Many people who have never been on a plane are pretty stressed out about the entire concept. They have this fear that airline travel is this huge monster that is there to chew them up and spit them out. While it can be quite frustrating at times, there are a few things you can do to make the trip more enjoyable.
If you know that you will have a hard time handling the flight, you may want to consider taking a sleep aid. This is not a good idea if you are going somewhere relatively close, because you want to be refreshed when you reach your destination. Many airport duty-free shops have some if you realize you forgot to bring some from home. It is best to take it once the plane takes off so you will have a better chance of sleeping through the entire trip.
Do not grab the seat in front of you. This can be particularly difficult to resist, because there may be no other way you can think of to calm yourself. You do not want to do this because it may disturb the person in the seat in front of you. Flying for the first time is stressful enough without having to worry about is getting into an altercation with someone else.
Make sure to look behind you before you recline your seat. If you notice that the person behind you is using the tray, it may be a good idea to leave your seat in the up position. While the chairs recline to make things more relaxing, you have to respect other passengers. Failing to do that can add a lot of stress to an already nerve-wracking experience.
If you do not want to talk to the person next to you, wear some headphones. There doesn't have to be any music or anything. The idea is that they will see that you do not want to be disturbed. On that same note, try to avoid conversation with someone that is reading or wearing headphones. Many people do not want to be bothered while they are in flight, so make sure you have a few things with you to keep you occupied.
Use online check-in before you reach the airport. This will eliminate one of the long lines you may have to stand in. Going through security can sometimes take a very long time. Checking in early means you can go directly to the security gate without having to speak to an airline representative or go to a kiosk. All you have to do is visit the airline website, fill in all of the relevant information and print your boarding pass.
While these tips may not help someone who has a chronic fear of flying, it may help ease the tension for many others. Flying can be very new and exciting, and there is no need to be afraid. These tips will help make your flight so great that you may end up wanting to take trips more often.