Travel with Children - 10 year old boy - Fear of Flying

My son has flown once years ago but is afraid to fly again. He thinks the plane will crash. I think he gets it from tv shows. I have booked us a flight from LAX to Vegas, 45 minute flight in June. I think I can convince him to go since it is a short flight and we have been talking about him trying again for a long time. He seems agreeable to it. Plus, I plan to make our trip really fun so he associates flying having a good time.

Any other suggestions to make his flight enjoyable? Should I alert the flight attendant of his fear so perhaps he/she may have ideas to make him comfortable?

Thanks in advance!

These links might help:

http://www.travelismorefunwithkids.com/travelismorefunwithkids/2009/06/how-to-overcome-your-children-fear-of-flying.html

http://www.holidayswithkids.com.au/travel_tips___info/fear_of_flying...with_kids_

http://www.examiner.com/family-travel-in-orlando/dealing-with-a-child-s-fear-of-flying

http://traveling-kids.blogspot.com/2011/02/fear-of-flying-how-to-help-anxious.html

When you board, definitely take him up to the cockpit to meet the pilots. If you tell them he's a little nervous, I'm sure they'll take the time to invite him in, show him the controls, maybe even let him sit in the pilot's seat. I'll bet it will make a difference if he thinks of his new-found friends flying the plane, than anonymous strangers.

Thank you so much lost*in*cyberspace and PTravel, tons of great ideas! I really appreciate your time in posting a response.

When you board, definitely take him up to the cockpit to meet the pilots. If you tell them he's a little nervous, I'm sure they'll take the time to invite him in, show him the controls, maybe even let him sit in the pilot's seat.

I thought PAX could no longer enter the cockpit?

I thought PAX could no longer enter the cockpit?That's true only after the boarding door is closed. While the plane is parked at the jetway during boarding, you can go up front and visit the pilots.

That's true only after the boarding door is closed. While the plane is parked at the jetway during boarding, you can go up front and visit the pilots.

That's correct, I have a child that's done this several times, and has even sat in the seat wearing the pilot's hat.

That's true only after the boarding door is closed. While the plane is parked at the jetway during boarding, you can go up front and visit the pilots.

Then having the OP's son visit with the pilots is a great idea.

Based on personal experiences, I wouldn't automatically assume that fear of the plane crashing is the whole story. My kid started flying at 4 months of age, and has maybe a 100K BIS miles. However, from about age 6 onward, he has hated flying more and more, and even had several episodes of vomiting while flying (no turbulence outside his stomach). About 9 months ago we learned that he has vestibular problems relating to his sense of balance, and that flying really does a number on him physically.

He still travels by air, but we take appropriate medical measures now to make the experience less painful - which has lessen his fear.

I would talk to your pediatrician. Fear of flying usually has an underlying cause (the flying is linked to some other traumatic event) that might require treatment - even if in many cases it is simple to remedy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy seems to work well.

While it's possible the fear stems from something else I think the OP can wait on taking the child to the doctor until after the next flight. It could solely be a fear from exposure to media. I started flying at 6 weeks old and have been involved in 2 "crash landings" (statistcally I am now the safest person to have on your plane) and do not fear flying unless it's on a neglected airliner or sever weather. The OP seems to have communicated well with the child and if he's willing to get aboard I doubt it's a pain/discomfort situation.

...I started flying at 6 weeks old and have been involved in 2 "crash landings" (statistcally I am now the safest person to have on your plane) ...

Could you please elaborate further on the part that I have bolded?

Thanks

Could you please elaborate further on the part that I have bolded?

Thanks

The chance of being involved in a plane "crash" is 1:11,000,000
Supposed chance of being involved in 2 in your life is 1:106,000,000

Mathematically speaking the chance doesn't change but statistically it does. Some Insurance Agent explained it to me to make me feel safer. I never felt unsafe after surviving.

The chance of being involved in a plane "crash" is 1:11,000,000
Supposed chance of being involved in 2 in your life is 1:106,000,000

Mathematically speaking the chance doesn't change but statistically it does. Some Insurance Agent explained it to me to make me feel safer. I never felt unsafe after surviving.

If this is true, I hope the insurance agent offered you a discounted life insurance premium. If you are now safer, he should have done so.

