Tailoring In-Flight Food Consumption to Alleviate Fear of Flying Through Sensory Stimulation

Abstract

Nowadays, society is becoming increasingly committed to traveling by plane for work, tourism, and leisure in general. However, either due to internal, specific factors or to external determinants, like terrorism and climate changes, a growing number of travelers have experienced the so-called fear of flying, a persistent, irrational fear of flight-related situations for which a clear, efficacious therapy does not yet exist. Based on the usual interaction with the surrounding environment, conducted by means of the five human senses, and particularly on the neurophysiological pathway followed by the chemical senses, in this study, we revise the findings in the related literature on the topic, proposing an alternative way to alleviate the anxiety related to the fear of flight. This is based on chemosensory stimulation being applied directly during a flight and is possibly concerned with the consumption of meals, an usual activity performed onboard. After an introductory section aimed at understanding the problem, we present some studies related to chemosensory perception during the flight, highlighting the specificities of the scenarios, followed by a description of findings related to the meals proposed by flight companies in this context, and finally wrapping up the possible alternative approaches that could be conducted by such providers to alleviate the fear of flying condition through chemosensory stimulation vehiculated by meals, and enhance the quality of flight experience related to food consumption onboard.

1. Introduction

Fear of flying (FF), also known as aviophobia, is classified as a specific situational-type phobia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), versions DSM-IV-TR, DSM-5, and DSM-5-TR [1]. It is characterized by a persistent, irrational fear of airplanes or flight-related situations, which are typically avoided or endured with intense psychological distress. The manifestations of FF vary widely, ranging from anxiety during specific moments of the flight—such as take-off or turbulence—to anticipatory anxiety, such as insomnia in the days preceding travel, and persistent physical symptoms of anxiety throughout the flight [2].

Although the exact pathogenesis of FF remains unclear, evidence suggests that individuals with high trait anxiety sensitivity are more prone to developing this condition [3]. Additionally, self-perceptual alterations occurring at altitudes above 2500 m can precipitate panic attacks in susceptible individuals [4]. Neurobiological studies further suggest that dysregulation in serotonergic pathways and atypical frontal lobe activity may contribute to generalized anxiety, and FF in particular [5,6,7,8].

Epidemiological data indicate that up to 40% of individuals in industrialized countries experience some degree of FF [9,10]. Common coping strategies include the use of alcohol or anxiolytic medications [11], which often have adverse medical and social consequences. More recently, personalized exposure therapy and cognitive–behavioral interventions have shown promising outcomes [12]. Technological innovations, such as virtual reality (VR), are also being increasingly frequently employed to simulate flight experiences and reduce anxiety through controlled exposure [13].

In addition, as widely reported in the literature [14,15], food sensory attributes, such as appearance, odor, taste, texture, and flavor, are key triggers of emotional responses [16,17]. These emotions may relate to enjoyment, preferences, or consumption itself [17]. Due to its sensory nature, past experiences, and expected outcomes, food represents a particularly complex emotional stimulus [18,19].

Beyond psychological and behavioral interventions, certain olfactory stimuli have been shown to reduce stress, enhance mood, and improve cognitive performance, even following stressful events [20,21,22,23,24]. The chemosensory system, and particularly olfaction, is closely connected to emotion-related brain regions including the amygdala, insula, orbitofrontal cortex, and cingulate cortex [25,26].

Activation of the amygdala is stronger in response to olfactory stimuli compared to auditory or visual cues [27]. Scents are particularly effective in evoking autobiographical memories, often more so than visual or other sensory modalities [28,29]. Repetitive, intense, and novel odors are especially likely to form emotional odor–event associations, a phenomenon commonly observed in childhood due to the greater frequency of meaningful and novel experiences occurring during this period [30]. In line with the Proustian hypothesis [14], odor-evoked memories tend to be more emotional [30], contain more event-specific details [29], and elicit a stronger sense of mental time travel [31] than those triggered by visual cues [32].

