Here are just a few thank you emails and messages that came in this week. What a great read - don't you think?
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Dear Team!
I participate on your course in Edinburgh last May and I would like to say thank you for the great day, it was very very helpful. I can say that I'm completely healed, because I just arrived back from a USA roundtrip, which was perfect. Of course I was flying with Virgin Atlantic for the first time and it was an incredible feeling. The Stewardess team was nice and friendly.
I always gonna choose Virgin Atlantic, when I will go on holiday in the future!
Thank you very much for your help!!
See you next time on the plane! :)
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To: <info@flyingwithoutfear.info>
Subject: Thank You
Just thought I would drop you a quick note to thank you and prove that the Flying Without Fear course works.
Myself and my wife, (Danielle) attended the course on a cold day in January when the snow in the morning nearly gave me an excuse not to attend the course – I am so glad we attended the course!!! We have a 9 yr old and 2 yr old daughters and realised that we had 2 choices – confront our fear (so we didn’t pass it on to our daughters) or stop flying – it was an easy choice as we love our holidays and didn’t want our daughters to miss out on anything.
Both my wife and I hated flying – although it never stopped us going on holiday we would always visit the bar before takeoff to deal with our fear – and often have a couple of drinks during the flight. Our fears were very different, mine was centred on the claustrophobia and the fact I can’t get out and what happens if I was ill on bard etc- while my wife was petrified of the plane falling out of the sky and cried every time we had experienced turbulence.
As I write this we are recently back from a holiday of a lifetime in Orlando and the flight for the first time was part of the whole enjoyable experience.
With the information we received in the Flying Without Fear course we were able to enjoy the build up to the holiday (not the usual dread and worry in the weeks leading up to the flight)
I can’t speak highly enough of the course and would recommend anyone that is frightened of flying to attend it – it’s not worth every £ - it’s worth every penny of the course fee!
We were in the air at the same time as the flight that turned back to London (also with Virgin, also on an airbus 330, also heading for Orlando) - we saw the update in-flight and were completely at ease – knowing there is a what if for the what if and even found ourselves telling family members that the turbulence we were having was fine and not to worry – the irony wasn’t lost on us – we kept telling them it’s the only form of transport where you get hot drinks without lids and also remembered the test with the bottle of water to see how much we were actually moving!
So thanks again for the course – I wish everyone who attends the course achieves the same outcome we have.
Kind Regard
Mike Weedon
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Subject: - "Re: Luton April 22nd 2012"
Hi Paul and everybody at flying without fear. Mark Colk here who attended your course at Luton on 22nd April my team leader was Jane.
Just to let you all know I flew to Cyprus on may 1st and returned on the 12th before I attended your course I couldn't even look at pictures of aircraft but now have a serious passion for flying and anything to do with aviation so much so I'm now thinking of changing my career to work at an airport hopefully as an apron hand.
Thank you all so much and if you ever need extra help at your courses I'd love to offer you my spare time so don't hesitate to call.
Regards
Mark
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To whom it may concern
On the 29th May 2011 my Dad and I attended the course in Birmingham. My dad had never flown and finally after lots of persuasion from me, he agreed to attend the course at the age of 67....
Since the course my dad has flown 4 times and in 3 weeks time my mum and dad will be joining me and my family on a 3 week holiday to L.A.
Thank you so much for giving my Mum and Dad a new life and letting them see parts of the world they would have never seen if it had not been for your course
Thanks again
Chris
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| Garry Crosbie posted on Virgin Atlantic Flying Without Fear's Wall |
| "So proud of my wife who went on "Flying without Fear" course at Edinburgh Airport yesterday. We ended up taking our first flight together in 34 years of marriage and this was the first time in 36 years Irene had been on a plane ! Brilliant !!! Thanks Virgin Atlantic." |
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By the time we reached the various muster points the emotion began to overwhelm adrenalin and passengers rallied round one another comforting those separated from loved ones. Made me proud to be English. From the side of the runway we are put onto shuttle buses and escorted to a gate assessed and administered by VA ground crew, medical and police.
We were given food, drink, blankets and emotional support where suitable, VA Ground staff were exceptional in there manner and informative. The police were efficient and often lightened the mood with a touch of humour where appropriate. Two of our party of ten were seen by medical staff quickly, one of whom was taken to Brighton hospital as a precaution.
Our details taken and our capacity for Boots sandwiches, teas and coffees exhausted we were escorted to the Gatwick Hilton. Greeted by yet more VA staff we had showers in excellent rooms, buffet for dinner.
Any travel needs were met, one of my party had torn leggings to the groin and a Virgin employee was soon back from Tesco with a replacement pair for the night. All similar requests were seemingly met, even a ridiculous one whereby a passenger was bought a nail file?! Some people.
By 10pm our cabin baggage was back at the hotel, meticulously sorted seat by seat, and with the exception of a few magazines we now had our belongings passports and cash back. Off to the bar!...
On Tuesday morning we ate a delicious brekkie in the Hilton, quite a task for the hotel staff I'm sure with an extra 300 mouths to feed at short notice.
Checking in on VS127 we made our way to departures with ample vouchers for food and drink, a disproportionate amount spent on the latter in an exercise of nerve calming :)
Aboard VS127, crew were again a delight to deal with, and an abundance of spare seats on our bigger plane accommodated some rather sprawled out postures!
The Pilot was again a pleasure, spending time to speak to every group of passengers in some detail, both about the previous days events and many more humorous and trivial matters.
We then spent 9 wonderful days in and around Orlando, all a little disappointed at the late and traumatic start to the holiday but nevertheless appreciative of all the efforts of the crew, ground crew, police, fire, medical, airport staff and the generous compensation package that has been offered by Virgin.
Surely the rest of our travels would be 'plane' sailing?!
Checking in on our return flight VS28 at 17.55 27/04/12 our palms were again crossed with enough refreshment vouchers to satisfy a small army, virgin again going beyond the call of duty.
Unfortunately at about 0700 GMT my somewhat now nervous partner(she wasn't before!) noticed a passenger jet alongside no more than half a mile away, and soon realised the skymap was showing a diversion to Shannon airport and soon after Cardiff, the pilot came on to explain our fuel requirements and the proposed diversion. Not again we thought! A few tears were shed. Comforting her we were soon departing Cardiff for a short stint to LGW. The cabin crew team leader came over the tannoy on our approach
"Cabin Crew take seats for landing at Gatwick....." "woohoo!" *chuckles all-round*
These comments of praise were echoed by all but a very few, unfortunately the few whom attracted the attention of the media.
Will we fly Virgin Atlantic again? Even after our free flights?
ABSOLUTELY.
Tom Jackson, Bedfordshire.