I personally have no worries about flying, at all. But friends and people I kow do some of which are;
Not taking flights with certain number combinations
Not sitting on the left hand side of the plane
Never fly on a Monday
Don't wear anything yellow
and quite a few others, what may seems silly to us is important to other people.
So have friends shared with you things they will not do?

Maybe not really a superstition but there are two things I always do before a flight departs:

- Actually look around the cabin to look for the nearest exit (including turning around to see if it's behind me) and, when it's not immediately clear which one is closer, count the seat rows to both exits to determine which one is. If I'm in (more or less) exactly in the middle between a full door and an overwing exit, I will always pin down the full door as the preferred emergency exit route.

- Unbuckle my seatbelt quickly after I fastened it so see if the buckle works as intended and isn't stuck or anything.

lugie wrote:

Maybe not really a superstition but there are two things I always do before a flight departs:

- Actually look around the cabin to look for the nearest exit (including turning around to see if it's behind me) and, when it's not immediately clear which one is closer, count the seat rows to both exits to determine which one is. If I'm in (more or less) exactly in the middle between a full door and an overwing exit, I will always pin down the full door as the preferred emergency exit route.

- Unbuckle my seatbelt quickly after I fastened it so see if the buckle works as intended and isn't stuck or anything.

Those are really nice and sensible practices.....nowhere near "superstitious"...

For commercial? Nope

For fun? Yep. Won’t fly without my sunglasses, even if it is night out. Wish I could explain why, but it’s a quirk of mine.

I always give the plane two taps with my right hand (just to the right of the door) when boarding.

Sometimes my ring contacts the metal and I’m sure ‘startles’ people right ahead of of behind me.

FriscoHeavy wrote:

I always give the plane two taps with my right hand (just to the right of the door) when boarding.

Me too!

I should do that. I always count the distance in seats to the exit so if it's smoky or dark I can get out just by feeling how many seats I've passed. Also, I always fly with some 737 checklists that I printed out, the latest edition of Flying Magazine, and a flight plan given to me by an AMAZING WN FO after landing at MDW. Sir, if you're out there, thank you so much. It means a lot.

I am only superstitious when I have a connection in Atlanta that I might not make my connection so I avoid this airport if at all possible.

FriscoHeavy wrote:

I always give the plane two taps with my right hand (just to the right of the door) when boarding.

Sometimes my ring contacts the metal and I’m sure ‘startles’ people right ahead of of behind me.

I like that, that's going to be my new ritual.

I'm not that superstitious.

But I'll probably avoid any flight with the number 191 or variations of those numbers like 911. It's an incredible coincidence that one flight number is associated with 6 different crashes, including crashes of directly competing airliners (DC-10 & L-1011).

lugie wrote:

Maybe not really a superstition but there are two things I always do before a flight departs:

- Actually look around the cabin to look for the nearest exit (including turning around to see if it's behind me) and, when it's not immediately clear which one is closer, count the seat rows to both exits to determine which one is. If I'm in (more or less) exactly in the middle between a full door and an overwing exit, I will always pin down the full door as the preferred emergency exit route.

- Unbuckle my seatbelt quickly after I fastened it so see if the buckle works as intended and isn't stuck or anything.

You are kidding me. I do the very same!!!

SJCMSP wrote:

FriscoHeavy wrote:

I always give the plane two taps with my right hand (just to the right of the door) when boarding.

Me too!

I'm exactly the same...that makes three of us then. I wasnt too sure whether to mention it the other day but more i thought of it the more it appeared a superstition I'd picked up.

Can't say when I started doing it, I think it started when I was flying on a QF A380 I'd been on before, almost saying hello to an old friend and it just became a habit for a safe trip.

Nice. I'm going to start doing the same.

I am a Christian so I always say a prayer for the crew and passengers that we have a safe and smooth flight.

n729pa wrote:

SJCMSP wrote:

FriscoHeavy wrote:

I always give the plane two taps with my right hand (just to the right of the door) when boarding.

Me too!

I'm exactly the same...that makes three of us then. I wasnt too sure whether to mention it the other day but more i thought of it the more it appeared a superstition I'd picked up.

Can't say when I started doing it, I think it started when I was flying on a QF A380 I'd been on before, almost saying hello to an old friend and it just became a habit for a safe trip.

That’s neat that I’m not the only one. I wouldn’t say mine is superstitious per say, but just something I’ve done since I was a kid and continue to do. I doubt my wife even has any idea I do it.

As dfwjim1 said, I always pray before takeoff as well. Again, not superstitious, but something I do often, even outside of flying.

klm617 wrote:

I am only superstitious when I have a connection in Atlanta that I might not make my connection so I avoid this airport if at all possible.

bless your heart

klm617 wrote:

I am only superstitious when I have a connection in Atlanta that I might not make my connection so I avoid this airport if at all possible.

Oh the dramatics

lugie wrote:

- Actually look around the cabin to look for the nearest exit (including turning around to see if it's behind me) and, when it's not immediately clear which one is closer, count the seat rows to both exits to determine which one is. If I'm in (more or less) exactly in the middle between a full door and an overwing exit, I will always pin down the full door as the preferred emergency exit route.

I always do that too, it's just a smart preparation. Since I'm usually somewhere in the middle of coach, I always count the rows to the overwing exits, whether they are in front or behind me, in case I need to find them by feel in the dark or smoke.

