Mental Floss

The 10 Best Airlines for Nervous Fliers

Struggle with flight anxiety? Singapore Airlines was named the No.1 airline for nervous travelers.
ByCaLea Johnson|
Flying is a major test of fate for many people.
Flying is a major test of fate for many people. | John Nordell/GettyImages

Flying is the safest travel method statistically, but many people aren’t convinced. The fear of flying, or aviophobia, is pretty common, with 40 percent of the U.S. population dreading the moment they board a plane. If you’re one of those folks, consider flying with one of the airlines rated best for nervous flyers.

  1. The Best Airlines for Anxious Passengers

The luggage storage company Bounce.com surveyed 2000 travelers on the stressors most likely to provoke anxiety during flights. Popular answers included cramped quarters, turbulence, and excess noise. Based on these responses, data analysts looked at the average economy legroom, seat width, reviews, and safety scores of popular airlines to determine which are best suited to put flyers at ease. And because many aspects of stressful flights are out of airlines’ control, they also looked into whether or not companies offer support programs and meditation resources for managing anxiety.

The Best Airlines for Anxious Passengers

Bounce.com found that Asian-based airlines seem to be best for nervous fliers. Singapore Airlines came out on top, boasting glowing reviews, perfect safety ratings, and a sizable seat width of 18.5 inches. These findings landed the Singaporean airline a stress-free rating of 8.94 out of 10.

Korean Airlines (8.82) is close behind. It has a generous economy seat pitch (the distance between rows) of 32.5 inches, trumping competitors. Like the previous entry, Korean Airlines also has a perfect safety and review score.

Cathay Pacific, a Hong Kong-based airline, rounds out the top three companies, scoring 8.57 out of 10 overall. With a seat pitch of 32 inches, passengers have a decent amount of space to stretch their legs. They also have access to Headspace meditation support during their travels.

Here are the rest of the top 10 airlines for nervous fliers:

  1. Singapore Airlines
  2. Korean Airlines
  3. Cathay Pacific
  4. Japan Airlines
  5. Qatar Airways
  6. easyJet
  7. Virgin Australia
  8. Virgin Atlantic
  9. British Airways
  10. SWISS

If flying makes your anxiety skyrocket, consider avoiding these especially turbulent flights—or at least mentally prepare yourself before the big day.

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