Turbulence, screaming children and randomly allocated seats are most likely to make passengers feel uncomfortable.
Anything from the cabin temperature to noisy seat neighbours can make nervous flyers feel uneasy, a new survey has found.
Wider seats, meditation apps and soothing music are some of the things that can, instead, help settle passengers’ nerves.
Choosing the right airline can also make all the difference. By analysing safety ratings and in-flight services, luggage storage company Bounce has ranked the best airlines for travellers who feel anxious when flying.
Three European airlines made the top 10.
What makes people uncomfortable on flights?
Bounce surveyed over 2,000 travellers to determine which aspects of flying impact people most on their flights.
Over half of travellers say screaming children and turbulence make their flying experience uncomfortable. This is over double the number of people who find busy airplane toilets unsettling.
Randomly allocated seating puts almost three in 10 people on edge. Women are more likely to feel uncomfortable about it, at over 31 per cent, compared to less than a quarter of men.
While serving too much alcohol only bothers just under one in five people, concerns about excessive alcohol service more than double with age. Nearly one in six 18–24-year-olds said it makes them uneasy, compared to almost a third of those aged 65+.
The world’s best airlines for nervous passengers
From the survey data, Bounce determined the features that airlines can control to make passengers feel more at ease.
The company compared major airlines across several categories, including a Skytrax review score to check how their cabin crew is doing, seat statistics, and the support available to passengers.
Singapore Airlines takes the top spot with perfect review and safety ratings. One standout feature is its economy class seat width of 47cm – the widest in the top 10 – which means more room to relax on long-haul flights.
While Singapore Airlines doesn’t offer a dedicated nervous flyer support program, it provides in-flight meditation playlists. Offerings include curated Spotify playlists of nature sounds and instrumental albums of soothing rhythms.
Coming in second, Korean Air provides one of the most generous economy seat pitches at 82.5cm. It also matches Singapore Airlines with a perfect 7/7 safety score and a 5/5 airline review rating.
Completing the top three is Cathay Pacific, based at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG).
Like the top two, this airline doesn’t have a dedicated nervous flyer program, but it offers relaxation playlists onboard to help ease anxiety.
However, it is the only airline in the top three to have an official partnership with the mental health app Headspace, which allows it to provide meditation support for anxious passengers while in the sky.
The best European airlines for nervous flyers
London Luton Airport-based easyJet made sixth place in the rankings. Its seat width comes in just behind the leader, Singapore Airlines at 45cm.
EasyJet excels in its support programme for nervous travellers. Its Fearless Flyer course is available online and is led by a phobia expert and a senior easyJet pilot.
British Airways comes in ninth. Although it only has a 3/5 review score, it has a perfect safety rating.
The airline also offers a support programme. Its Flying with Confidence courses, held in different venues around the world, are run by British Airways pilots and cabin crew supported by a clinical psychologist.
SWISS rounds off the rankings in 10th place. It has generous economy seat measurements and a 4/5 review score. While it doesn’t have a dedicated programme to support nervous flyers, it provides access to the meditation and sleep app Headspace.
How airlines can make people feel more comfortable
Alongside these features, airlines can take steps to make passengers feel more comfortable in the air, the report found.
Most passengers aren’t bothered about physical amenities like noise-canceling headphones or pillows and blankets, according to the survey.
Instead, friendly cabin crew rank highest among passenger comfort preferences with seat selection following closely behind.
Wi-Fi availability and in-seat power are also valued, especially by younger travellers.
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