Olfactory dysfunction has been linked to mood disturbances and diminished well-being, as observed during the COVID-19 pandemic [33]. However, the systematic integration of scent delivery into technologies like VR remains in its infancy, and methodological improvements are necessary to enhance scalability and efficacy [34]. Nonetheless, aromatherapy is widely applied in contexts requiring emotional or cognitive relief, owing to its ease of use and minimal constraints [35,36,37].

Taste, much like smell, is a chemically driven sense with emotional and cognitive implications. Its processing overlaps with olfaction, and the full perception of flavor is inherently dependent on the sense of smell [38,39]. The interplay between taste and olfaction forms the foundation of food perception and is central to consumer science, where increasing attention is paid to tailoring food experiences to individual preferences and emotional states [40].

On the other hand, certain types of food consumption can directly evoke nostalgia, a phenomenon known as food nostalgia. This occurs when individuals consume foods associated with personal memories, often resulting in stronger positive emotional responses [41]. A qualitative exploratory study identified the following six key themes linked to nostalgic food experiences: childhood, yearning, substitution, homesickness, special occasions, and rediscovery [41].

Food-evoked nostalgia may help explain why individuals often seek familiar foods for comfort and emotional support during challenging times [42,43], and this should be further investigated as a potential therapeutic tool, including for addressing and reducing FF.

This perspective dives deep into the potential of chemosensory science in the framework of in-flight experience, where it is not uncommon, especially with more traditional airlines, for passengers to take advantage of the possibility to consume meals onboard the aircraft. In this particular sensory environment, where perception is markedly altered, based on distinct studies in the literature, and leveraging advances in sensory science and technology, we propose new strategies to make the meal consumption experience more user-friendly for passengers, eventually also supporting them to overcome or mitigate potential issues related to the FF condition.

2. Chemosensory Perception During Flights: Particularities of the Framework

Traveling is one of the main activities in our daily lives. Human beings travel for work, healthcare reasons, shopping, amusement, and so forth, with different vectors depending on the purpose (and distance) they are traveling for. Specifically, when it comes to passenger transportation, a growing interest is paid from the customer to the experiential quality of the journey rather than only the final destination and costs [44], and this is expected to further increase in the near-future, with travel packages becoming increasingly tailored to the specific needs of the customer not only by offering competitive time/cost alternatives, but also adapting to the emotional expectations of the traveler.

In such a framework, the amount of stress associated with air travel should be considered, caused by both environmental (dry cabin air, lowered cabin air pressure, vibration, background noise) and external (terrorism, viruses, accidents) insights, and possibly associated with customer satisfaction and travel choices. To this particular scenario, the role of the five human senses, and particularly of the two chemical senses, smell and taste, becomes highly relevant to ensure proper enjoyment of the flight experience; therefore, the tendency towards a real “sensehacking” becomes more and more popular, which is defined as the use of our senses, and sensory stimulation, in order to more intelligently help to improve our social, cognitive, and emotional well-being, in the relevant framework [45].

As said, emotions are conveyed to human beings through their senses, and chemical senses play an especially essential role in enabling significant sensory experiences. However, it is widely known that sensory perceptions are largely modified by the scenario in which human being is immersed. For example, it is well known that during space missions, due to microgravity, which induces physiological changes due to a shift of body fluids towards the head, the olfactory components activated during food consumption are diminished, leading to a modification in the flavor of food. Other phenomena affecting the chemical senses take place, such as space sickness, stress, radiation exposure, and psychological factors [46,47].

For air passengers, it is well known that the limited space inside an aircraft and the ventilation systems commonly employed in modern planes make it difficult for a given airborne compound to dissipate, causing olfactory fatigue and habituation [48,49]. Also, pressure variations in the cabin with respect to the pressure at the ground significantly modify the perception of a given compound, mainly modulating the absolute olfactory threshold, especially near the absolute perception threshold level [50,51].

