Boarding Airplanes With Ease: Tips for Autistic Travellers to Get Comfortable For Flight Mode

Boarding airplanes is always a sigh of relief after navigating an airport. You are finally on your way to your new destination (or returning home). It is time to take that flight you have been awaiting to take since planning your trip. Taking off can be exciting, yet, a bit nerve racking at the same time.

Navigating airports for travellers on the autism spectrum is difficult enough. When it is time to board an airplane, the journey begins. It can be a short two hour flight from Miami to Dallas or a 12-hour journey from Toronto to Dubai. Regardless of the flight time, every traveller wants to arrive at their final destination safely.

In my early days of travel, sitting still on airplanes was a major challenge. Boarding the airplane is tight and leads to congestion when dealing with other passengers trying to get to their seats. I was always anxious and wanted to take off to get to my destination. Travelling with my family made for a difficult task due to more maintenance required to accommodate my needs.

Thankfully, I have travelled long enough and picked up some hints in order to be more comfortable when boarding an airplane for flight mode. Here are my best tips for autistic travellers when boarding an airplane.

Board Early:

The best place to begin is to try and board early. Usually the airline agents at the gate will call you by zone number, depending on where you are sitting on the airplane. Sometimes I approach the gate agent in a kind and polite manner and simply explain that I am a traveller on the autism spectrum and experience anxiety attacks and would like to board the plane first. I would say 8 out of 10 times, you will be accommodated and will be instructed to board via the business class line, or priority boarding line. This will ensure you can reach your seat in time before the other passengers, providing you with time to settle into your seat, get comfortable and prepare for the journey ahead.

Have Essentials Ready Before Placing Bags in Overhead Bins:

Whenever I approach my seat, I want to make sure I have all my essentials prepared for the flight. This includes my phone, noise cancelling headphones, boarding pass, refillable water bottle, a book (or e-reader) to read and portable Anker charger (to charge my phone). These can all be stored in the seat pocket in front of you.

Note: Be advised that when the airplane begins moving, things can move around and scatter. Especially on the ground where small objects like Apple AirPod noise cancelling headphones can suddenly become displaced. I recently sat next to a passenger who lost one of her headphones, but was fortunate to retrieve it. I would recommend placing all essentials in your travel pouch and/or pocket for protection until after takeoff.

Listen to Music and/or Podcasts:

Flying to your new destination makes for a long journey. Especially when you take an overseas flight over multiple time zones. How can you stay busy sitting still for several hours? Listen to music or podcasts while flying. Apps such as iTunes or Spotify can be used to upload your favourite tunes and podcasters. In particular, I find listening to podcasts during a long flight is the best way to help bypass the time.

It also helps to listen to podcasts on subjects that will keep you interested. In my case, because I have a passion for travel, I often listen to Drew Binsky’s Roots of Humanity podcast where he interviews people from different countries and cultures.

Select an Aisle or Window Seat:

Many airplanes are older and have old technology and seats that are narrow with little leg room. My suggestion is to select an aisle seat if one is available. This will give you more leg room and make it easier to stand up in the event you need to open the overhead bin or have to head to the toilet. A window seat is also an option since you can look outside the window and sleep better on long haul flights. A window seat can be fun in a two row seat (where there is no middle seat). Sometimes you might get lucky and have an empty seat available, making more room for your belongings during the flight.

Note: When booking flights, seat selections are always available and suggest autistic travellers select them in advance. However, make sure to select seats only if they are complimentary to avoid online seat selection fees. I have seen airlines charge as much as $50 to $100 just on seat selection. There is the option to wait until 24 hours prior to check-in where a seat is automatically assigned.

Make the Effort to Get Off The Plane First:

This might sound a little crazy, but I always make the effort to be off the airplane as soon as it lands. When the plane is in taxi mode approaching the gate, the seatbelt sign turns off and everyone will get up to collect their belongings from the overhead bins. This can often times be chaotic.

Prior to landing, I collect my small bag from the overhead bin to save time. As soon as the plane stops, I get up to collect my main bag. Sitting as close to the front of the plane (in economy, not business class) can make all the difference as it will help increase your chances of getting off the plane first.

Another reason for getting off the plane first is because everyone will head to immigration or their connecting flights at the same time. This situation creates long queues, leading to stress and a longer wait time to exit the airport. As I have mentioned in my previous articles, I recommend not checking a bag to help save you time and stress when you clear customs and you have finally arrived at your destination.

Note: Some airlines won’t land at a gate and you are required to take a transport bus to the terminal. This often occurs without warning. I’ll be honest, I hate when this happens as it can be crowded and you have to carry your bags along for the ride. Try to stay calm, breathe and maintain patience during this process.

Be Safe, Relax and Enjoy:

The last and final tip for autistic travellers on airplanes is to simply relax and enjoy. Take a deep breath, have a sip of water and feel excited going to your upcoming destination. Especially if it’s somewhere you are going for the first time and/or a tropical warm climate destination. In my experience, whether I take a trip down to Sunny Isles for a getaway vacation or a new ambitious adventure overseas to a new country, I embrace the opportunity to fly again and always have a positive mindset that everything will go smoothly during the course of the flight. Safe travels everyone!