Should I cancel my flight if I'm too scared?

It is your decision, and a hard one to make in a panic. The NHS says avoiding feared situations can bring short-term relief but may make fears grow. If you can, rest and try a few calming steps first, then decide. If you do cancel, plan how you will approach the next flight.

How do I sleep the night before a flight?

You do not have to force sleep. The NHS says a few sleepless nights are usually nothing to worry about; it does not say rest replaces sleep. Pack and charge your phone earlier in the evening as a practical way to finish those tasks before bedtime.

What should I eat and drink before flying?

The NHS lists sugary food and drinks, caffeine and alcohol among things that can make panic attacks worse. That advice is about panic disorder in general, not one flight. As a practical suggestion, plan a familiar meal. Ask a doctor about anything beyond that.

Should I tell the crew I am scared?

You can. A short sentence at boarding gives the crew a chance to know. They decide what they can do, and you do not need a diagnosis. Tell a crew member straight away if you get new or severe symptoms, such as chest pain, because panic symptoms can have other causes.

Scared of flying tomorrow? What to do tonight and on the day

By Jane Nickelback, Chief Editor · Fact-checked against the sources listed below · How articles are prepared
Published: November 9, 2026 · Updated: November 9, 2026

If you are scared of flying tomorrow, consider preparing tonight before deciding whether to cancel. The NHS says avoiding a feared situation can bring short-term relief but make fears grow. Cancelling is still your choice. This plan covers tonight, the morning, the airport and the plane. These are practical suggestions for one trip, not treatment for the fear.

Should you cancel the flight?

That is your call, but you do not have to make it at the loudest moment. If fear feels intense tonight, consider waiting until you feel more settled before deciding. The NHS describes the other path as gradually facing what you fear, which is different from one night of white-knuckling it. If there is a real reason not to travel, such as illness, that is a different question and yours to answer.

A workable rule: decide after you have done tonight’s steps and rested, not before.

What should you do tonight?

Start with the parts that have a finish line:

Pack, put documents and charger by the door, and charge your phone.
Download what you will want offline: music, a podcast, a book, your calming tools.
Write the plan for tomorrow in three lines on paper or in your notes, so you do not have to hold it in your head.
Eat something ordinary. The NHS lists sugary food and drinks, caffeine and alcohol among things that can make panic attacks worse, so go easy on all three. Do not use alcohol to calm down.

Sleep may be patchy tonight. The NHS says a few sleepless nights are usually nothing to worry about. That is general sleep advice, not a promise that lost sleep has no effect on you.

Smooth Air includes breathing practices. If you use the app, choosing a practice tonight means you will not need to search for one during a difficult moment. Preparing a practice is not treatment for anxiety or an assessment of flight safety.

What should you do tomorrow morning and at the airport?

Leave early enough that nothing rushes you. The US TSA says to allow time for parking or a shuttle, check-in, a boarding pass and security screening, and that times vary, so check your airline and airport instead of trusting a number from a blog.

At the gate or at boarding, you can tell a crew member you are a nervous flyer. Our guide on what to tell the flight crew has wording you can use. Crew decide what they are able to do, so treat it as information, not a request they must grant.

What if anxiety spikes on the way?

Two methods you can do in your seat, both from health services:

Slow breathing. The NHS suggests breathing in gently through the nose and out through the mouth, with an optional count of 1 to 5, and repeating it for at least 5 minutes. It may ease symptoms. It will not switch them off.
Grounding. NHS inform describes the 5-4-3-2-1 method like this: you name five things you can see, four you can feel, three you can hear, two you can smell and one you can taste. A shorter version is to name only what you can see and feel.

For a panic attack the NHS says to stay where you are if possible, breathe slowly and deeply, and remind yourself that the attack will pass. Our guide on panic on a plane covers what to do on board.

When to get help

Panic symptoms overlap with other conditions. The NHS says most of them can also be symptoms of other conditions, which means a panic attack is not always what is going on. Tell a crew member straight away about new or severe symptoms, including chest pain.

A night-before plan is a practical coping suggestion for one flight. It is not a treatment. For panic disorder, England’s NICE guidance says people choosing psychological treatment should be offered CBT, with 7 to 14 hours of treatment in total, and that the benefits of psychological treatment lasted longest in studies. That guidance is about panic disorder, not fear of flying, but if fear keeps shaping your travel, a doctor can tell you what support is available.