Claustrophobia
 

Thanks to everyone for all the helpful suggestions. It was so kind of you to give your good advice.

I too am claustrophobic but am able to use a combination of traveling in the last row of the premium cabin, selecting window seats/suites, keeping busy (laptop, gameboy, aeriel photography, etc). I also use a number of mind over matter techniques, like meditation, yoga, or at the other extreme, treating the phobia like a schoolyard oponent that needs his face smashed in and his balls crushed between my DM's and the concrete ground - a bit drastic, one may opine, but rather an effective technique if one is unable to be seated in a premium cabin. ;)

Thanks for your great suggestions. I just booked our flights and got bulkhead seats on both -- according to United, there is an empty row in front of us, and three rows of crew rest area before that. I feel so much better hearing advice from a fellow claustrophobic.