Similarly, concerning taste, air passengers experience a variation in their sensory perception, due to several factors, including the following: (i) air pressure that, when decreased, continues to decrease taste buds’ sensitivity, requiring an increase in salt, sugar and herbs, and a reduction in sour taste, to produce a taste which is similar to the usual ones consumed on the ground [50,52]; (ii) drop in humidity, which alters the sense of taste by drying out nasal passages and mouth [51]; (iii) psychological reasons, similar to those mentioned above for the sense of smell, that may further alter the production of saliva, in turn increasing the magnitude of the problem [53]. Furthermore, it has been observed that the role of engine noise is not negligible for sensory processing of food. In particular, loud noise appears to impair the perception of sweet and salty meals, at the same time enhancing the perception of umami flavor [54,55], whose phenomenon can be used as a transformational device to facilitate palatable meals without boosting salt usage, which is deleterious for human health.

However, under such conditions, it is then necessary to hypothesize a strategy to improve the perceived quality of food served during a flight, ultimately scaling up the user experience during the journey.

3. In-Flight Meals: State of the Art and Proposals for Enhancing the Customer Experience

3.1. In-Flight Meals: What We Know So Far

Nowadays, it is a common belief that passengers’ expectations towards aircraft food are low, as demonstrated by the amount of food and beverages purchased at ground level in various parts of the globe [56,57]. Indeed, airline food is considered to be the poorest aspect about flying for a significant percentage of customers [58], even if contradictory results appear when spotting no difference between the judgment around a meal served at ground and the same meal proposed during the flight; however, this may involve a possible methodological bias concerning the personal attitude of the probands and their age [59]. However, it is important to notice that, according to the Easyjet 2070 Future Travel Report, 19% of common travelers would love to experience 3D-printed hotel buffet food serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner, even on planes, to improve their multisensory flight experience, further highlighting the need for a proper menu and meal preparation for flight situations [60], and also demonstrating the importance of the presentation environment concerning personal judgment about the quality of served food [61].

This aligns with previous research, finding somewhat of an impact of passenger attachment to in-flight food and beverages on the willingness to fly again with the same flight company [62,63]. Another study demonstrated that the quality of food served onboard is among the most important factors for judging the quality of airline services regardless of the traveling class, not distinguishing between passengers in prestige- or economy-class [64]. In this context, few airlines have collaborated with food and beverage companies to formulate edible compounds suitable for consumption at a high altitude. One of the first structured attempts in this sense was played by a Danish beer company, Mikkeller, providing special flying beers to the SAS Scandinavian Airlines [65], later followed by the Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways, which produced a beer containing honey and dragon eye fruit, tasting like lychee, to counterbalance the effects on chemical senses due to high altitude, low pressure, and background noise [66]. The large use of fruity aromas can help enhance the perceived sweetness at the aircraft without significantly altering the sugar content; therefore, the healthiness of the proposed product is not dramatically affected.

Tea is traditionally associated with the British food and beverage tradition. In this sense, British Airways, the UK-based air company, promoted a collaboration with the popular tea brand Twinings to develop a special tea designed for consumption during flights [67], which is a blend of Assam, Kenyan, and high-grown Ceylon tea, combining a multisensory experience featuring body, strength, flavor, and color.

The modified sensory perception in the sky is also the key to the success of some alcoholic drinks, like wines. For example, it was observed that sweet, fruity red wines, like Pinot Noir, Rioja, or Malbec, are preferred by travelers over their acidic-tasting counterparts, due to the physiological reasons mentioned above [50,68,69,70].

Other airlines have stressed their research towards relaxing and healthy foods. For example, Monarch Airlines, a former British low-cost airline, after a self-commissioned research finding that 72% of British travelers find traveling stressful, has developed the “Mood Food” box, featuring echinacea and liquorice ice-cream to boost immunity; green tea and lavender cakes to promote relaxation, also promoting the chew effect, that are known for its anti-stressful properties [71]; and herbal tea to reduce bloating symptoms [72].

3.2. Proposals for the “Food of the Future” for Airlines: Sensory Science and the Need to Fight the Fear of Flying

When considering the enhancement of the consumer experience in the framework of nutrition, which is ultimately related to the improvement of the well-being situation of the aircraft passengers also in relationship with the FF, it is essential to take into account that traditional consumer preference measures, such as those expressed through sensory questionnaires and involving traditional measures, like hedonic ratings, fail to predict consumer behavior and choices. In fact, while it has been described that explicit appreciation can provide useful information about the immediate pleasure derived from an edible compound, it does not offer insights about the underlying decision-making processes, and is often characterized by a self-judgment bias, which is especially present in more experienced consumers.

