Travel Anxiety Triggers for First-Time Flyers

Are you ready to book your first trip on an airplane, if so I am really excited for you! I know flying for the first time can be exciting and also terrifying, especially if you are venturing solo. As a first-time flyer, it is going to push you out of your comfort zone in an incredible way, but before you can land and enjoy your trip you have to make it through the airport and the flight itself and conquer the pre-flight anxiety.

You might not even know it but the following are just some of the things you can experience at the airport that will trigger your anxiety.

• missing a flight
• the lines
• security and customs
• crowds of people
• new languages
• sensory overload
• new destinations
• navigating airports
• being alone
• getting lost in the airport

 

Do one or more of these start to make you feel panicked? If so, the panic is real and it’s okay, and I feel you. Travel anxiety for first-time flyers is a huge thing to overcome no matter your age.

Flying for the first time is scary as hell, and most people suffer from fears related to it. Being a first-time flyer is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about; even the most experienced flyers still get nervous. I have 6 tips and tricks, and some “Hales hot tips” that can calm that pre-flight anxiety and help you feel ready for your first time flying.

First Time Flying with Anxiety Tips

1. During Booking, Check Everything

Apps and Maps

Download the airline apps, sign up for any membership with the airline and check the airport maps. Doing this will give you a sense of where the gate is in relation to bathrooms, places to eat, lockers, or shops. It is really helpful if you have to transfer!

Credit Cards

Sign up for the credit card free programs, get miles, and use credit cards for miles. Backpacker from Italy does a short and sweet post about credit cards with flight benefits that you can read here.

Hales hot tip #1: budget airlines are not always cheaper. By this, I mean the planes are smaller, they charge extra for everything, and I don’t think it’s worth it unless you are going for a short trip/shorter distance.

Baggage

Check your airlines and their baggage requirements. Every airline is different, and you don’t want to get surprises at the counter. Some airlines, especially budget ones,  will charge for larger carry-on bags, so double-check the sizes and weights of your bags to keep your travel anxiety down. If you panic about your bag being overweight, then invest in an at-home luggage scale to weigh your bags before getting to the airport

Seats

It should come as no shock that airplane seats are small and uncomfortable. If you are tall or a person of size, it is even more anxiety-inducing as a first-time traveler. Seatguru is a great website that has some of the most up-to-date information about seat sizes on a variety of airplanes. As a person who is both tall and of size, I love this website.

Hales Hot tip #2: If you need to ask for an extender, ask when boarding the plane. I usually ask the flight attendant at the door when I step onto the plane, or I find one toward my seat area and ask them discreetly. 

Extra Fees

Before you hit confirm, check all those extra fees one more time. Compare them with other airlines, especially if you are using a budget airline, they are sneaky when it comes to all those extras.

2. Arrive Early

The times have long passed where you need to arrive 2 hours early for domestic and 3 hours early for international. I am not sure about ya’ll, but time causes my anxiety to skyrocket. I have been stuck in security lines, and I panic when I look at the clock, knowing I don’t know if I can make it to my gate.

To avoid such situations, I have started to arrive earlier at the airport. When I fly internationally, I always give myself 4-5 hours before my flight due to lines. For domestic I think you are fine with 3 hours prior to departure. People make fun of me, but they don’t know the anxiety that happens in my brain and body. I know that arriving earlier will calm that anxiety and I will be able to make my flight on time–that is all that matters.

3. Print Everything

One of the biggest suggestions I can give a first-time flyer or someone with travel anxiety is to print everything! You might be thinking, ‘Really bitch, I don’t have a printer so that’s not gonna happen.” But if a printer is stopping you then don’t fear-write it all down in a travel notebook or on your phone.

Having everything organized in some way or another is going to not only keep you calm, but make you feel like you have your shit together, and let’s be real, that’s a great feeling. If you want bonus tips then you can create a travel folder with tabs and color codes, but that is aspirational. Even I am not that organized, though damn- I wish I was.

4. Remember to Breathe

Whether it is in line, at security, sitting at the gate, or on the plane. Remember to breathe deeply. Get the air in your body. It will release that tension you have subconsciously about feeling nervous or anxious as a first-time flyer.

There are 2 methods you can try to help you. The first is a visualization technique. A few days before your flight sit in a quiet space and visualize the flight and experience, while doing so focus on your breathing. This helps you prepare for the upcoming situation by visualizing what will happen and being able to breathe through it.

The second technique is to use during take-off. Try to ground yourself and focus on wiggling your toes as you experience take-off. This should give your mind something else to focus on than the reality of the flight.

Hales Hot Tip #3: Acupressure is my BFF. Here are 5 acupoints for anxiety to calm your first-time flyer and pre-flight nerves, and I bet you do these without even realizing it! 

5. Do These Things Before Boarding 

I try to do all of these things before boarding to make sure my flight goes smoothly. For you first-time flyers, to prevent flight anxiety, I have curated a list for ya’ll to do before actually boarding the flight.

• Use the bathroom and fill up your water bottle
• Get your passport and boarding pass ready
• Take everything out you want to use during the flight so you are prepared to store your bag as soon as you board (think a book, water and snacks, headphones, jacket, and a charging cord)
• Charge your electronics and make sure you downloaded everything (not all flights, especially domestic, provide in-flight entertainment) 
• Depending on the length of the flight, I make sure to stand as much as possible.

 

Just Enjoy the First Time Flyer Experience

Just try to enjoy yourself and have fun- remember the initial take-off is like a really fast elevator. Once you get to cursing altitude you can breathe, enjoy the views, and have a great first flight experience!

Comment and let me know if any of these were helpful or if there is something I didn’t cover!