Overcoming a Fear of Flying

The only way to concur your fear of flying is to face it. To get over your fear of flying, you have to fly on a plane. If you're that anxious you can take a sleeping pill, have a glass of wine, listen to relaxing music, or lose yourself in the movie. If you have a friend or loved one with you for emotional support, that always helps as well.

Many people are mostly afraid of the plane crashing abruptly resulting in instant or near instant death. Plane crashes do happen, but so do car accidents. Are most people afraid to get into their car, no they aren't. Planes are equipped with emergency exits, oxygen masks, and stewardesses who are trained to handle such an emergency. The chance of the plane crashing does exist, but chances also do exist that a murderer can come to your hotel room or vacation home as well.

Another way to ease your fears is to be as well informed as possible before getting on the plane. The safest seats for the passenger are going to be in first class. However, lots of people can't afford the cost of a first class ticket. Economy class is safer than coach or business since you have more space, which means more room to brace yourself with. It may be a little more expensive but it's well worth it.

I myself was a little afraid of flying my first time as a teenager flying to California. However, once we got off the ground it was no longer as afraid or worried. Being up in the air was so different and exciting that it took my mind off the worry of crashing. In fact, I was even sad once the flight was over. Planes are now fun for me and I look forward to trips to the airport.

It's important to remember that flying is less dangerous than driving a vehicle. There are fewer planes in the air and, it's rare that two planes crash into each other. Cars crash into each other or other things around them all the time. Pilots are supposed to be certified and experienced, and know what to do in case of an emergency. Flight technology has come a long way in the last few decades, and flying is safer than ever before. As the famous saying goes, "there is nothing to fear except fear itself."

By Christina Armani

Smart Steps for the Best Travel Experience - How to Fly Comfortably

• Fly early in the day. At airports scheduled to capacity, any delay in the morning means there will be at least that much of a delay for every flight thereafter.

• Depart a day in advance for crucial trips, such as a business meeting or a wedding.

• Check the delay statistic for your flight -- how often that flight is more than 15 minutes late on a scale of 1 to 9 (the lower the number, the more often it's late) -- before you book your tickets. Airlines are required by law to give you the stat if you ask for it; many post it on their websites. If the number is 5 or below and time is of the essence, consider another flight.

• Sign up for the registered traveler program to take some of the pain out of the preflight experience. Travelers who pass a voluntary background check can use special lanes to whisk through security at nearly 20 U.S. airports, including in Denver, Oakland, Orlando, and San Francisco.

• Make a call. If you get to the gate and the airline says you've lost your seat, contact the Coalition for an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights at 877-359-3776. Kate Hanni, the group's founder, says stranded passengers have told her that seats were suddenly found for them when they called CAPBOR from the airport and let airline personnel know they'd done so. If your flight is canceled, the group's volunteer staff will help you book hotels, research your flight status, offer alternative routes, help with car rental, and relay weather information.

• Understand your options. When you're stuck on the ground for hours after boarding, there's a reason. "If the airlines lock the doors, they don't have to provide refunds, credits, lodging, and food expenses," says Paul Hudson, executive director of the Aviation Consumer Action Project. You can circulate a petition demanding to be let off the plane and take it to the cockpit. An airline can't hold people against their will unless there's a safety reason, and the captain has the authority to let people off. If the situation worsens, call the police or a local TV or radio station from your cell phone. CAPBOR hotline volunteers can also put you in touch with the media.

• Don't let it drop. If you have a truly terrible experience, write a reasonable letter afterward to the airline CEO, explaining what happened and asking for compensation. Refer to the contract of carriage listed on the airline's website; it explains the compensation policies. It's up to the airline whether to remedy a passenger's bad experience. If you used plastic to buy your ticket, your credit card company can challenge the airline for violating its contract with a customer.

• Join the fight to enact an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights, federal legislation that would mandate, among other things, that passengers be allowed to deplane when they're held on the tarmac for more than three hours as well as require airlines to provide delayed passengers with food, water, sanitary facilities, and medical attention. The major U.S. carriers are dead set against the bill, arguing that cockpit crews should make these calls. Decide who's right after you learn more at flyersrights.com.

Welcome Arrivals

It's inevitable that you'll get stuck in an airport somewhere, sometime, so why not relax while you're waiting?

Get pampered At Detroit Metro Airport, you can get a facial, a massage, and a shower in McNamara terminal.

Listen to Chopin Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has a pianist to serenade irritable would-be passengers.

Tee off At Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport, you can play 36 holes of golf on airport property -- if you've got the time.

Up your culture quotient Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has spent millions on its world-class art collection.

Sample the Chardonnay At Baltimore/Washington International, a wine bar serves flights of wine during delays.

By Carol Kaufman