Nervous of flying alone to Australia from UK

[BigRooLittleRoo]

Hi - I’m hoping for some wisdom! I’m wary 60s and not well travelled. Don’t like flying and not confident at airports etc. Always had OH with me but things are ending after 30 years. 😣 My adult DC, only family, is in Australia and wants me to go over for 1-3 months. After a v difficult time with my marriage, it is appealing. But I’m v nervous of undertaking the long flight. I had a friend who went over and had terrible turbulence and was terrified, which doesn’t help! What if I get there and can’t face the flight back!! 😫

Is it best to do the trip in one go? I kind of lean towards that rather than a lengthy stop-off, alone in some airport.

Is there a better time of day/night to depart (or do you have to go with what’s available)?

I could potentially afford first class - would that be worth it?

Many thanks!

I think too OP, when you've done it once, you'll be fine so this time I reckon you need to just take a deep breath and do it and then you'll have the confidence to go for it in future. And what better incentive could there be but to see your lovely DS when you arrive? That alone would be enough to entice me onto the plane.

Good choice going for business class. On a long flight it's so much more comfortable and spacious, with better food and you get more attentive service too, which it sounds like you might appreciate.

One tip for the jet lag - I find valerian tablets help. When I want to go to sleep, I take two and it helps those first few difficult nights in a different timezone. Some people use melatonin, but I haven't tried that. Valerian you can get in Boots, Holland and Barrett, etc under the brand name Kalms.

I did it on my own at 18, it was fine. Just view it as getting onto a big bus 🤷‍♀️ Same thing really.

I hope you go and find its really exciting and want to go again.

Rather than go first class, just pay for my ticket and ill go with you, hold your hand and take care of everything for you :) have suitcases to hand and plenty of friends/family in Australia to stay with

Ah thank you @ivykaty44 but I have been rather convinced of the benefits of Business Class 😊

I think business class would be a wonderful way to travel through Australia. Have a wonderful time ☺️

I’ve done that trip a lot on my own, but I’m a very experienced traveller. Starting with flying to Australia at age 7.

I try for at least Business class because cattle class is awful (Hell is other people) and I’ve been upgraded to First occasionally. The difference between First and Business is worlds away. Depending on your airline of course. So if you can afford First, do it.

But otherwise put on you big girl pants. Really.

if you fly Business or First with, say QANTAS, you’ll have lounge access and there is plenty of information. And if you’re nervous inflight I find getting mildly sloshed always helps. And sleep.

Never been to Australia but I got into a fear of flying mentality in my 30s after several family bereavements always involving flying to see very ill relatives/ arrange funerals/ do probate etc. Being at stanstead airport waiting to board a flight on 9/11 didn’t help either. Anyway, I borrowed BA’s Flying with Confidence book form the library and did the course via the book, it really really helped. Have aloo at it, it’s co written by a pilot and a psychologist. I also found it helpful to do one very short flight ( London to Belfast) to get back into it. Good luck.

@BigRooLittleRoo
just wondering if you made the trip and if so how it went.