Hi all

Im terrified of flying, so much so that i cancelled one of my holidays last year because i knew i had to fly, i was wondering if anyone has tried one of those fear of flying programmes? ive seen virgin do them and wanted to know if its worth the money?

thanks

I don’t personally know anyone who’s used a fear of flying program to help get them over their fears; however, I have done some research on it. From what I’ve read, it sounds as if these programs are a form of exposure therapy, which I have heard can work rather well (no guarantee, of course). I read more specifically into the program that Virgin Air is currently offering and it seems to work, but it really depends on the person and how crippling the fear is. In one article I read by Gillian Bevis about a group that tried the program and it did work for some of them, but there was one gentlemen “who displayed the most crippling fear” (Bevis) and this one session did not help to rid him completely of his fear; however, he did get onto the plane at the end of the day. So it seems that this program did work for him; though, not to the extent that it helped others. It really depends on the person and the extent of their phobia, but reading through the testimonials and other articles, it seems as people do get aid from participating in these programs.

I have also found that they are conducting the programs virtually, which have also been a help to those who use them. In 2004 a follow-up study was conducted by C. Botella, J. Osma, A. Garcia-Palacios, S. Quero and R.M. Baños that showed that all of the participants of the original study, after five months of completing the treatment, were able to fly in comfort (Botella et al, 320). The article goes on to explain, “None of the participants took any medication or other substances (alcohol) to control their anxiety during the flight.” (Botella et al, 320). So this may be another option you may want to look into. As I said previously, a lot of these courses and programs depends on the person and how sever the phobia is, but both of these techniques seem quite promising.

In my opinion, it never hurts to try something out. If you have the money to proceed with the program it would certainly be something to look into further. I suggest contacting Virgin Air and/or other airlines with these programs and ask about their success rates. They may have statistics available for you to view, which is something you’ll certainly want to look into if they’re available. I would certainly gather more information about the different programs and see which one would best suit you. Again, it seems as if these programs are helpful to some and is worth looking into.


Bevis, G. (2008, Dec 30). Do 'fear of flying' courses really work? Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/articl...work.html.

Botella, C. C., Osma, J. J., Garcia-Palacios, A. A., Quero, S. S., & Baños, R. M. (2004). Treatment of flying phobia using virtual reality: data from a 1-year follow-up using a multiple baseline design. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 11(5), 311-323. doi:10.1002/cpp.404

thanks for all the help, i might invest in the virgin programme, its not that pricey for what it might do.

When I was looking up Virgin's prices it didn't seem that bad at all. I was actually expecting it to cost a lot more than what it ended up being; though, I can't remember the price off-hand. I also believe you get a CD and/or DvD that's supposed to help with the anxiety which is nice. I also read that there's a special station for those with a fear of flying to listen to while they're on the flight that's very reassuring and calming (I think this was on Virgin's site). It's certainly something to look into. If you do end up taking the program, you'll have to let us know how it worked out for you.

i had a quick check today and its only £249, a small price for what it can do and yes you get a relaxation cd and booklet, food and drink for the day as well as everything you need to know about an aircraft, how it works etc, then you get a 45 minute plane trip as well, they have a 98% success also

It actually sounds like fun, never mind being theraputic.

(07-22-2011 08:21 PM)Snooks Wrote:  It actually sounds like fun, never mind being theraputic.

Ditto

(07-22-2011 08:14 PM)Budweiser_072000 Wrote:  i had a quick check today and its only £249, a small price for what it can do and yes you get a relaxation cd and booklet, food and drink for the day as well as everything you need to know about an aircraft, how it works etc, then you get a 45 minute plane trip as well, they have a 98% success also

98%? Wow! Good luck with whatever you decide upon.

Thats really cool they offer something like that. Being afraid is all too common so its good they are starting to look at that and help people. Good luck and let us know if you go through with it and if it helped you!

and welcome to Ofear of course!