Hi Guys,
Not sure if anybody has faced this situation before but I am flying to Hawaii in a months time for holiday. Booked Jetstar during the sale period and now I am panicking as the entire route is above the ocean.
I consider myself well travelled but I have never been on a flight which was entirely above water.
I am considering cancelling the travel plan and will lose at least $3000 in tickets and accommodation.
Anybody out there ever faced a similar situation and how did you overcome it?
On the way to the airport.
What exactly are you afraid of? Think logically and rationally. You should be far more worried about driving to and from the airport if your concerns are your safety and wellbeing.
Look into mindfulness meditation to separate your bodily feelings of anxiety and the thoughts you associate with these feelings
Don't worry so much :)
Back in 2014 in the US 35,398 people died in motor vehicle accidents while 412 died in Air and space transport accidents.
TLDR; I'd be more worried about the cab to the airport than the flight!
You created a new account to post this? This is poor quality content if you ask me.
Yeah seems pretty troll-y
there's life jackets on board the aircraft
hahaha this is the best response
Rest assured, you are more likey to die on the way to the airport. Enjoy your trip!
It will probably hurt less if you crash into water than if you crash into land…
Both will feel like concrete at the point of impact.
Hope this helps your anxiety OP! :D
Over land, there is a good chance they'll find a close airport to divert to. Over the ocean, they'll be shark food for sure.
Hope this helps your anxiety OP! :D
You haven't taken into account the likelihood of Polar Bears
As others have said, statistically flying is one of the safest ways to travel.
And if the plane does crash (which wont happen) it doesn't matter if you are over the ocean or a giant fluffy pillow, the result will be the same
Used to be scared of flying but after soooo many trips - meh
JUST DO IT - AND ENJOY HAWAII
Also it's an aussie airline which is a comforting thing to know
You're right, completely dangerous. Give the tickets to me, I will take one for team and fly for you.
In all seriousness, as others said, you'll be fine. Load up on things to distract you with, books/music.
Or do what that guy on reddit did, when you're at the gate, set Tinder to the min distance, swipe like crazy
BOOM - Mile High Club Achievement unlocked
I have never been on a flight which was entirely above water.
Your worries are misplaced.
You should be worried about any flight that is below water.
Anybody out there ever faced a similar situation and how did you overcome it?
Drugs?
ginger tablets, stops vomiting, noise cancelling headphone and just relax, if you are stressed out take a yoga or similar course first
Commercial aircraft only fly via routes where they can make an emergency landing at a nearby airport.
If you look at the flight path to Hawaii there are islands all along the route which have an airport.
So if there is a standard problem you won't be landing in the water, it will be at an airport.
If you have a huge problem, being on land won't save you.
^This. It's an aviation regulation called ETOPS - Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards*
For more information https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/15728/what-is-e…
so this would be your first international trip i presume seeing that Australia is surrounded 100% by sea ? How can you say that you are well traveled if you never been international ? Unless your only travelling method is by cruise, in that case it would also involve the sea ?
i have traveled to south east asia mostly and it felt like a more secure route compared to this one. you fly over land for most of the part if you fly to that side of the world.
i know that my logic to be afraid about this flight path is poor but i am not able to help it. even while booking i didnt think about it but now when the time has arrived to pack and fly i am dead scared.
Fly to Asia, then to Europe, then to New York, to LA and then to Hawaii … that way you have more land covered. You can also get more miles and more holidays at the same time. Do the reverse to get back to Australia.
you are entertaining your poor logic too much. Stop looking and analysing at flight paths, maps, etc etc
I fly to the US at least 1nce a month, interstate every week, and been to hawaii at least 10 times. Nothing bad in that flight path has happened. A couple of times i've taken advantage of the Jetstar sale to hawaii and even that it went smoothly except for the usual jetstar airport delay.
If it will help you, request for a middle isle, bring your qc bose and listen to some music and or watch a movie, and go to sleep. stop tracking your flight.
What do you do for work? That is a lot of travel!
I basically live in different data centres where the yanky company sends me to.home based in melb for now.
I agree with your proposal. Cancel the $3,000 flights. Don't risk your life. Chalk up the loss to a life lesson in risk management.
"Well travelled"?- where can you travel to from Australia that doesn't involve thousands of kilometres over the ocean?
The outer suburbs!
I've been to Hawaii and it was great. Just do it.
Just a heads up for anyone planning to go - take travel sickness tablets if you are like me and get travel sick on planes. Being sick for the entirety of an overseas flight is a terrible experience…
Just remind yourself you're not flying Malaysian Airlines
they are the first ones now to install extra tracking and I am sure that loss was not their fault. Avoid African airlines unless you carry duct tape…
Oxazepam. Gold standard for flight anxiety with minimal side effects. Anxiety suppression with no CNS effects. Ask your Doctor.
Make sure you have travel insurance too. If you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel.
To deal with long flights I used to take a Valium and then have a couple of beers once on board. Bang, I'm out for a decent chunk of the flight. Works a treat. Note: this was not to combat anxiety but to make the trip go "faster". These days to take my mind off things I have 2 kids under 2 when I travel so I'm preoccupied with them. Maybe I'll try I'm original technique with them …
just watch that tom hanks movie about the plane in/on the hudson river, problem solved
Was it called Cast Away?
was it called snakes on a plane?
OK… please explain?
How in hell would you get to Hawaii any other way.
There is a thing called the Pacific Ocean, and in the middle of said Ocean is Hawaii…
What do you propose… Submarine?
He won't even make it to Tasmania. Better make it Alice Springs these holidays.
What, and risk a Dingo taking his baby?
Do you often refuse to cross rivers in case you get hit by a car?
Yes you should cancel.
How is travelling over water worse than travelling over land?
Don't sleep the night before.. not that you'll be able to if you are that worried.Then sleep it off in the plane. It'll be magical, you close your eyes in Melbourne, and when you open them, you are already in Hawaii. If you do wake up during the flight, just order couple of drinks and go back to sleep. Coward's way out.
Hawaii is an island - what did you think you were going to fly over?
Isn't the rest of the world in or around Australia lol?
just relax, I have been on endless Jetstar flights, safe as ever! Noise cancelling headphones can help, some people take ginger tablets it keeps your contents in your stomach.
And Hawaii is so beautiful i am jealous!
Um, what difference does the ocean make?
You're gonna die if the plane falls out the sky regardless.
Huh, I don't understand? Are you concerned about crashing into the ocean as opposed to crashing into land?
Did you not realise Hawaii is in the middle of the ocean when you booked?
Plane accident over land - almost certain death, probably quick unless you free fall for a bit, but you'll be unconscious with no oxygen and freezing cold.
Plane accident over water - almost certain death, probably quick unless you free fall for a bit, but you'll be unconscious with no oxygen and freezing cold. In the unlikely chance the plane and you survive landing on water, you'll either be rescued or eaten by sharks /freeze to death/drown/dehydrate.
Probably more chance of being killed or suffering a slow death or debilitating injury when actually in Hawaii (or driving to the airport if it's Melbourne).
Hope that helps
The only thing you should be afraid of is bikies
Guess you could ask the hottest flight attendant for a hug during the flight!
Or take a sleeping pill just before you board - wake up in Hawaii! Should anything happen while you're asleep, it'll be completely painless! :P
Thanks all for the replies, I think the OP has received as much assistance as possible for this situation. Comments closed.
Maybe download the Flightradar24 app and consider the thousands of flights over water daily, you have more chance of being killed by being hit by a car.