Nervous Need Reassurance

[zac9]

Thank you all for the really encouraging replies. I have been reading them all.

THe thing is my wife isnt that nervous, I am. I am deep down wanting to go, really, its just the flight that scares the cough out of me. Yes, I'm irrational and the stats prove it.

This fear is robbing me of an opportunity and I know thats bad. Might be fear of the unknown. Spending 24 hours cramped up.

I will be talking to the GP about some meds to help, maybe Valium.

Thanks Alan for the seating map, it would be great to get the upper economy. Still, the neurotic person inside fears Singapore, who flies them, who maintains them etc ?

These are the things that grip me with fear.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

This should help calm your nerves.

The Aviation Herald

You'll see a whole host of airlines with their problems and without bias.

SQ, LH, MH, AA, EK, CO; you name it, they all have their problems. The media in Australia likes to exaggerate Qantas' problems.

Did you hear about this?
Incident: Lufthansa B733 at Hamburg on Apr 7th 2011, dropped wheel on landing
Or this?
Incident: ADA JS32 near Monteria on May 17th 2011, engine shut down in flight
Or this?
Accident: Dniproavia E145 at Moscow on Apr 28th 2011, both main gear collapsed

If this was Qantas, it'd be front page....

 

[harvyk]

Just a suggestion maybe take a fearless flying course?

Fearless Flyers Inc with Qantas

We can stand up here all day and comment how there is news bias against QF, or your safer in a plane than on the ground or other such stuff (some probably not so useful, others you'd have heard from man and his dog)

But taking one of those courses will probably do much more towards getting over the fear itself.

 

[zac9]

Thanks guys for the replies and the great info.

I am leaning towards Qantas over Singapore. Now I am thinking 747 rather than A380, only because the 747 has a long proven record and I figure the pilots know them so well.

I will put up with economy I suppose as I cant justify the extra for premium. Well its a lot more expensive. I hope I can walk around a bit, because I dont want to just sit there.

 

[el_rooto]

Thanks guys for the replies and the great info.

I am leaning towards Qantas over Singapore. Now I am thinking 747 rather than A380, only because the 747 has a long proven record and I figure the pilots know them so well.

I will put up with economy I suppose as I cant justify the extra for premium. Well its a lot more expensive. I hope I can walk around a bit, because I dont want to just sit there.

Consider premium economy?

My 2c on QF - They are an incredibly safe airline. Their crew are very very well trained, and when there is a minor issue they will always chose the safer option and divert, unlike other carriers who may keep flying. IMO, if the plane breaks down mid flight, I'd much rather be on QF than any other airline in the same situation.

 

[samh004]

Wow this thread is Gold!

I haven’t bothered to read anything after the first post, but I hear this a lot from people I come into contact with too. It’s amazing how easy it is to tarnish a reputation.

I’d imagine others have already pointed out that while you may hear the worst news about Qantas constantly, they haven’t crashed, and haven’t lost any lives, they also have avoided strikes (barely) and as mentioned, have some pretty good pilots.

If all you hear is bad news, but without fatalities or serious crashes, is the news really that bad, or a clever smear campaign?

 

[TheStudent]

The last of Qantas' disater stories I read about in the media was none other then a broken grill in one of the ovens, if thats all thats been going wrong - your safe.

I'd consider some anit-nausea medication for sure, and while long-haul isnt what I usually fly, my friends say that breaking up a long trip does help you relax a bit. Also I would suggest if possible getting an isle seat, as that way you can get up and move around as will without distubing the people next to you. One final idea might be to make sure the air vent is blowing on you, it might keep you a little dryer if nothing else!

If all else fails - Pretend that your on a bus

 

[lmere12]

I will be talking to the GP about some meds to help, maybe Valium.

My husband uses KALMA pills, doesn't make you feel doughy after a sleep He's anxious flying domestically.

 

[zac9]

Qantas, yeah, they sure get beaten up in the media. Having looked at the avherald as others suggested, I can see many instances from other carriers and that puts things into perspective.

Is the A380 as safe as the 747, considering that incident with the engine blow up ? Are the 747's now getting too old ?

 

[straitman]

Is the A380 as safe as the 747, considering that incident with the engine blow up ? Are the 747's now getting too old ?

1. Yes
2. No

Of course both answers are my subjective opinion.

 

[ab156]

Setting myself up here .. but ...

I think you really need to consider if you need to take this trip. Your fears as demonstrated by your knee jerk reaction to mass media reports and apparent lack of trust in operators leads me to think that flying may not be for you.

I fully understand that you have genuine fears and concerns but I worry that you are putting yourself in a situation you cannot handle - this will impact you, your travel partners, the service staff and fellow travellers. Rarely in life are drugs the right answer, drugging myself for 22 hours is not something I would consider.

If you do decide to do the trip I would suggest you NOT breaking it up, it is unlikely after 9 hours and a landing in SIN you are going to have an epiphany and decide you love flying. Having a few days to contemplate the 13 hours to come isn't going to make it any better! Best to put yourself in a committed position, once you board the plane you need to have a mindset that your ultimate destination is the goal. Focus on that.

