Gizmos

Got a friend who hates flying (she has only done it once) as she is very claustrophobic. Any suggestions to get her to fly; she has only flown a charter to Spain and was terrified all the way. We've tried explaining that the scenario on a BA plane would be totallyt different (even internal UK flights seem more spacious than the charter).

We really want to take them to USA (from UK) but at this rate they will be sailing across. Has anyone get any ideas and indeed if there is a preferred seating class. We thought if they fly in Y at the back she will have a wide view of the plane instead of a smaller confined place?

We will to try anything in an attempt to get her to fly.

For info its four adults (two couples) who are going. I used to be terrified of flying until a transatlantic turbulent trip - was so horrendous one of the FAs said in 20 years of flying it was the worse they had experienced

BAHumbug

I can think of a couple of things...

1. If there is ANY way you can upgrade from plain old economy then, automatically, your friend would have more space. Obviously budgetary constraints come into play - especially with more than one ticket.

2. I don't know if they still do, but BA used to offer courses (I can't think of a better word) specially for nervous flyers. You go along for the day and part of it is a 1 hour flight over the Bay of Biscay and then back. I haven't heard about them for ages but that's not to say they don't still exist.

3. As a final suggestion has your friend thought about something like hypnosis or another therapy to tackle the problem. I have a terrible phobia about spiders - it used to be so bad just seeing one on the television reduced me to a useless wreck...now I can actually catch one in a wine glass and chuck it out the window (I won't kill them). Long-term, this might be your best bet (the therapy, I mean, not being chucked out the window).

edi-traveller

She'll get really bad when the seat in front reclines so that the TV screen is an inch from her face!

Is it the lack of space or the fear of turbulence - cos turbulence can feel worse at the back.

If it's a space thing then even the Club seats could be a problem - even though they have loads of legroom they do feel like little pods or coffins.

FIRST would probably be best - though WT+ may help as they are proper seats with much more room but are not arranged as pods/coffins.

This is an example of where it would be really good to try before you buy!!!

BAHumbug

Yup - I was right:

http://www.britishairways.com/travel...n/public/en_gb

Scroll down to the bit about nervous flyers...

HTH

The Saint

Yes, they still exist and are said to be very good.

A friend of mine went on one. She failed. , but notwithstanding this, they apparently have a very high success rate.

I think it depends the split between the emotional and rational sides of your brain. Fear of flying courses depend on reducing the influence of the former by convincing the latter. Obviously, claustrophobia is a slightly different phenomenon.

Gizmos

We had thought of WT+ but with only being a few rows of seat and a bulkhead thought this might be a bit intimidating. the Club with its weird rear facing combo would be harder I feel - unless we can get a four together so she can friendly faces. It's a space issue rather than turbulence, had thought of the courses or even an internal flight with just me and her (leave the guys at home as the teasing can make it worse?)

she does want to do it but says the easiest way is for her to step up the flights - eg 2 hrs, 3 hrs etc - I just say go for the big bang

Any BA staff out there who have dealt with this?

BAHumbug

Couple more thoughts here:

All joking aside, 'guys teasing' says to me that you need to tackle this issue as well. If you can persuade your friend onto (say) a 7h flight to NYC, then 7 hours of constant teasing is going to leave her a nervous wreck at the end. I suggest a gentle word in their ears offering to make them sing in a new register (soprano) might work wonders here...

If it's a straightforward space issue, what about buying an EXTRA seat for your friend - perhaps so she has the aisle AND the seat next to her empty. That would probably be no more expensive than a WT+ seat. If the airline asks tell a fib and say it's for a cello (we do this all the time at work - and it really IS for a cello...don't ask !).

I think your idea of the domestic flight is a good one - maybe a trip to Glasgow ? It's a great place to visit and has good shopping and restaurants too. Wouldn't be too expensive either...

PolandExpat

Just one word: Effexor

BAHumbug

I trust that was meant as a joke...?

wobbly wings

Sorry this is not more useful. Have a couple of friends who are claustrophobic but are much less so after a long visit to the bar before boarding. Never actually flown with them but I'm sure that, like most, they are not part of the loud brigade you see at PMI and actually get a lot of tension eased off by some g&t's and possible sleep much of the way.

BOH

I too suffer from claustrophobia and it got so bad that unless I had an aisle seat I would not board. If I could not get a pre-assigned seat I used to turn up at the airport about 6 hours before before the flight to get one. Sounds really stupid now

After trying a number of things, hypnosis sorted me out so I can thoroughly recommend it and as far as aircraft are concerned - I'm cured ^ ^. If you want the name and address of the hypnotherapist I used then drop me a PM and I'll respond to you.

Good luck - it can be overcome.

BAHumbug

I don't think it sounds stupid at all - quite reasonable given the alternative (ie not getting on the hairyplane).

PhilH

Luckily BA have the ultimate weapon in the fight against claustrophobia. Otherwise known as the 777 Club World cabin, it currently holds many world records as the largest internal space ever to fly on two wings. Forget the Beluga SuperTransporter, or the An-225 cargo hold, sh*t even the Zepelin is put into the shadow by this baby - the 777 Club World cabin brings a new meaning to internal space and room, if you shout loud enough (to get over the noise of the engines) and listen very carefully, you can hear the echo coming back after about 25 seconds.

Your friend shouldn't have any trouble if she's sitting there.

BAHumbug

Tee Hee

ALTHOUGH...this has jogged yet another thought in my (worryingly) fertile mind tonight.

What about the top deck on a 747 ? That's more spacious and quiet, and you could get either 4 seats across, or 4 together. If your friend had the window seat she'd have a lot of space to one side and a window to look out of, and with the divider down she could chat to one of you and also see to the other side of the plane.

Failing that, as a little boy I played football in the back of a Charlie-130 when flying back from Germany once (father in the RAF). It don't get much bigger than that honey...and those men in uniform. *sigh*

stut

I went through a spell of having panic attacks on planes, which was in part to do with claustrophobia. It's not entirely over, but at least bearable, but that's more to do with cyclical illness than anything else.

Things that help:

- I find the danger time to be when you are waiting on the ground. Particularly if you have a long taxi, or have to hold on the tarmac somewhere. It's worth flying from smaller airports, if you can, to avoid this, or at less busy times (and just steer clear of the Polderbaan in Amsterdam altogether). Board last. Window seats can be better, as you have something to watch out the side. Try and nab a seat near the front, as it feels less shut in. And don't watch the door, or you'll freak out when they shut it.

- Upgrades help.

- If you do suffer from hyperventilation in these situations, make sure you locate a sick bag when you get on (or ask a member of cabin crew). If you start to feel really short of breath, breathe into one of these until it settles.

- Put the air vent above you on full blast while you're waiting to take off. Heat and lack of air make you more edgy.

- Take a small bottle of water with you, and have it out while you're on the ground. If you start to feel nervous, take a sip from it. It really helps.

- Take a really good book, a newspaper, a crossword... Anything that readily distracts you, and concentrate on that from the moment you sit down. Don't rely on electronic equipment, it needs to be turned off at critical times. The more things the better, as sometimes a particular book just doesn't work, where another might.

- Don't worry about panicking too much about it before boarding. The more you think about it, the more it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

- In more extreme cases, propranolol and/or benzodiazepines.