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Taking Off — Minus the Stress
Power Trip · December 14, 2003

Flying can be a nerve-racking experience, with its intrusive security screenings, cranky crew members, and antagonistic passengers. Never mind those queasy feelings you may get during takeoffs and landings and when there's turbulence in the air.

It's enough to stress you out. In fact, a recent study of business travelers conducted by Alertness Solutions, a Cupertino, Calif., consulting firm, found that being on the road deprives you of sleep and can make you as much as 20% less productive.

But unlike a visit to the dentist, tax auditor, or your in-laws, air travel isn't the kind of event where the stress levels are constant, or even predictable. No, flying is all about the peaks and valleys — hours of waiting punctuated by moments of extraordinary consternation.

Hyperbole? I wish it were.

Treating the symptoms

But here's what sticks in my craw — and yours too, probably. The relaxation industry — the folks who sell yoga tapes, aromatherapy kits and other de-stressing remedies — would have us believe that air travel can be less fraught with tension if we'd just purchase one of their products. You see them at the airport, offering quickie massages, herbal supplements and "how-to" books.

While researching this column, I sampled some of the anti-stress products marketed to frequent travelers. The most common item is probably the aromatherapy candle. With scents like lavender and cloves, the trinkets are meant to soothe frazzled road warriors by making them believe they're lying in a tranquil meadow or wandering through a forest.

But that's hardly practical. I mean, when is the last time you tried to light a candle in an airport terminal? How about on a plane? Try it, and you'd probably find yourself sharing a cell with a hijacker faster than you can say "patchouli."

Put differently, the de-stressing solutions don't do an effective job of treating the misgivings we have about air travel because they don't address what makes flying so unpleasant.

Here are the five most stressful moments on a plane trip and what really does work to reduce your anxiety.

Checking in. You can feel your blood pressure start to rise the moment you trudge through those automatic doors at the airport, past the dense cloud of cigarette smoke generated by passengers, airport workers and others on break. Next, there's a long line to stand in. Along the way you're wondering: Will I get a seat on this flight? Is my plane going to leave on time? Will I make my connection? Is the ticket agent going to stick me with a middle seat?

How to de-stress: Advance planning — not a pill or eye patch — will work wonders here. Don't use the same entrance everyone else does (at my airport in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for example, there are always a few entrances to the main terminal that no one else seems to use). Get an advance seating assignment and use the electronic kiosk for a boarding pass, if possible. And go online to your airline's Web site to find out if your flight is leaving on time.

Security screening. It's one thing to deal with the hassle of being processed through a long security line. Take off your shoes. Empty your pockets. Pull out your laptop computer. But the real stress happens when you get an "SSSSS" mark on your luggage tag and a not-so-sincere "Congratulations, you've been selected for special screening" from the ticket agent. Having your bags unpacked, rummaged through, repacked and grilled by a magnetometer is really enough to put anyone over the top, especially if you're running a little late for your flight. Believe me, I've been there.

How to de-stress: Slow down. Haste, as Benjamin Franklin once said, makes waste. And he never even had to deal with the Transportation Security Administration. Check out the TSA Web site before flying to make sure you'll pass through the security checkpoint smoothly. Don't let the uniforms or the pace of the line ruffle you. Make eye contact with your screener, smile and say "hello" — even if the person doesn't acknowledge you — and follow the instructions deliberately and carefully. Trying to rush through a screening tends to prolong the experience, because you end up forgetting something on the conveyor belt.

Boarding. Regardless of which airline you're flying with, there always seems to be a mad dash to board the plane if a gate agent as much as casts a wayward glance toward the jet-way door. Making matters worse, there are usually several frequent fliers at the counter who believe they're entitled to a first-class seat, waiting impatiently for an upgrade. Add a ground crew just trying to get the flight under way, and you have the airport equivalent of pure chaos. On a recent flight from Fort Lauderdale to Islip, N.Y., our gate agent referred to the mess as "the circus" — and it was. People in line were pushing each other, arguing, even jousting for a better position. Come on, folks.

How to de-stress: Take a deep breath. Patience really is a virtue during the boarding process. If you have a boarding pass and are at the gate, there's no need to worry about missing your flight. You won't. Concerned about there being enough room in the overhead bin for your luggage? Here's a little tip: I stow my luggage in the bin further up front, before the other passengers have boarded the flight. There's no rule that says my bag has to go in the overhead bin above my seat. Plus, there's usually room in the forward bins. (Note: Don't try this on a full flight and always obey the cabin crew.)

Takeoff and landing. The two most dangerous parts of your flight are arguably takeoff and landing. I've watched people clutch their armrest, close their eyes, pray, and even grab my arm in quiet desperation during at the beginning and end of a flight. Never mind that airline travel is statistically the safest way to get around. Never mind that the in-between — being wedged into tiny seats and starved — is probably more painful. This is a double shot of stress, no doubt about it.

How to de-stress: In order to really tackle this problem, you have to address your aerophobia. You can treat the symptoms of it with sedatives, but if you're traveling on business it's not an elegant solution, because you'd be in no position to drive yourself to your destination or attend a meeting. Here's where a good psychologist might help. There are also any numbers of workshops that assist you in overcoming your fear of flying.

Finding your luggage. The last but certainly not least stressful moment of an airline flight is when you've arrived but haven't collected your checked-in luggage yet. Did your bags make it? Maybe, maybe not. The airline industry mishandled 1.8 million bags in 2002, or about 4 bags per 1,000 passengers, according to the Department of Transportation. Watching people at the luggage claim area, you can't help but feel sympathetic toward them. As the carousel turns, their eyes dart back and forth, scanning for their possessions. Will they ever see them again? I like to call this portion of the trip the "carousel craze."

How to de-stress: Relax. Most lost bags are eventually found, and airlines typically reimburse you for toiletries and clothing when they've misplaced your luggage. It's a small consolation when you're traveling with important product samples or items needed for a presentation. The only other way to remove this stress is to ship your bags to your destination instead of entrusting it to an airline.

Am I saying that these are the only ways you can deal with stress on the road? Of course, not.

Even professionals like Cynthia Speakman, a travel agent from Crescent City, Calif., use these common-sense tips in tandem with other de-stressing remedies. On a recent trip back home from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, for instance, she had a two-hour stopover. "I had been walking for seven days straight doing site inspections, and my ankles were the size of redwood tree stumps," she says. She found an oxygen bar and boutique that offered foot massages, "which relieved the pain tremendously."

If only removing the rest of the pain was that easy.

Christopher Elliott is a travel commentator based in Key Largo, Fla. All e-mailed questions may be edited, condensed or republished at the site's discretion.

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