What Are Your Flying Superstitions?

Fly fear metaphor, aerophobia concept. Business woman holding airplane in hand.

Flyers’ favorite superstitions include touching the plane exterior before takeoff and bringing a good luck charm.

When it comes time to fly, travelers often touch the outside of the airplane or bring aboard a good luck charm to make sure their trip goes smoothly. The superstitions are two of a number of popular comfort habits discovered by British booking engine Sunshine.co.uk.

According to The Telegraph, over 1,800 flyers were polled about their favorite habits prior to departure. The most popular superstition among those traveling was touching the exterior of the aircraft, with 17 percent of travelers admitting to touching the outside prior to boarding. The second most popular superstition included bringing some sort of good luck charm aboard their flight. Of those polled, 15 percent of flyers said they liked bringing a mascot or charm aboard for comfort.

Avoiding sitting in certain rows or putting trust in a higher power were both popular moves among flyers. Of those asked, 14 percent said they would avoid sitting in certain row or seat numbers to make sure their flights worked out okay, while 11 percent said they would say a prayer or recite a mantra prior to take-off. In a similar move, six percent of flyers said they will hold hands during takeoff and landing to ensure a safe flight.

Certain flyers found solace in creating routine in their travels. The survey revealed eight percent of travelers will only fly between certain hours to ensure a good flight, or will only fly a certain airline. Five percent of travelers said they would perform routine actions, like ordering the same beverage in flight, while three percent said they would only fly out of a certain airport.

Other popular superstitions included avoiding flying on certain unlucky dates, like Friday the 13th. The survey also found that geography may determine the level of superstition. British flyers who come from the southwest portion of the island were found most likely to be superstitious, while those from the Northeast and Northern Ireland had the least superstitions.

[Photo: Getty Images]