Charlotte Foster
Travel Tips

Pilot shares why nervous flyers should always book the first flight of the day

A pilot has shared her ultimate travel hack for nervous flyers, revealing why anxious travellers should aim to get the first early morning flight. 

Morgan Smith, a Boeing 737 pilot, claims that flying in the morning can greatly reduce the amount of turbulence you feel in the air. 

In an interview with the New York Times, Ms Smith said that morning flights are less likely to be turbulent because of the effects of rising heat.

She said, “As the day warms into the afternoon, heat rising off the land increases the chance for turbulence near the ground and turbulence caused by storms.”

Morgan also had a couple of other suggestions for those worried about shaky plane journeys, offering some reassurance on the minimal danger of turbulence. 

She added, “The only thing people should fear from turbulence is possibly spilling their drink on a flight.”

“Most injuries from turbulence come from people being out of their seats or not having their seatbelts on when it gets bumpy. So keep your seatbelt fastened, and don’t set your drink on your laptop.”

Others have also shared that sitting towards the front of the plane can reduce the effects of turbulence, no matter what time of day you fly. 

A flight attendant told Sun Online Travel, “For anyone who is really scared of turbulence, my advice would be to sit as close to the front of the plane as possible because it acts like a wave.

“What starts as a slight bump at the front of the aircraft can feel much worse by the time it reaches the rear.

“Sometimes passengers at the front won’t even be aware of anything, while those at the back get really badly shaken up.”

Image credits: Getty Images

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travel tips, pilot, anxiety, turbulence