Crying while flying: Why air travel makes us emotional

There are many reasons why flying can make us emotional. Photo / Getty Images

If you've ever found yourself brought to tears by a terrible movie on a flight, rest assured – because you're not the only one.

While there's plenty of anecdotal reports that flying makes us more emotional, a study commissioned by Virgin Atlantic in 2011 found that "over half of respondents (55 per cent) agreed their emotions become heightened when on a flight and 41 per cent of men surveyed said they hid under blankets to hide their tears."

As someone who once found himself intensely affected by the Lindsay Lohan classic Freaky Friday while on Qatar Airway's epic 17 hour flight from Auckland to Doha, I can certainly relate to these statistics.

According to CNN, there are a number of factors that affect why our sensitivity increases on a flight.

For one, many of us already have mental health challenges – with anxiety being one of the most common problems. And flying can certainly trigger it further.

The ever-decreasing space on planes can add to in-flight nerves, according to Dr. Jodi De Luca, a US licensed clinical psychologist and expert on altitude and emotions.

"The smaller seating arrangement increases anxiety — your basic physical boundaries are encroached," she told CNN. "It's not comforting to fly anymore. Our basic needs — food and drink, blankets and pillows, aren't provided for. You're even limited to how much you can bring on-board to comfort yourself."

Cabin pressure can also have cause physical effects, as well as emotional ones.

Dr. Robert L. Quigley, senior vice president and regional medical director of International SOS & MedAire, told CNN there was evidence that during a flight we go into a relative state of hypoxia, or oxygen deficiency.

"One person might feel weepy, another sleepy — hypoxia affects people in different ways. There may even be hormones triggered by hypoxia — it's all idiosyncratic," he said.
With all these reasons to feel anxious and vulnerable, it's no surprise we turn to in-flight movies to calm down.

Stephen Groening, Professor of Cinema and Media at the University of Washington in Seattle, studied how inflight entertainment might have unique effects on travellers – and it turns out the close proximity of the screen might be a factor.

The close proximity of in-flight entertainment can also have an effect. Photo / Getty Images

In his study Crying while Flying: The Intimacy of Inflight Entertainment, Groening theorises that "the technological apparatus of inflight entertainment generates a culture of intimacy [by creating] a relationship of extreme proximity between passenger and media form."

So it may be a combination of the stress of flying and the closeness of the media that drive us to tears.

Many of us also like to enjoy a glass of wine while watching an in-flight movie – because what else is there to do on a long flight?

However, this can just add to our racing emotions.

"Alcohol can make you more emotional — so can hypoxia," Quigley told CNN.

So what should we do if we start weeping at 30,000 feet?

De Luca advises travellers to consider others – particularly if it's more than a few tears – and says we should consider finding a private place to cry.

Distraction is also another technique, particularly if you're by yourself – so get out that Sudoku book, or try one of the in-flight video games.

Others find meditation helpful – Air New Zealand offers audiobooks from Headspace and Stars of Aroha on its in-flight entertainment system.

Or we can also regulate our media choices and avoid choices that make us emotional – so it might be an idea to just reconsider that rom-com.