CHARLOTTE, N.C. – With Labor Day weekend just days away, one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, I wanted to follow up with fresh data on Charlotte travelers and their flight-related anxiety.
According to a new study from travel guide LocalsInsider.com, Charlotte ranks among the top 10 cities with the most anxious flyers in America, ranking No. 6 overall.
Charlotte highlights:
- 74% say they’re afraid of turbulence
- 62% have trouble sleeping the night before a flight
- 80% say they feel stressed before flying
- 64% say recent safety-related events have increased their anxiety about flying.
The study asked Americans in the 30 largest metros about their flight-related stress habits, from trouble sleeping to canceling trips due to anxiety.
- The study also found that more than half (57%) of Americans say they struggle to sleep the night before a flight.
- 3 in 4 Americans (75%) say they feel at least some stress or anxiety before flying.
- Most say they begin feeling financial stress once airfare hits $540, which is well above the national average.
With Labor Day weekend approaching, this is a timely look at how flying stress impacts travelers and which cities feel it the most.
You can see the full city rankings and survey results here: America’s Most Anxious Flyers Ranked by City | 2025 Study
