Best seats for Clautrophobia

[fitmom3]

I just booked a flight to Orlando with JetBlue. I selected the seats behind the emerg exit. I have clautrophobia. I don't mind flying. I just hate when the plane lands and everyone stands up. There are a ton of seat selections left on the flight. Can anyone suggest a nice seat close to the exit AND also a good view for my kiddies. I think we will be looking over the wing with my current selection...

 

[goofy4tink]

Obviously the front of the plane is going to be better for you, but those seats tend to be a bit more expensive. Be careful sitting on the wing, or directly behind it. The view won't be very good for the kids at all.
Besides, you can't sit in an emergency exit row if you are traveling with anyone under 15..and some of those wing seats are in that row.

 

[LUVDZNY2008]

I pay extra to sit in the second row & I make sure I'm sitting in the aisle seat..it costs more but it sure helps with the anxiety

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I agree the front of the plane is where you might feel most comfortable-the kids will have an unobstructed view. Plus you will be one of the first off the plane but one of the last to board since they board from the rear of the plane first.
I love to sit in the first row, AKA the balk head, because it has a lot of leg room. But sometimes these seats are reserved for handicapped and kids flying alone.

 

[SDSorority]

Yep, front is my choice. BUT I do NOT sit in the very front- oftentimes you have a wall in front of you and you cannot put your carryon by your feet. That said, I would pick the 2nd or 3rd row back. That way you can have all of your comfort items at your feet, are close to the bathroom, and are close to the exit. AND by being in the front, you don't see a whole lot of people stand when the plane is on the ground, like you would if you were in the back. I always have DH sit on the isle and I sit by the window. That way, when it's our turn to get up and get our bags out of the overhead bin, he can muscle and push his way through and stop traffic (so to speak) so I can get out. I survive by smiling and saying "would you mind if I get out?" and generally people will let you go.

I had a bad case of claustrophobia on my first flight to Dis back in 2006. It was the first time that I had flown since I was 5-ish and I felt trapped because I had a stranger on the end of our 3-seat row. So if you're one of those that wants to be able to be in the isle, I would make sure that you book a seat on the end.

To also help, I put guided meditation and relaxation music on my ipod, as well as use calming essential oils like lavendar on the shoulders of my shirt. This helps keep me calm. It's not that I'm scared of flying- it's because I get claustrophbic and panic attacks because of that.

 

[prncess674]

I love to sit in the first row, AKA the balk head, because it has a lot of leg room. But sometimes these seats are reserved for handicapped and kids flying alone.

The correct term is bulkhead. Personally staring at a wall for 2 hours is going to do nothing for claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces.) I would sit somewhere between the wing and the front so you can see a wide expanse of space in front of you, see a view out the window, have a place to stow luggage but yet be close enough to the front to disembark promptly

I always have DH sit on the isle and I sit by the window. That way, when it's our turn to get up and get our bags out of the overhead bin, he can muscle and push his way through and stop traffic (so to speak) so I can get out.

Not sure what airline you were flying but as a frequent traveler (twice a week for work) I have rarely seen disorderly conduct that would require someone to push and muscle there way into the aisle. What IS ANNOYING is when "Joe Flyer" in row 8 decides that he should be off first then muscles and pushes past 8 rows of flyers waiting for the FA to open the door just so they can be number 1 off. When these rude Joe Flyers try to push back me waiting patiently in the aisle for the door to open I turn around and ask what the emergency is that requires them to pass. They quickly turn tail and and realize that maybe perhaps we are all waiting for the exact same thing. Unless you are having a panic attack, heart attack or other medical emergency, please wait your turn and disembark in an orderly format according to your row.

 

[bumbershoot]

Not sure what airline you were flying but as a frequent traveler (twice a week for work) I have rarely seen disorderly conduct that would require someone to push and muscle there way into the aisle. What IS ANNOYING is when "Joe Flyer" in row 8 decides that he should be off first then muscles and pushes past 8 rows of flyers waiting for the FA to open the door just so they can be number 1 off. When these rude Joe Flyers try to push back me waiting patiently in the aisle for the door to open I turn around and ask what the emergency is that requires them to pass. They quickly turn tail and and realize that maybe perhaps we are all waiting for the exact same thing. Unless you are having a panic attack, heart attack or other medical emergency, please wait your turn and disembark in an orderly format according to your row.

Agreed.


And unless I'm in a hurry, I just stay seated. Turn my back on the aisle (though looking at the aisle gives us a good education on what a kid in a stroller sees all day!) and just wait. My dad was a Greyhound driver and we spent many a weekend on the bus with him, sitting in the very front, but waiting until everyone was off to leave the bus. Unless you have a tight connection, it's so much more relaxing to just ignore the aisle and wait until you have an empty plane to disembark.

To me, standing in between people is much worse for any latent (generally only shows up on the Nemo subs at Disneyland) claustrophobia I have.

 

[Best Aunt]

Are you familiar with www.seatguru.com? If you know the make and model of the plane you will be on, it has a diagram with details about the seat locations.

If you don't know the make and model of the plane, you usually can get that information by finding your flight on kayak.com. I think you click on DETAILS once you find your flight.

 

[Alexander]

I know exactly what you mean about everyone standing at the same time waiting to get off the plane. If we are seated near the back, I just tell my kids to sit still and we'll wait. We just continue to read or look out the window to avoid that closed in feeling I get when everyone stands waiting to get off.

I completely disagree with a PP who said the bulkhead is bad for someone who doesn't like closed in spaces. The bulkhead offers the most room. You don't feel like you're jammed into a corner and face to face with a wall inches away. You have lots of leg room and no people in front of you. The only downside to the bulkhead as a different poster mentioned is that you cannot place you carryons under the seat in front of you (unless you're on AirTran and they only have a small curtain seperating Business from Coach and you can put your things under the last Business Class seat).

 

[minniecarousel]

Just being on the aisle helps me. I hate sitting by the window, because the "ceiling" is so low. However, the next time I fly, I'm hoping to get something from my doctor for anxiety. I was a mess coming home from WDW last Dec. I'm also hoping that a non-stop will help. It means being on the plane longer at one time, but fewer take-offs & landings.

 

[DOOM1001]

Can someone tell me if I have claustrophobia or anxiety or what.I don't fly that often but about 2-3 years ago I took a plane from FT.Lauderdale to San Francisco and it made a stop in Dallas.Well I was fine on the flight from FTL to Dallas but when I got on the plane in Dallas it ended up having to sit on the runway for about an hour, during that wait that I started getting the feeling like I needed to get out of there,like I just couldn't move my legs in the cramped seat or just keep sitting there until take off and then 3.5 more hours in the air.I literally had to put myself in my happy place and think about something else cause I was very close to having a fit and telling them they need to get me off the plane.Well I made it to take off and once it took off I had a window seat and was able to look out,so after about 5 minutes in the air the anxiety or claustrophobia was totally gone and I had a very pleasant flight all the way to SFO.I don't have any other issues with being in crowded rooms or any other typical claustrophobia feelings.The only time I've had a similar feeling is a few times on rollercoasters that have cramped leg space so you can't move your legs freely and they leave you there for 4-5 minutes not moving for whatever reason before or after the ride.If it's an inverted coaster or a ride where you're free to move your legs I would not have this problem but if my legs feel cramped and I can't move them and they just leave me sitting there just like in the plane is when I start feeling uncomfortable.So does someone know if this is anxiety,claustrophobia,a mixture of both or what.