So you're afraid to fly?

Many people are afraid of flying. For some, this fear is so strong that it keeps their feet planted firmly on the ground.

And why not? It only takes a few seconds for something to go awry — after all, the only things keeping a plane in the sky are a bunch of engines, two wings, a few propellers and someone piloting!

I am one of those people who can’t stand watching documentaries on the Discovery Channel and National Geographic about disasters like airplane crashes.

For one thing, they tend to make me sad. But, more importantly, they scare me because they present the possibility that things could, and sometimes do, go wrong. I have so many paranoid fears about traveling in airplanes now because of shows like these.

One such fear is that someone could open the aircraft’s door and depressurize the entire plane, killing everyone.

That was what happened on an episode of CSI: Las Vegas. The victim in that episode was a man who was killed on a first-class flight by his fellow passengers when he tried to open the airplane door.

During the show, one of the investigators asked, “Is there any place more vulnerable than being at 30,000 thousand feet in a tin can?”

 Every time we fly, we put our lives in the plane’s engineering and the pilot’s hands. Add to that the lightheaded feeling that comes with altitude and the tight, cramped seats, and it’s a wonder that people are still flying.

If I weren’t such a travel junkie, I wouldn’t ride planes, or even boats and trains at all. I’m very paranoid about vehicular accidents. I’m only calm when I travel by car because my father is often the one who drives me around. I trust him behind the wheel, even at 160 kilometers per hour.

Trust — that’s what I want up in the sky. I could be sitting on a monobloc chair for eight hours for all I care (not that I would want to), as long as I know I’m in safe hands.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Cathay Pacific Airways headquarters in Hong Kong, and the experience reassured me that because there are so many risks associated with flying, some airlines do all they can to make sure passengers are safe.

Odette Umali, a Pinay Cathay Pacific flight attendant who is now an instructor at Cathay Pacific’s flight school, told me that as a flight attendant, her first job was to make sure her passengers were out of harm’s way; making them comfortable must come second to that. 

As she toured me around Cathay City (as the Cathay headquarters are called), I saw the extensive training done by the pilots and flight attendants of the airline.

Pilots are trained with a flight simulator inside the building, while flight attendants have scale models of the inside of all of the plane types used in the Cathay fleet, from Boeing 747s to the newer Airbus A330s, for realistic practice of in-flight service.

To my relief, I found out that part of flight attendant training is learning how to open the doors of the aircraft. Apparently, there is no way a passenger could accidentally open it because there is a special method of doing it that all stewards in training must learn before they can become full-fledged flight attendants.

I was also shown how much safety equipment is packed inside a plane. A very comprehensive first aid kit is stowed on every plane, along with lifeboats, life jackets of all sizes, arctic weather gear, emergency water, flashlights, and survival manuals.

All the flight attendants are trained to use the medical equipment and, if needed, are even trained to do emergency surgery with instructions by phone from a doctor.

Safety is well covered on Cathay flights, so I’m happy and quite at ease with the idea of a plane ride now. Of course, other people aren’t as easy to please. I may be okay with the idea of sitting on a monobloc chair for an eight-hour flight, but most people aren’t.

Thankfully, the chairs on an aircraft aren’t plastic. They’re actually comfortable — yes, even in coach. Newer plane models’ economy class seats have nine-inch personal televisions, a 110V AC power supply for gadgets, a new seat design which allows passengers to recline without disturbing the person behind them, as well as increased knee clearance for people taller than me, who need the extra leg room.

The new business class seats have been designed with flat beds and increased privacy, along with bigger versions of the entertainment systems in economy class. Plus, all the seats have unrestricted aisle access, which is a godsend to all the people who have micro-bladders.

Cathay Pacific’s first class seats, of course, have always been some of the biggest in the airline industry, with a mattress, duvet, and massage function. Add a 17-inch TV and it’s almost like being at home.

Over 350 television shows, 888 CD albums, 22 radio channels, and 70 video games are available in-flight entertainment for all travel classes. 

Mobile services are also offered for iPhone, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile users with the CX Mobile application.

But if you’re like me, the gadgets and entertainment are only the icing on the cake. What I’m more concerned about is food, and believe me, Cathay’s food, both in-flight and at the airport lounge in Hong Kong, is delicious!

Cathay Pacific Airways travels to 114 destinations in 36 countries.

So, if you’re traveling to Jeddah, one of Cathay’s new flight destinations, sit back and relax, watch CSI on your 9-, 15- or 17-inch TV. The flight crew is taking care of you (and there are rubber rafts, just in case!). Oh, and try the noodles! Trust me, I should know. Bon voyage!