Is it weird that I've never been on an aeroplane?

[WhatAPickle11]

I'm 35 and I've never been on an aeroplane. I'm probably in the minority on this but I've been wondering lately if it's quite unusual.

There are a few factors for why I haven't been on an aeroplane. My mum has a fear of heights so as a child our holidays were always by car, coach, ferry or train.

Then when I was 18, I developed an anxiety and panic disorder which made me quite poorly. This went into my 20s. As I got better, I developed my career, learnt to drive, bought my first home and caught up on the social life I'd missed out on before.

I then met my now DH and we started trying for a baby pretty quick into the relationship. 4 and a half years on, we now have two children and have moved house so that's kept us busy.

I'm not scared of flying and I hope I will get to experience it in my lifetime, albeit it could be with my children's first experience of flying too. It's just opportunity and timing. The only other countries I've been to are France, Holland and Belgium. So I'm definitely not a 'travelled' person. Equally I'm still very thankful for the lovely holidays I have had and I don't feel like I've massively missed out really. But if I say to anyone that I haven't been in an aeroplane, they're often really surprised.

Anyone else?

I first took mine abroad when they were 4 and 2. It was great. I’d aim for next year if I was you.
not so much about the actual flying but if you’re willing to strap yourselves in for 3 hours or so then there is so much of europe to enjoy.

I’m a couple of years younger but never been on a plane either although it is on my to do list. Unfortunately I was supposed to fly the day after we locked down due to Covid so still awaiting my first flight which is now looking less likely to be this year

I don’t think it’s weird not to have had the opportunity to travel but this attitude of having no interest in other cultures and the world around you is very weird and not in a good way. Do you really have no interest at all in Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, the Pyramids, the Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House etc? Do you not go to museums or read about/books set in other cultures?

Unusual not weird. V environment though!

environmentALLY FRIENDLY is what I meant

@SarahShorty

What are you smirking about though?

Most of the global population will have never been on a plane, you're not unusual at all, you're in the majority.

You have to be very privileged to think it is odd to never have been on a plane.

@Luredbyapomegranate what am I smirking about? People going into a silent tizzy when they hear someone has not been on a plane before. It's like someone that has discovered the internet for the very first time. It's quite amusing.

I have flown but never been through a commercial airport.
Nearly 60, I have never felt the need to fly away on holiday and don't feel I have missed anything.

By the way, the bit about commercial airport is that I have flown when in the military, out of RAF bases.

Amusing isn’t the vibe I’m getting from you, I have to say.

My grandad first flew at the age of 90! That would have been about 14 years ago I guess.
He was fascinated by the whole thing.

@Luredbyapomegranate oh well. Didn't ask and don't care.

@Cuwins Awww, that's great! Good for him 😊

@WhatAPickle11 it was a church pilgrimage. He said it was over a lot quicker than he expected. Proves it's never to late though, just because you haven't done it yet.

I think it's unusual but nothing wrong with it - as you/others have said there's plenty of other means / great holiday destinations closer to home!
I am the opposite though - I first went on a plane as a v young baby as did my DC and my 5 month old grand daughter has been abroad twice already!

DH grandparents and Mother were flying often in the 1950’s, DH first flew in the 1960’s as a baby. I have family in Hong Kong and America and DH sister lives in Spain so apart for the last 2 years we have always flown a lot. DH also used to travel with work, last count he had visited 120 countries.

My Dad was a child refugee fleeing the Japanese in the 1930’s, he flew here as an immigrant in the 1950’s. My families extensive history of travel has been for work and survival and DH wealthy family mainly for pleasure though I know his Grandfather was sent for work reasons overseas occasionally.

Travel just opens up more experiences and some of those are amazing and some are scary.

You seem very angry about something

Very unusual in this day and age.

im 58 have never flown in a plane, a couple of mini helicopter experiences but thats it. the kids have gone to florida after uni but i cant be bothered by it

I fly for work but haven't been on a plane for leisure in decades. We usually drive to Europe for holidays so my kids have only been on planes once or twice.

I’m nearing retirement. Never been on a plane. Been abroad by ferry. No longer have nor can get a passport.
TBh those queue you see on the news at airports make it seem like a very stressful way to go on holiday 🤣
op don’t worry, there will be things you done/seen that others haven’t. It’s nice we are all different with different experiences.

It's not weird. My parents didn't fly until they were in their 20's (1970's) I had my first flight in my teens (1990's - parent's didn't really like flying so we didn't do it often), my DC's had their first flight when they were <1!

It is, however, probably rather uncommon compared to previous decades, due to flying becoming comparably cheaper.

It'd be interesting to know (to me, anyway!) what age people were when they took their first flight and when!) I'm not sure any studies have been done on it. I often wonder in the 1960's, for example, was the Beatles flight to the USA their first ever flight and trivia like that!

@Luredbyapomegranate oh really? Take it to DMs instead of using this thread. Or better yet, don't and leave me alone. Don't know what your problem is and as said I don't care.

I'm 38 and have never flown or been abroad. I have no great desire to at the moment but I am sure I will at some point. It wasn't that unusual when I was younger - where I grew up most didn't have the money and then I had children and other things took the priority for our money.

It's just an observation. There's no point presenting yourself as finding humour in something, when you are actually angry and, presumably, unhappy about something underneath that. There might not be much you can do about the cause of this, but at the very least, acknowledging the the truth of a situation is the first and only step in moving forward. Which is worth thinking about, even if you can't do anything right now.