No offence intended, but it doesn't sound right to me. I would really like to hear the insurance agent's logic. Why would mathematics and statistics come up with different answers on this?

None the less, you should feel very safe on a plane. The first sentence of your post explains why. Having been involved in two crashes, you have simply been very unlucky so far (although lucky to survive given that you were involved in the crashes). It's exceptionally unlikely that you would be involved in a third crash, but not more unlikely than anyone else would be involved in their first.

That's the way I see things, anyway.

Just wanted to post an update. I did not give him a choice. I told him he was coming on the trip. Then I felt horrible afterwards and promised to buy him a video game and that did the trick!

The trip was terrific and he is over his fear of flying! Of course we had delays on departing both ways and he was somewhat anxious. My DS says he will fly again, that is if his older sister comes along but she is "more fun"!

Just wanted to post an update. I did not give him a choice. I told him he was coming on the trip. Then I felt horrible afterwards and promised to buy him a video game and that did the trick!

The trip was terrific and he is over his fear of flying! Of course we had delays on departing both ways and he was somewhat anxious. My DS says he will fly again, that is if his older sister comes along but she is "more fun"!Glad to hear it went well!

Just wanted to post an update. I did not give him a choice. I told him he was coming on the trip. Then I felt horrible afterwards and promised to buy him a video game and that did the trick!

The trip was terrific and he is over his fear of flying! Of course we had delays on departing both ways and he was somewhat anxious. My DS says he will fly again, that is if his older sister comes along but she is "more fun"!

That's great! It's even double awesome if he considers his older sister fun! How lucky!

Update: He is now 12-year-old son and is going to Paris and London with me in November! All worked out so well. So happy that I pushed him to take a quick trip to Las Vegas. I spoiled him silly on the trip so he would associate flying with good memories!

Sometimes children have irrational fears and you have to get to the bottom of them. My daughter started flying unaccompanied when she was 5 (this was almost 40 years ago & the rules were different back then). We'd put her on the plane and her grandparents would meet her and then send her back by plane (1-hour flights). She did that 4-5 times a year, loved "helping" the attendant and appointed herself the "comforter" of anyone who was afraid. The Christmas she was 7, she flatly announced that she wasn't flying anymore and wouldn't explain why. Finally, I pried it out of her: a boy at school had told her she'd be flying over the Bermuda Triangle and her plane would disappear. I got out a map, showed her where the Bermuda Triangle was and pointed out that the flight wouldn't be anywhere near it and voila! she was fine. Back to business as usual. Kids just aren't always forthcoming with their fears and you have to dig a bit and help them rationalize their fears. As for my daughter, she became a part-time ticket agent for a small regional airline when she was 16 and a senior in high school. I think her early "training" helped.

Good point. I also think sometimes they see stuff on T.V. I remember when my kids realized that planes can crash so I immediately explained to them that this was rare. They asked 10,000 questions. I told them about the plane on my airline that crashed and the two girls I knew that were on it who died. I mentioned right away that I had thousands of coworkers and only two in 13 years died this way.

They never developed any kind of fear. They want to see my parents so badly! But I could see the wheels spinning in their heads. Be especially aware of 9/11 media coverage and encourage them to discuss it.

If we didn't fly so often, I could see how something like this could build up over a few months and develop into a fear.

I have flown around the world on many aircrafts from the Boeing 747, 757,767,777 Airbus 340,380 and have never had one emergency landing in all of the 28 years of traveling. Remember the chances of you getting into an accident are more likely to and from the airport.

I understand this is your son's second flight so what I would do is prep him and take him to the airport. Maybe if you showed him Flight Sim you can show him the dynamics of flying and how safe it is. Tell him the captain and co pilot are like his teachers at school and they want the utmost safety for the entire crew and passengers. If you can meet with the crew that is great.

Another option is show your son the trip reports on FlyerTalk and tell him that a lot of these members have never been in an emergency landing and take off and land on many segments in one day. Think about the Mile Runners who fly on 5 flights in one day and don't have a problem.

Your son may want to watch YouTube videos of take offs and landings into Las Vegas to make him feel more confident. He may want an aisle seat over a window seat towards the front of the plane.