Air sickness: why it happens and how to stop it

Why flying makes some people miserable

Air travel hits multiple motion-sickness triggers at once. The plane moves in three dimensions at unpredictable speeds. Cabin pressure changes during ascent and descent affect your inner ear independently. Recycled air and stale food smells add a low-grade nausea load. Then turbulence shows up and your inner ear screams while your eyes - locked on a seat-back screen, a magazine, or the same cabin wall for hours - report nothing.

For the full neuroscience of why this happens, see the science page.

Where to sit on the plane

The cabin is not equally bumpy end to end. A plane pitches and rolls around a point near the wings, so the further you sit from it, the more of every movement you feel. Three zones, worst to best:

• Over the wings Steadiest

  Closest to the aircraft's pivot point, so it moves least in turbulence. A window seat here is the single best choice, because it also gives you a horizon.

• Forward cabin Acceptable

  Smoother than the tail and usually quieter. Fine if the wing rows are gone by the time you book.

• Rear rows Worst

  Furthest behind the pivot, so the tail amplifies every movement. Avoid if you know you are prone.

Seat maps rarely agree on where the wing box actually ends, so check yours before you pay for a seat: our best seat on a plane guide has the row-by-row version with the seat finder, and the seat guide for every vehicle covers the car, bus, train and ship you take either side of the flight.

Why sound therapy works at altitude

Precisely calibrated audio through headphones works the same way at 35,000 feet as it does at sea level. It also asks nothing of your eyes, which is the point on a plane: in turbulence there is no horizon to find, and an inside seat gives you nothing to look at. Pop in noise-canceling headphones, open Dizzout, hit play. Dizzout states relief in about 90 seconds.

No drugs means you stay alert and can make your connection. No prescription. No drowsy aftermath when you land in a new time zone.

How to stop air sickness

Once airsickness has started, work with what you can control. Dramamine and Bonine are designed to be taken before you fly, so mid-flight they are a plan for next time. Sound therapy through headphones is built for the moment nausea is underway. Open Dizzout, hit play, and Dizzout states relief in about 90 seconds. While you wait for the session, point the overhead vent at your face, breathe slowly through your nose, and look at a fixed point far ahead - the back of a seat several rows up works if there's no window view. For every method ranked by speed, on the ground as well as in the air, see how to stop motion sickness.

How to prevent motion sickness on a plane

Prevention is layered. The base layer is your seat: pick over the wing (the pivot point of the plane, the spot that moves least) and window if you can, so you have a horizon during banks and turbulence. The next layer is your stomach: light meal at least an hour before boarding, skip alcohol the night before, stay hydrated with water. The third layer is medication if you're a consistent sufferer: meclizine (Bonine) is the more livable option - take it 60 minutes before boarding. If you don't want any drowsiness, have Dizzout downloaded and start a session as soon as you notice the first wave.

How to prevent motion sickness when flying

The honest answer for chronic sufferers: you stack interventions. Bonine 60 minutes before boarding handles the baseline. Sitting over the wing reduces what you have to handle in the first place. Cool air on your face during ascent and descent is one of the most commonly reported ways to take the edge off. And sound therapy through Dizzout is a drug-free option you can start on demand mid-flight if symptoms break through. Different flyers find different layers more important - test what works for your body on a short flight before you book the long one.

How to get rid of air sickness already in progress

You're already queasy. Pills are out - they won't reach effective concentration before the flight ends. Three things to do right now, in order: 1) Sound therapy session via Dizzout through any headphones - Dizzout states relief in about 90 seconds. 2) Turn the overhead vent fully on, point it at your face. 3) Stop looking at any screen or book. Pick a fixed point far in the cabin and rest your eyes on it. If you have a window seat and you're above the clouds, that's a better focus point than anything inside the cabin.

How long does air sickness last?

Usually no longer than the flight. Cleveland Clinic notes that for most people, motion sickness symptoms go away once they are off the plane. A brief rocking or off-balance feeling after you land is a separate after-effect, your balance system readjusting to solid ground, and the CDC says that kind of transient sensation is normal and resolves in a few hours or less. If a rocking feeling starts within 48 hours of landing and is still there after 48 hours, see a doctor. Our guide to dizziness after flying covers that timeline and the warning signs.

Is airsickness the same as motion sickness?

Yes. Air sickness, airsickness, plane sickness and flight sickness are all names for motion sickness triggered by flying, and MedlinePlus lists airsickness as another name for motion sickness. So the standard advice applies in the cabin: a steady seat over the wing, one fixed point to look at, cool air on your face, and a plan for the moment nausea starts.

If you are about to be sick on the plane

Take the sick bag out of the seat pocket and open it before you need it. Stay in your seat while the seatbelt sign is on, aim the overhead vent at your face and breathe slowly. If there is no bag, or once you have used it, press the call button for the crew. The full in-seat routine is in our guide to throwing up on a plane.

How to avoid air sickness on a plane

Avoidance is about controlling inputs before the body notices a problem. Pick a seat over the wing. Take a window so you have a real horizon. Keep your gaze on that horizon during descent and turbulence. Half-shade the window if banks make your stomach drop. Eat lightly two hours before boarding, skip alcohol that day. If you're prone enough that the above isn't enough, take meclizine an hour before boarding for prevention or keep Dizzout ready to deploy at the first sign of nausea.

Flying a specific airline?

Different airlines fly different fleets on different routes. Fleet age, hub geography, and route weather all affect how bumpy your typical flight will be. We've mapped each major airline's motion profile.

Common questions

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