IT’S fair to say even the most seasoned of many travellers struggle to stay calm sitting in a confined space at 35,000 feet, especially when turbulence hits.
For some, though, the mere thought of boarding a plane is anxiety inducing and enough to turn them into nervous wrecks.
In a bid to help their passengers beat flight anxiety and travel with minimum stress, Virgin Australia has launched a new, Australian-first Nervous Flyers program.
To protect passenger’s privacy, all they have to do to take part in the program, available on all Virgin Australia-operated flights when booked at least seven days in advance of travel, is tick a box when booking a flight.
A special symbol will then appear on the digital boarding passes of passengers who have identified as nervous flyers and they will have access to a range of extra support from the airline, inclusing includes personalised emails with health and wellness advice and technical information, a positive affirmation text the day before the flight and the ability to access meditations on the in-flight entertainment system.
Cabin crew will also check in during the flight to provide extra reassurance.
With statistics showing more than one in 10 passengers feel uneasy about flying, Virgin said they are dedicated to supporting their passenger’s health and wellbeing.
“Our research tells us more than 11 per cent of our guests experience high levels of nervousness about travelling, and that they want information and support to help them through their next flight,” said Virgin’s acting chief operations officer, Stuart Aggs.
“The Nervous Flyers program allows us to connect with our passengers throughout a number of touchpoints during their journey. Whether it’s sharing breathing techniques from one of our expert partners or a video to help put passengers at ease about turbulence, we want our guests to know we care and we’re here to support them.”
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