A long haul flight will be "different" to your 737 experience but not greatly so. I am not going to kid you, economy on this kind of flight is a nightmare IMHO. You are likely to be uncomfortable and stressed the entire journey. Simple mathematics means you are not going to be able to get care/service/reassurance you will probably need from staff. I really think you need to target a Premium cabin of some kind. As you rarely fly you need to justify the cost ($) vs. cost (stress).

I also think you need to consider a couple of short haul flights to get you "in the groove" - a quick trip / weekend to your neighbour city to get some time in the air and become more familiar in the entire travel process may help. Worst case is that it will make you realise you can't do it for 22 hours and save you a lot of money.

I think your choice of carrier / cabin needs to be driven more by likely loads than anything. I am a pretty relaxed flyer but nothing gets me more stressed than noisy passengers / un-organized groups. I would be thinking more about flight times, costs (higher = better?) and metal than a specific carrier. You should be looking for a quiet flight outside of peak tourist / group days (Friday / Sat), then look at your schedule and go with any of the tier 1 carriers.

Airbus vs. Boeing is a whole other thread..... both have advantages but neither are in the habit of falling out of the sky. I think the A380 is a nicer ride in general if you are not upstairs in the 747.

Good luck wherever you decide.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

I use a drug to help calm my nerves. It's called Alcohol. And plenty of it.

 

[zac9]

Setting myself up here .. but ...

I think you really need to consider if you need to take this trip. Your fears as demonstrated by your knee jerk reaction to mass media reports and apparent lack of trust in operators leads me to think that flying may not be for you.

.

Thanks for the honesty. It was very sobering to read and I'm glad you wrote it.

I cant argue with anything you have written.

I do feel really angry with myself though for letting this fear get in the way.

As for premium, it sounds good but its just way too expensive, if it was a few hundred more, then yeah.

Again, thanks for the honest reply and getting me to think.

 

[coyote25]

I use a drug to help calm my nerves. It's called Alcohol. And plenty of it.

A good reason to have lounge access before the flight

 

[drewbles]

After having flown hundreds of flights on a 747 and only 2 on an A380, i'd say take the A380 any day.

The simply amazing feat of flying the crew did on the A380 incident last year proves that QF pilots are trained and able to cope with anything. It has been noted the sensational airmanship these pilots and crew showed during this incident.

You're going to be a lot more comfortable in Economy on an A380. The seat pitch (distance from the back of the seat (where your bum sits) to the front back of the seat in front of you) is better, so more leg room, the entertainment system is far superior to the 747 so you're going to have a lot more to distract your and let you pass the time, the cabin is more comfortable as it allows a higher level of humidity which means you don't dehydrate as much and arrive feeling much better. In addition, it's quiet. very quiet. You don't need to worry about noise on them. The larger cabin also gives a feeling of spaciousness and may assist in letting you feel more at ease.

If you're a nervous flyer, as you say you are, take the A380 any day. Also, if possible, see if there's anyone around in the Meetings forum to assist with getting you and your wife into a Qantas Club prior to the flight, if you take Qantas, to have a few drinks and relax in comfort before the big flight.

 

[simongr]

This should help calm your nerves.

The Aviation Herald

I have flown a few times over the past few years and reading that actually made me more nervous. Never ever tell my wife about that website or I will never be allowed to fly again.

@zac9 - I wouldn't worry at all about flying any major carrier from a safety perspective. I have flown on most of the oneworld carriers for a total of maybe 200 flights in the past five years (more than some but less than others here) and have never experienced an incident (apart from the the landing gear not coming up on a Dragon Air flight) and worst event was having to hold the cart for the cabin crew on Cathay whilst they arranged my smoked salmon during turbulence - or actually worse than that was spilling a very nice shiraz during turbulence.

 

[el_rooto]

One piece of advice I can give, if you are nervous about flying long distances don't do SYD - JNB or SYD - EZE. You're in the middle of nowhere without a divert for a lot of the flight.

 

[ozmille]

I have flown a few times over the past few years and reading that actually made me more nervous. Never ever tell my wife about that website or I will never be allowed to fly again.

O/T but I always put on Aircrash Investigation before my wife has to fly

 

[TheStudent]

I don't know if it would do anything, but I would suggest turning up to the airport as late as possible (Make sure you dont miss the flight) in order to give you the minimum possible time worrying about it. While I have never been afraid of flying, I immagine the worst part would be waiting to board and take off.

Good Luck

 

[haydensydney]

Hi

I'm also a nervous flyer, and have been since a Singapore Airlines incident a few years ago. For me, the following helps:

1. Always fly business class. If the plane does crash, you don't want to have to push through the masses/hoi polloi to get to the exits. Business class has fewer passengers, and therefore less people to beat to the exits

2. I have some Xanax (anxiety medication) that works wonders, not only for the anxiety of flying but also to aid in sleeping during the long flights. The downside is that drinking heavily in business class is not a good idea when you've had Xanax, so its generally one or the other. Recently I've opted for the alcohol rather than the pills. Either way it could be an idea for you to discuss this with your doctor.

3. Remember that even though the risks of flying are small, there is still that chance that your flight *could* end up on Air Crash Investigation several years later. It's important to remain calm however and acknowledge that if your times up, it's up - and theres nothing you can do about it.

xx