ReadytoFly app adds CBT-based support for fearful flyers

ReadytoFly, an iPhone app from Newark-based ALERTAHORA LLC, combines personalized prep with offline in-flight tools to help people manage fear of flying. The app is free to download on the App Store and includes paid plans, a free assessment and support grounded in CBT and ACT.

Why it matters: - Fear of flying can start long before takeoff and intensify during specific moments in the cabin. - ReadytoFly aims to give users a practical plan for the airport, the flight itself and the next trip. - The app is designed to help fearful flyers build confidence over time, not just get through one flight.

What happened: - ReadytoFly launched as an iPhone app for people who want help preparing for difficult parts of flying and handling tough moments on board. - The app combines cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy with explanations of common flight sounds and sensations. - The program also includes guided flight-day support and exercises that work in airplane mode. - ReadytoFly is free to download on the App Store. - The company offers an annual plan with a 3-day free trial, then $79.99 per year. - A weekly plan costs $9.99 per week, billed from the start. - A free fear of flying assessment is available at readytofly.app.

The details: - The app organizes support around five recurring fear patterns: distress about flight sensations, feeling confined or unable to leave, worry about becoming overwhelmed, interpreting a bad feeling as a warning, and difficulty trusting the people and checks behind a flight. - The fear patterns are based on research into fearful flyers’ online conversations. - Several of the concerns can overlap in one person. - ReadytoFly includes short daily sessions, thought exercises and practical skills for use before and during a flight. - CBT exercises help users examine worried predictions and consider alternative interpretations. - ACT practice helps users respond to uncomfortable thoughts and feelings while continuing toward what they want to do. - Preparation includes guidance for the night before departure and the morning of the flight. - The flight-day companion covers home departure, the airport, boarding, takeoff, time in the air, descent and arrival. - Explanations make common cabin sounds and sensations more familiar. - Breathing and grounding exercises provide in-seat actions during the flight. - Downloaded sessions play in airplane mode. - Breathing and grounding tools also work without a connection. - The online guide requires internet access. - After landing, the app prompts reflection on what happened, what helped and what to carry into the next trip.

Between the lines: - The app is built around the idea that knowledge alone does not solve flight anxiety. - Founder Martin Davalos said his own experience changed after severe turbulence on a flight across the Himalayas when he was 18. - Davalos said he wanted help for the experience itself, including the thoughts before departure, the sensations on board and what to do when it got difficult. - Dr. Javier Vega Carranza, MD, helped shape the structure of the program’s modules. - ReadytoFly describes itself as an educational wellness program and says it does not replace professional care. - The program does not promise that every flight will feel easier than the last.

What's next: - Users can start with the free App Store download and the free fear of flying assessment. - The company is positioning the app as a repeat-use tool for future flights, not a one-time fix. - The app’s offline features suggest ReadytoFly expects users to rely on the program during real travel, not just during prep.

The bottom line: - ReadytoFly is trying to turn fear of flying into a structured routine, with prep before departure and support during the flight.