The Best Airlines for Nervous Flyers

• Bounce.com has ranked the top international airlines for nervous fliers.
• The new ranking factors in carriers’ safety records, cabin crew, and passenger comforts.
• Three airlines based in Asia nabbed the top spots as the best options for nervous travelers.

Flying can feel like a scary proposition, even for seasoned travelers. But it’s important to remember that several generations of very smart engineers have constructed extremely sturdy aircraft for wildly experienced pilots to fly from point A to point B. Plus, the statistics are there to back it up that flying is abundantly safe.

Still, if you’re nervous, there are some airlines that are better suited for you. And Bounce.com has the list of the best ones.

The website revealed its list of the best airlines for nervous fliers. It created its ranking by first looking at data from SeatGuru to find the average seat pitch and width of economy seats across all aircraft types. It then collected the average airline review score from Skytrax and the safety score from Airline Ratings. 

Next, it surveyed 2,000 UK residents, asking them questions like, “Are you a nervous flier,” and to rate the importance of things like how friendly a cabin crew is, the meal service, if there are pillows and blankets available, and if it matters if there are loud people around you. 

After looking at all the data and the survey results, it named Singapore Airlines the most stress-free of all for nervous fliers. 

“Singapore Airlines takes the top spot, and it’s easy to see why,” the findings noted. “With perfect review and safety ratings, alongside an overall stress-free score of 8.94 out of 10, this airline excels in passenger experience.” It added that the airline’s most standout feature is its generous seat width at 17.5 inches in economy class, giving you “more room to relax on long-haul flights.” Bounce also noted that the airline provides passengers with in-flight meditation playlists to help them relax as an added bonus. 

Following closely behind is Korean Air, which received an impressive stress-free score of 8.82 out of 10. “Korean Air is another strong contender for nervous [fliers]. The airline provides one of the most generous economy seat pitches at 32.5 inches, meaning more legroom than competitors like Cathay Pacific (32.0 inches) and Japan Airlines (31.7 inches),” the findings added. 

Rounding out the top three is Cathay Pacific, which nabbed a stress-free score of 8.57. “Like the top two, this airline doesn’t have a dedicated nervous [flier] program, but it offers relaxation playlists on board to help ease anxiety,” Bounce explained. “However, it is the only airline in the top three to have an official partnership with Headspace, which allows it to provide meditation support while in the sky.” 

Just in case you need more advice on how to have a better flying experience, we’ve got you. Here are 32 tips to make a long-haul flight more comfortable.