Get scared when you are £35,000ft in the air? easyJet is running Fearless Flyer courses across the UK to help nervous travellers overcome their phobia.
The courses – in Manchester, Gatwick, Bristol, Stansted, Luton and now Belfast – cost £189 and will run from spring 2014. The two-part programme is led by top phobia expert Lawrence Leyton, from Channel 4’s “Fear of Flying”, and a senior easyJet pilot. Together they explain how an aircraft works, dispel myths and misconceptions and help people manage their fears.
The next day participants put theory into practice by travelling on board an easyJet plane. The flight has a dedicated crew with the added benefit of an additional captain in the cabin giving a full commentary for the entire journey.
With over 95% of participants taking to the skies the course has been life-changing for hundreds of people since its launch last year. In many cases it has enabled participants to go on long awaited family holidays overseas, visit distant relatives or go on business trips for the first time.
Peter Duffy, easyJet’s Customer Director said: “We’re extremely pleased to be partnering with Lawrence and the team for a further series of Fearless Flyer courses. The techniques and advice the participants receive genuinely work for all levels of nervousness. From those who are extreme phobics and petrified of setting foot on a plane to passengers who experience general anxiety or need reassurance about the mechanics of flying. We know that the course make a real difference and enables passengers to overcome their phobia.”
Mark Wein, Director of FOF Events said: “As a former phobic myself, I appreciate more than most how debilitating a fear of flying can be and the anxiety that it can cause. That’s why we’ve designed the course in such a way to ensure that the process to becoming a fearless flyer is totally stress free and also highly entertaining.”
Participants can invite a companion with them on the flight if they wish for £69. See fearlessflyer.easyjet.com
The courses are taking place on the following dates:
| Fearless Flyer Course at | On | Experience Flight on |
| Belfast | 15 March | 16 March |
| Manchester | 28 March | 29 March |
| Gatwick | 5 April | 6 April |
| Stansted | 26 April | 27 April |
| Luton | 10 May | 11 May |
| Bristol | 17 May | 18 May |
