Fear of Flying

[Peppergirl]

I hestitate to put this in the sucky customer thread, because the guy was actually very nice, but it was definitely a 'WTF' situation - so here goes:

Guy calls yesterday and tells me he needs to change his flight due to a 'fear of flying'. I ask for his name and the date of travel so that I can pull it up. He's flying from Louisville, KY to Tokyo, Japan! And he's travelling today, meaning he's calling a day ahead of the flight to inform us that he's afraid to fly and wants to change it.

So, I look at the routing and the fare, plus the ticket date - which tells me when it was booked. The flight was to depart Louisville on a small 50 seater jet to Detroit, then change planes to a newer Boeing 747, (which is a whopping 400 passenger plane) for the long flight to Tokyo.

He seemed to have issue with the small jet to Detroit, so he wanted to drive to Detroit from Louisville and catch the large plane directly from there. For those who don't live in the US - it's about a 4 hour drive.

I look at the ticketing date, and it was ticketed back in mid-December, for about 800.00 US. It's unfortunate, but when you make a last-minute change to a flight like this, the airline charges you a 200.00 US penalty plus the difference based upon the current days fare. And YES, even though he simply wanted to just not take the first plane, they would make him pay the difference. The current rate of the ticket was well over 3,000.00 US.

Because the guy was really being nice, I decided to try to call the airline to plead his case, even though I knew he didn't have a snowballs-chance-in-hell that they'd help him.

I was right.

I got back to the line and apologized and advised him the airline would not budge, and that he'd have to take the scheduled flight. I also directed him to some websites that offer tips for travellers with a fear of flying. He was grateful and I felt kinda bad for him.

I guess my 'WTF' issue is this: Why would you wait a MONTH after you schedule and ticket a trip, to call the DAY before travel and advise you're afraid to fly? Particularly on a long, international flight! If he had let us know when it was booked that he was afraid, particularly of smaller planes, we could have routed him on larger planes and at least eased his nervousness a bit. But to call the day before travel when you've had the ticket a month??

Poor guy. I find myself wondering how he did.

[Gurndigarn]

e seemed to have issue with the small jet to Detroit, so he wanted to drive to Detroit from Louisville and catch the large plane directly from there. For those who don't live in the US - it's about a 4 hour drive.

Closer to six, I believe, unless you catch construction/rush hour traffic, and assuming that you're in the vicinity of the speed limit.

[rerant]

Poor guy. I find myself wondering how he did.

My guess? Booze.

[RetailWorkhorse]

^ And valium. Lots. And LOTS. Of Valium.

[Peppergirl]

Closer to six, I believe, unless you catch construction/rush hour traffic, and assuming that you're in the vicinity of the speed limit.

True. I guess I was using myself as an example. I can make it to Detroit from Cincinnati in 3 hours, and Louisville is 1.5 from Cincy. Course, I'm not one for obeying speed limits.

[Stockholm Syndrome]

My guess? Booze.

Could be. This is the only way I used to be able to fly. I'd get to the airport at least an hour earlier than I needed to so I could head to a bar in the terminal.

[bigjimaz]

My theory is that his travel may have been booked by a secretary/personal assistant and he actually didn't know until the last minute that he was indeed on a Embraer or Canadair Jet or even worse, a prop plane as they still use these for small trips. (I flew from my local airport to Cincinatti, Ohio a few months ago on a Douglas DC-6 which, considering my 54 years on this planet, was my first time in a propeller driven plane. I was a year younger than the aircraft)

I would be the direct opposite of him. I prefer these small intimate planes as opposed to the huge sardine can 737/747/757/777 jets. Mostly because I am a big guy, I can sit alone (usually these small planes have only 3 seats in a row, one seat on one side [which is always the one I choose] and 2 on the other side of the aircraft) and stretch out as I wish and not bother someone who happens to be sitting beside me on a large jet. (admit it, you don't want to set next to a fat guy who likes to talk) Also these small jets, having fewer passengers, tend to be on time more often and they can be loaded/unloaded with passengers/luggage quicker.

