Cheap airplane tickets and discount hotel roomsare great, but they do nothing to ease the fears of potential travelers who are afraid to fly. Studies indicate up to 25 million Americans dread flying. This is a serious problem if you want to visit family or go on a business trip that is farther than one days drive.
Treatment for fear of flying includes the following:
Asking doctors to prescribe anti-anxiety medication
Listening to relaxation tapes and learning breathing techniques that relieve stress.
Gradually introducing a would be flier to airplanes until flying no longer feels threatening. Such as, one week simply visiting an airport, later boarding a plane that has not taken off, and still later being on a plane with the engines running, but still on the ground.
Sometimes just knowing the facts about flying can quell a potential fliers fears:
Air traffic controllers are trained to safely direct almost 3 million travelers daily to their destinations.
The likelihood of engine failure on a plane is miniscule. Modern aircraft are designed to fly safely on a single engine, yet most have more that one. It is highly unlikely that all engines would fail on the same trip. Even then pilots are trained what to do in the unlikely event that all engines were to fail.
The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) requires and monitors strict maintenance schedules for all airplanes.
Pilot training is rigorous and once hired, they are given frequent medical tests, that check everything from drugs, to vision and hearing.
Airport security is thorough resulting in terrorism risks while flying being at an all time low.
Bottom line, no other type of transportation is safer than flying. Annually one fatal accident occurs per every 5 billion miles flown vs. the 40,000 to 50,000 people who are killed in motor vehicle accidents.