Nervous!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Miss_Ivy]

I'll be flying for the 1st time on Contenital CLE to San Juan with an connect in Newark is there any tips u can give me on staying calm I'm nervous

[parody]

Miss Ivy,

 

Fortunately, you must first appreciate that flying in the United States is a very safe way to travel. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics report that between 1985 and 2004 the "smoothed" fatality rate is about 1.5 persons per 100,000 aircraft departures. (Smoothed because the statistics are somewhat lumpy on an annual basis.) While improvements have been made over time, the current statistics for auto travel is about 1 fatality per 100 million vehicle-miles. So, assuming that you drive about 100 miles to the airport, you are about 15 times as likely to be in a fatal crash on the way to the airport as flying in the jet.

 

On a more qualitative basis, just think of the fact that on the day prior to your flight that (most likely) same plane made the trip without incident. It was also true the day before that, and the day before that....

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

Try bringing a walk man and some of your favorite cd's. Plug in close your eyes and it will be over before you know it. Or bring some puzzle books to focus on. You could also take along the brochure from your cruiseline and some print outs of the shore trips you are going to be on or want to take and read over those. Discuss them with your travel partner and keep in mind the great time you are going to have on your cruise.

 

Riding in an airplane is sometimes a little more smoothe than riding in a car. Unless you look out of the window you wont really know you are in the air.

 

I am an experience flier and I still get nervous now and then. I am not sure why, but then once we get up I am ok.

 

When you get back tell us all about your flight experience!

[joyride]

We just flew from San Francisco to Houston and then Houston to San Juan last month. I think driving on a busy freeway with all of those crazy big trucks and 4 lanes of traffic is scarier than flying!

 

Anyway, I love Continental - it's a very nice airline and they have good service. They also have movies to watch on the plane, so that makes the time go by quickly. I guess I always get a little nervous at take off, but once you are at crusing altitude, it's like sitting in your living room. Flying down to San Juan can be a little turbulent, but it's like driving in the wind - rest assured that the pilots have everything under control! Take a book, magazines, headset, etc. to keep yourself occupied - or watch the movies.

 

Good luck, you should be fine. I actually LOVED looking out the window as we approached the beautiful islands - the sky and the water were awesome

to look at!

 

Enjoy your vacation!

[TennisLover]

And if the pilot tells you it's going to be bumpy, be assured that all is well. They are completely prepared and in control. As long as they know what's coming and tell me ahead of time, I can relax easier.

 

I agree with others -- stay busy. Don't think about it while you're in the air.

[Globaliser]

Fortunately, you must first appreciate that flying in the United States is a very safe way to travel. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics report that between 1985 and 2004 the "smoothed" fatality rate is about 1.5 persons per 100,000 aircraft departures. (Smoothed because the statistics are somewhat lumpy on an annual basis.) While improvements have been made over time, the current statistics for auto travel is about 1 fatality per 100 million vehicle-miles. So, assuming that you drive about 100 miles to the airport, you are about 15 times as likely to be in a fatal crash on the way to the airport as flying in the jet.

If you have the appetite for some more numbers, the safety figures for last year show that there was less than half a crash (about 0.48, to be more precise) in every one million flights, for all IATA airlines, worldwide.

 

This figure includes cargo carriers, which have far more crashes, and all the dodgy areas of the world. The USA is much safer than many other areas.

 

So it's simply not going to happen to you!

[winewanderer]

I feel much safer flying than driving to work everyday!