"Screaming kids on a plane? Worse than turbulence." Study reveals what makes people most anxious when travelling
Airlines and their "stress-free" scores
Bounce.com used survey data to determine which airline attributes make passengers feel the least "worried or anxious" and then compared the major airlines using those factors to create a "stress-free score" with a maximum score of 10.
The top airline for anxious passengers was Singapore Airlines with a "stress-free" score of 8.94 out of 10. Bounce said the airline's wide economy class seats give passengers more room to sleep or relax during longer flights. The airline also offers playlists for in-flight meditation so that people can take a break from any surrounding situations that would trigger anxiety in them.
Korean Air achieved a "stress-free" score of 8.82 and Cathay Pacific had a "stress-free" score of 8.57.
Can confidence on an airplane be trained?
Some airlines - such as British Airways in ninth place - offer nervous passengers "flying with confidence" courses, in which passengers learn more about how the plane works and learn other techniques they can use during the flight to keep calm.
For example, British Airways pilot Captain Steve Allright previously told The Independent that many nervous passengers don't understand how a plane can stay in the air, so he reminded those taking the "flying with confidence" course that a plane flying at 30,000 feet can glide 100 miles even if all the engines fail.
Allright also noted that turbulence can be "caused by nature and is perfectly safe because the aircraft is built to withstand even the worst turbulence. As long as you have your seatbelt on, you are always perfectly safe".
Another suggestion for nervous passengers is to talk to the crew when boarding the plane. This includes asking questions if you are unsure what is happening during the flight.
The worst "trigger" is not turbulence
Next, a list of travel anxiety triggers was created, ranked by how many passengers found the experience "unsettling" or "disturbing."
More than half of the survey respondents (51.6%) said that screaming children contributed to their anxiety during the flight. Turbulence was the next most frequently cited factor at 51.5%.
The third most cited factor was "noisy people around you" at 46.7%, while the fourth was delays at 40.30%. The fifth factor was "smelly toilets" with 39.8%.
Other factors that contributed to in-flight anxiety included: unfriendly crew, crowded aisles, random seat assignments, too hot or cold cabin, busy restrooms, too much alcohol served, pushy crew trying to sell merchandise, and strong smelling food.
The best airlines for nervous passengers
- Singapore Airlines
- Korean Air
- Cathay Pacific
- Japan Airlines
- Qatar Airways
- easyJet
- Virgin Australia
- Virgin Atlantic
- British Airways
- SWISS
For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder's podcast.
© Independent Digital News & Media Ltd
