Fear of airsickness (aeronausiphobia)

Aeronausiphobia is a fear of being sick through airsickness. It can lead people to avoid flights, small planes or even fairground rides, or to spend a whole trip watching for the first sign of nausea. Anyone who often feels very unwell when travelling may find it useful to talk to a GP or pharmacist about motion sickness.

About this phobia

The term combines aero, meaning air, with nausea, a word linked to the Greek for ship. It is rarely used as a clinical label. It sits between two better known fears: emetophobia, the fear of vomiting, and aerophobia, the fear of flying.

What it feels like

• Watching closely for any churn in the stomach during a flight
• Choosing seats near the toilets or over the wing
• Worry building for days before a trip

Explore more unusual fears in the rare phobias A to Z, or browse the common phobias.

Common questions

Is it the flying or the being sick that people fear?

For most people with this fear, the main worry is being sick, especially in front of others in a confined space. Flying is the setting rather than the core fear. That is why it is often approached alongside the fear of vomiting.

How can you help?

I use hypnotherapy and NLP to change how your mind responds to the thing you fear, so the old alarm stops going off. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards.

How many sessions will I need?

Many clients notice a real difference after one 90 minute session. If the fear goes back a long way, three sessions gives us room to make the change stick.

Ready to start?

Book a £49 consultation call and we’ll talk through your fear, or take the free suitability test first.

See all session options and prices