If you travel enough, you’ll start to develop routines or quirks. Some might be as mild as having to arrive to the airport thirty minutes prior to the recommended two hour before departure rule. Others can be a bit more wild like having to wear your hat backwards while you board the plane.

Our curiosity was sparked, so we asked people to share their flying superstitions. Below is a list of quotes people from people who shared their flying superstions.

1: Hold hands – even when traveling alone

“While growing up, flying always scared me so my mother would hold my hand during take-off. Now that I travel alone 95% of the time, I always hold my hands together and pretend I am still holding my mother’s hand. Weird, but it makes me think she is with me, even at 29 years old.”

2: Repeat a special saying

“I must say ‘Happy Landings’ if I’m flying with someone, as well as have someone say it to me before I fly. It can be before I get to the airport, or said via text… My grandparents always said this before they flew and passed it along.”

3: Be safety conscious

“I have to watch the safety informational video and read the entire safety information card before the plane takes off. It’s become second nature to me and barely registers in my head because I’ve been doing it my entire life. And the few times where there wasn’t an informational card in my seat pocket, I’ve requested one from the flight attendant.”

4: Stay seated

“I always arrive 2 hours early and pace the entire airport back and forth. I find this keeps me relaxed and able to sit in the tiny airplane seat for hours without having to get up during the flight.”

5: Count to 100 and then keep on going

“I’m not a particular fan of take-off, so the way I get through it on every flight is to count. Usually I know that, by the time I get to 800 or so, I will hear the happy little ping that lets you know that cruising altitude has been reached. I figure if the captain is casually telling us we can walk around, all is going well in the cockpit.”

6: Take a picture of the airplane and send it to a loved one

“Capturing it in a photo and sharing it with them makes me feel like the flight I’m about to take will be safe, comfortable and quick.”

7: Order a special drink, just for air travel

“The only time I ever order a Bloody Mary mix or a tomato juice is when my butt is planted on a plane seat.”

8: Rub the rivets

“As I board the plane, I always reach out with my right hand and touch the rivets around the door. If they are smooth, I take it as an indication that the flight will be smooth and safe. But, if they are rough, I spend the whole flight fretting.”

9: Get organized…with the laundry

“Before flying anywhere, I MUST do all of my laundry – even if it means staying up all night to do it. Bottom line, my laundry hamper must be empty before I take off. I guess this is to avoid other people having to deal with it if something were to happen to me.”

10: Wear your socks inside out

“I always wear my socks inside out when I need a bit of good luck. This includes every time I fly. It is a ritual that started after a particularly amazing basketball game that I had back in high school. After the game I discovered that my socks had been inside out.”

Now we want to hear from you. Do you have any flying superstitions that you swear by? If so, comment on this post and let us know what that is.

 

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