Name one thing that stresses you the most when flying

[notnamed]

Without a doubt the other people seated around me. Will there be a crying baby? Will there be someone with an illness coughing all over? Will there be someone who spills over into my seat? Someone who doesn't understand personal hygeine? Etc

[animalcrazy]

The biggest stress of flying starts the night before when I know I have to endure a torturous day. After I'm on the plane then I think about how and where we're going to crash I hate hate hate flying.

[survivingearth]

Originally Posted by notnamed

Without a doubt the other people seated around me. Will there be a crying baby? Will there be someone with an illness coughing all over? Will there be someone who spills over into my seat? Someone who doesn't understand personal hygeine? Etc

That's a good one. You never know who is setting next to you. It really pisses me off when the person starts couching, i can't help but to thing i going to get sick by the time the plane lands.

[Camaro5]

Since I'm impatient by nature I would say waiting. Waiting in the TSA line, waiting board the plane, waiting to get off the plane, waiting for luggage, waiting in the car rental line, etc. etc. Some trips (and airlines) are worse than others.

Some of the lines you can work around like with priority boarding, and seats in the front of the plane. Hertz Gold is good too and you can go right to your car.

The worst of the worst (for me) is when a flight gets delayed. That is the worst stress out of everything.

[Scratch33]

That person who absolutely positively believes their carryon bag must fit in the overhead, and will hold up the rest of the boarders in order to make it so.

[Norne]

Americans who whine just about everything during a flight. The seat's too narrow, the flight is too long, the food is too bad etc. I LOVE flying. But whenever I hear someone speak English next to me on a flight, I expect it will be another crybaby from the US.

[Hypersion]

Originally Posted by beachmouse

My husband's inability to get to the airport on time. Yes, I know we're only 15 minutes from podunk field, and we've never had more than a five minute TSA line there, but an hour before departure is really not the time that you need to wash the cat before we go.

+1 I did not have this issue until I got married. Only I have a 75 mile drive though bay area traffic, It take 15 minutes to find parking and another 15 minutes to take a shuttle to the airport. The line to check in bags is always long and slow. Same with security. The walk to the gate is also another good 15 minutes or so.
The late time we were getting ready to leave and we were already late in leaving my SO starting vacuuming the house.

[LarsMac]

People sitting behind me, who have no "indoor voice" who spend the entire flight incessantly talking about nothing in particular, very loudly.

[Aery11]

Airports, finding a parking spot (and paying for it when I return) and all the associated 'before you get on the flight' stuff.


I used to be afraid of flying (for good reasons actually) but after being smart enough (years ago when the airport stuff wasn't so bad) to be hired by a company that paid for all my flying and requiring me to do it almost every week for years, in all types of weather, all types of planes, etc., and spending a fair bit of time in cockpits watching and talking to the pilots, I got pretty blasé about being hurtled through space and time in a small metal tube.


I actually like turbulence (within reason and not severe CAT) because it feels much more natural to me than calm air - and reassures me somehow that we are still up there doing just fine on a cushion of air. I always keep my seatbelt fastened when in my seat though .. just in case.


And, thanks but no thanks to any 15 hour flights. And, thanks but no thanks to sitting next to someone who is sick with flu or worse even for an hour. I really don't want to spend my time at the other end sick for a week.

[Jo48]

Not having an aisle seat and cannot stand on the seat to reach the overhead bin to put my carry on. As a Senior Petite (5'1") female, I have found taller women, whatever their age, will help me far more than MEN will.