every possible incentive to find a mutually-satisfactory solution.

[GomJabbar]

Excellent advice, Mr. Hausman!

If it's any consolation, I am at the Philadelphia airport right now, waiting to take a flight in a little over 4 hours. They won't let me check my bag until 4 hours or less before the flight. I didn't know when I could get to the airport, so that is why I booked a late afternoon flight and am waiting now.

[killer]

Hausman's advice about staying polite is really sound. However frustrating it all becomes, you will get the best deals by being pleasant to people (even though you might hate their innards).

Good luck with catching your flight and reaching your destination.