Overall, it is widely known that to fully understand the consumer experience, it is necessary to go beyond the perceived sensory characteristics of a compound and the eventual pleasure derived from the interaction with it and its consumption. However, the relationship between the consumer and the product (in this case, the foodstuff), should also be considered, as well as the overall emotional response of the consumer. In such a framework, such as for the promotion of palatable food during flights, it is essential to take food familiarity for a given passenger or group of flyers into account. Familiarity is, indeed, one feature of a sensory stimulation that enhances the psychophysiological sense of pleasantness and relaxation, as demonstrated in multiple studies [73,74]. It is also among the main determinants of success for traveling food, especially by plane [75], with an enhanced perception of healthiness for compounds which are more familiar to the consumer. In this light, the administration of a questionnaire, through the flight carrier application, to passengers can help in identifying familiar tastes and supporting the provision of the most pleasant onboard user experience, always taking into account that familiarity alone does not necessarily reflect personal choice towards a product. This principle would promote the personalization of the menu as much as possible, always taking into account the economic and logistic constraints the flight carrier would encounter in this regard. In any case, this approach has been put already into place by Air France through its frequent flyer programs for first-class passengers [76], which has received positive feedback.

Another proposal to enhance the customer experience related to food, decreasing annoyances onboard for passengers, is represented by the effects of the surrounding environment. The influence of air pressure and sound on self-perception of wellness in the aircraft has already been discussed. Several companies usually propose that their passengers put on earphones to decrease their annoyance due to the engine noise spreading into the cabin [77]; however, through these earphones, sounds could be delivered to the passenger, enhancing the taste of the airline food or improving their overall experience, as has already been demonstrated in different scenarios [78]. The audio tracks used can include the combination of complementary music and food, or even environmental sounds related to food, to enhance the sensory features of edible compounds [79]. The latter approach of these has been followed by some companies, including Finnair [76,80,81], in a successful manner.

The monitoring of passengers’ well-being during flights, which is also related to food, can be performed using wearable sensors, even with very user-friendly approaches, featuring solutions purposely scaled for enhancing wearability and reducing annoyance, like smartwatches and smartbands, which, when properly tailored and merged with artificial intelligence models, can provide the customer with useful information around their health and well-being state [82], even during flights or tasting. This takes particular importance when we consider that products with similar (explicit) hedonic ratings are associated with significantly different emotional responses [40,83] that can be captured only by means of psychophysiological measurements, transcending the typical approaches used in sensory analysis.

Figure 1 resumes all the three approaches mentioned above in a graphical manner, whereas a more detailed explanation of a possible intervention strategy is depicted in Figure 2.

4. Conclusions

Fear of flying remains a prevalent and often under-addressed challenge for travelers. Chemosensory stimulation during flights could offer a promising, low-risk complement to existing psychological therapies. By tailoring olfactory and gustatory experiences to the unique constraints of the in-flight environment, airlines can not only elevate passenger satisfaction, but also contribute meaningfully to anxiety reduction. At the same time, the promotion of certain types of foods could decrease the typical unhealthy behaviors of travelers, particularly those with a high degree of anxiety that, as reported at the beginning of the study, are more likely to dangerously consume alcohol and medicines, putting themselves at further risk concerning their health.

To the best of our knowledge, airlines do not currently collect data profiling passengers’ food intake and health status. However, a comprehensive strategy to counteract FF by promoting positive moods through food consumption could be more effective if such data were integrated. To this end, airlines could design specific questionnaires accompanied by informative brochures to be provided to passengers affected by FF, either at the time of ticket booking or during check-in procedures. These materials could recommend specific meals and/or beverages to be consumed during flights to help reduce anxiety.

Furthermore, brief mindfulness practices have been shown to enhance the sensory experience of food while reducing calorie intake [84], suggesting their potential when combined with foods evoking nostalgia, as well as positive moods, to enhance psychological benefits during flight time, regardless of passengers’ classes.

Future research should focus on the empirical validation of these strategies and their integration into broader wellness-focused travel initiatives.