[1756GR2]

I'll have to admit to having one of those awful moments that, even in later days, makes you want to go hide when you think about it.

I'm claustrophobic. Because I was a top rank in sales one particular year, my bonus was a cruise. I had to fly from Pennsylvania to Florida to get the boat. My best friend was coming along with me, and I'd psyched myself up for flying, was fairly certain I could do it particularly since she'd be with me. I was shaky, but I got down the jetway, saw the plane (not huge, not small) and started to go into it, but could NOT get through the door. Abject terror, despite the flight attendant's assurances that "God flies with us." (I'm sure He does, but I'm having problems with spending time in a small tin human-mailing tube.)

I couldn't go. Came just this close to passing out. Left the terminal and went home, embarrassed and angry with myself. I'd have paid anything right then to have been able to take the train instead.

All the foregoing is just to say that I can sympathize with the guy - if you've got a fear, whether it's flying or small spaces or heights or whatever, you can really convince yourself that you'll do okay, then it can hit you with a force you never expected. Perhaps that's what he experienced - he might have felt brave through the planning stages, thought he could get through it, but at the last minute when it became "real" he knew he couldn't.

[PepperElf]

if he's afraid to fly... how exactly was he going to make it to Tokyo? Unless he's just not afraid of flying over water?


(should i meet him tomorrow when he lands and poke him in the eye for you?)

[RecoveringKinkoid]

My guess? Booze.

I never fly unless I am chemically altered in some way. Usually, I'm just totally drunk. I wonder if the poor guy knew there are always bars in airports. My MO is have a sober handler who can manage me onto the plane without arousing suspicion, that I am in fact shitfaced. Seems to work pretty well for me.

[Shards]

I've always loved flying.

However, as much as I usually love to give the "you're a big boy, go get over it" speech, I usually mean, like, swing as high as you can on a swing to relieve your fear of heights (This is what I did when I was younger, it actually worked!). Stepping into a giant cage in order to be suspended thousands of feet above the ground and rocketed at high velocity from point A to point B isn't something even I could see myself doing if I were afraid of flying, and I do some pretty stupid crap...

I really feel for this guy. I hope he's alright!

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Well, see, my problem is not that I'm afraid of heights. I'm not.

I'm afraid of being locked into a tiny metal tube surrounded by insanely flamable fuel and thrown around in the clouds with no visible means of support.

You can't get out of a plane. You're locked in as surely as if you were sealed up like Han Freaking Solo in a block of frozen metal. "Premature Burial" comes to mind. Only the nice thing about being buried alive is that you aren't likely to burn to death while you are trapped.

Screw that. Pass the tequila.

Wanna know how I scare myself? Most people just go to see Saw or something. I go down to Charleston and stare at the Hunley.

[ArenaBoy]

I hate flying. Just makes me uncomfortable. I feel more in control if I'm driving. I don't care if flying is safer I still have my mental paranoias that will get the better of me.

[tollbaby]

Not having read the three pages of responses, I'd say the guy came to crunch time, and freaked out... My boyfriend gets like that whenever he has to fly (unfortunately, there's an ocean between us, so he *has* to fly to visit). Usually he calls me from his house before he leaves for the airport so I can calm him down, and then he calls me again from his mobile at the airport That's what actually gets him on the plane

Why didn't you just tell the guy to drive to Denver anyway? He wouldn't be saving any money, but he didn't *have* to take the first flight.... he just had to show up in time for the connection. He just couldn't change his ticket, that's all.

[ArenaBoy]

Forgot to add my thoughts. I think what makes this so widespread is that whenever a crash happens the media goes overboard about it.

Also, there was a Dutch soccer player nicknamed the Non-Flying Dutchman. Why? Because he had a fear of flying and would actually drive or take a train to go to away matches.