Cancelled next years holiday abroad

[YellowphantGrey]

And feel awful about it.

Trying to convince myself a UK holiday will be ok bur I know it won't.

We've just returned from disaster holiday after two horrific flights. Holiday itself was fine but the flights were absolutely horrific. People in tears, screaming, crying, my kindle screen broken, DH hurt his back, people throwing up, all from 2 hours worth of severe turbulence on a 4 hour flight and Pilot had to speak several times. It was a night flight and all lights went out and emergency floor strip lights came on. He ended up having to fly lower to try and avoid and was prepared to divert when it started becoming clearer.

On the way over, it was an hours worth of turbulence and not as bad but still took some quite big drops, everyone lifted out of their seats on each drop. Couldn't land and had to retry which was successful second time round.

We decided today after we are all bruised and shaken that we don't really want to fly again but I'm also worried my DS will now be restricted in life and we should be forcing ourselves back on a plane.

Any ideas what to do? I don't think any sort of scared of flying course would help as even the cabin crew were crying yesterday! Apparently turbulence is set to become more frequent, common and extreme.

Cruises are a definitive no as well.

I suppose we could train or drive?

traffic jams and more risks with ground based transport, yes the hours early does take the biscuit i prefer to be at the airport and on the plane within an hour

I see in the work place a general reduction in quality, diligence, and care from workers, and at the same time the corporations are getting rid of their experienced workforce replacing them with lower wage unskilled workers - which they claim they can do because of automation. Companies are requiring more from workers, skilled and unskilled, which cause workers to cut corners to meet productivity requirements. Exhibit A is Boeing and its contractors.

The near misses on the runways leads me to believe there is a air traffic controller quality problem - short staffed, covering too much, long shifts.

I do think there is a general brain fog problem, too, maybe from having Covid, I don't know. I just know pre-2020 there was a certain level of work product and now that level has dropped for even as simple things as multiple typos in business emails.

Something has changed. Just an observation.

Well you’re asking for opinions and and you’re not unreasonable to be put off flying but on the other hand, it literally is limiting to only go to the UK and Europe. Flying is safe. Turbulence is normal. If you’re uncomfortable with it, then don’t do it.

That sounds horrific - I'm terrified of flying and never do it unless there's no other feasible way of getting somewhere. And I've never even had a terrible experience like that, I just convince myself we're going to crash anyway. I've only flown a handful of times in my life (fewer than 10, probably) and only ever in summer (I've convinced myself it's safer - less likelihood of bad weather, ice, fog etc). But if turbulence is really set to become so commonplace then I don't know if I'll ever fly again!

The Man in Seat 61 is your friend for foreign holidays without flying.

Some of my best hot weather getaways without flying:
Greece - Eurostar, Train, Ferry and Bus
Portugal - Coach (wouldn't necessarily recommend that - 42 hours on a coach)
Russia - Eurostar and very long Train ride including sleeper trains
Morocco - Eurostar, Train, Ferry, Train

Your carbon footprint is massive, you need to look for ways to neutralize it.

It's good that you will not fly again.

So sorry this happened to you, it sounds absolutely terrifying. I was always a very nervous flyer but post COVID I don't want to be on a plane due to being OCD about catching something. Also have a dog now so holiday in the UK so the dog can come with us.
I have a friend who works as cabin crew and the stories about the behaviour of some passengers are truly shocking. They never have a flight without someone kicking off about something, I don't know what comes over people on airline flights but they just get out of control, I don't want to be around it or witness it.
As holidays abroad sound important to you I would do Eurostar or take a ferry and drive.

Is it necessary to be so deprecating? It sounds like a distressing experience, and yes, of course, you are safer in the air than driving on the roads, but some empathy would not go amiss.

I've never been on a flight where anyone has kicked off about anything, and I'm used to flying several times a year. As are two of my children, and they haven't experienced that either.

Ours was Leeds.

Our pilot did say that we might experience some turbulence from the storms in Majorca, as we headed to mainland Spain, but there wasn't anything.

As well as the hypnotherapy, which has been amazing flightradar is great for being able to see just how many planes are in the sky, the vast majority with no issues, those that need to circle before landing and those that are diverted.

Comforting.

Will you support your children to address this. Although I was a nervous flier, I made sure my children are not. It is important that they have choices about flying.

Oh, sorry, just seen that you are afraid of boats so half of my trip suggestions won't work. There's plenty of train or bus only options but it does limit you a bit more. Greece is still achievable by train only.

She got injured as she went back to her seat. She had her back to the passengers, went to sit down, plane dropped and and rocked and she got flung to the side and was down for a few seconds, helped up by the other cabin crew person.

You can always rtft where I've explained this?

Indeed. 😂

And for the third time, she was hurt during the turbulence, when we landed, she was taken off first, I'm assuming to be checked over.

What is your issue?

I don't have an issue, do you?

He was upset when we got off the plane but again it's the same for him, he got hurt and is bruised this morning, he was unnerved by everyone else's behaviour.

He's still more than happy to fly but it's me and DH that can't decide if it's worth it hence cancelling the holiday and looking alternatives.

There's been some good suggestions on here amongst the usual dickheads

I'm sure it's been said but inter railing thrughout Europe is always an option

OK. Not buying it but still here commenting.

I really don't care for your opinion tbh. Not sure why you feel the need to keep commenting, but if it's giving you a boost in life, go wild.

Happened on a flight I was on once, turbulence was atrocious, people were screaming and praying, one man had an open head wound bleeding all over the place. One of the cabin crew got a bit tearful. It may surprise you to learn this but they are actually human beings, not robots, and despite extensive training sometimes high stress situations can get to them. HTH.

Sorry you had such a shit experience OP (and for all the losers LARPing as fucking Poirot at 1am because they've got nothing better to do), there's loads of lovely places you can get to in Europe by train!

Ever get an irrational fear?!

This is something I'd like to do, friends have done it this year so going to pick their brains as well. Definitely going to investigate it further.

You lost me at “suppused climate change”. Can’t take anything seriously with that.

Train to the south of France. I’ve done it dozens of times and it’s fab!