I also usually at least touch near the door before walking onboard. And usually say a prayer as well. Some people may say they prefer to die doing something they love. No thanks!

I've never seen one, but I would avoid a flight # 666, or if somehow an a380 had that seat number I'd request to move. If I couldn't I might get off the plane. Other than that I can't think of anything or have any pre flight rituals

timh4000 wrote:

I've never seen one, but I would avoid a flight # 666, or if somehow an a380 had that seat number I'd request to move. If I couldn't I might get off the plane. Other than that I can't think of anything or have any pre flight rituals

Meh been on Finair flight 666 to HEL before. It's not the 'number of the beast' anyway, as is usual with the mumbo jumbo brigade, it's a mistranslation of the translation. 616

Well to be safe I'll avoid both those numbers lol

I always give the aircraft fuselage a gentle tapping before boarding, as I have never experienced any accident, this must work.

I touch the fuselage of the plane as I’m boarding.

FriscoHeavy wrote:

I always give the plane two taps with my right hand (just to the right of the door) when boarding.

Sometimes my ring contacts the metal and I’m sure ‘startles’ people right ahead of of behind me.

Hah, I do this too. Have been for as long as I can remember. That's it though, no other rituals on my end.

FriscoHeavy wrote:

I always give the plane two taps with my right hand (just to the right of the door) when boarding.

SJCMSP wrote:

Me too!

klm617 wrote:

I like that, that's going to be my new ritual.

n729pa wrote:

I'm exactly the same...that makes three of us then.

DALMD80 wrote:

Nice. I'm going to start doing the same.

ADL14 wrote:

I also usually at least touch near the door before walking onboard.

fallap wrote:

I always give the aircraft fuselage a gentle tapping before boarding, as I have never experienced any accident, this must work.

DeltaConnection wrote:

I touch the fuselage of the plane as I’m boarding.

gunsontheroof wrote:

Hah, I do this too.

I do the same. So we are now 10 members, if I counted correctly.
Although I just started doing this after the introduction of the B 787. I wanted to know how this CFRP feels when touching it.... (and no, I didn't feel any difference).

FriscoHeavy wrote:

Sometimes my ring contacts the metal and I’m sure ‘startles’ people right ahead of of behind me.

I once misjudged the distance between me and the door frame and smashed my business suitcase made of aluminium into the fuselage when Boarding enthusiatically. I will never forget the FA's face when she heard the bang...

timh4000 wrote:

I've never seen one, but I would avoid a flight # 666, or if somehow an a380 had that seat number I'd request to move. If I couldn't I might get off the plane. Other than that I can't think of anything or have any pre flight rituals

Me too. I once changed a flight on Swissair many years ago once I found out my connecting flight was 666. Although you never know unless you can see it, the registration N666AA, or N666US, N666DL would make me a little uneasy. I have flown on Delta's flight 1666, and flown on a DC-3 registered N28666, or something similar, can't remember the exact numbers prior to 666 in the reg. Some carriers even skip the number, like FedEx, going from N665FE, to N667FE. If memory serves me right, I remember flying on an airline back in the 80's that skipped row 13.

Also, I don't like flying on Friday the 13th, but I have a few times. I also flew on a Delta A320, N313US, leaving out of gate B13 in ATL. Those numbers caught my attention, but it didn't make me uneasy.

I also say a prayer before the flight, for safety, and that I make my connection!

bluestreak wrote:

timh4000 wrote:

I've never seen one, but I would avoid a flight # 666, or if somehow an a380 had that seat number I'd request to move. If I couldn't I might get off the plane. Other than that I can't think of anything or have any pre flight rituals

Me too. I once changed a flight on Swissair many years ago once I found out my connecting flight was 666. Although you never know unless you can see it, the registration N666AA, or N666US, N666DL would make me a little uneasy. I have flown on Delta's flight 1666, and flown on a DC-3 registered N28666, or something similar, can't remember the exact numbers prior to 666 in the reg. Some carriers even skip the number, like FedEx, going from N665FE, to N667FE. If memory serves me right, I remember flying on an airline back in the 80's that skipped row 13.

Also, I don't like flying on Friday the 13th, but I have a few times. I also flew on a Delta A320, N313US, leaving out of gate B13 in ATL. Those numbers caught my attention, but it didn't make me uneasy.

I also say a prayer before the flight, for safety, and that I make my connection!

While I'd be leery of the tail numbers... my understanding is it's a stand alone number. So technically the tail number has no value other than it's own number. I'm definitely changing flights off a 666 flight. I was on a cruise a couple of weeks ago and there was a 666 stateroom. I'd request another room and if they didn't have one I'd walk off the boat.

readytotaxi wrote:

I personally have no worries about flying, at all. But friends and people I kow do some of which are;
Not taking flights with certain number combinations
Not sitting on the left hand side of the plane
Never fly on a Monday
Don't wear anything yellow
and quite a few others, what may seems silly to us is important to other people.
So have friends shared with you things they will not do?

Nobody has shared with me things that they will not do. I have seen people tap the fuselage twice next to the door on boarding, but I’ve never done this myself. IMHO I have pretty much cloaked myself in resilience at this point in time, so nothing really bothers me about flying.

I do tighten the seatbelt up very tightly, and retighten it several times during the flight. I frown at people who are not wearing it like me.

One thing that does freak me out which I would consider in the superstitious category that hasn’t been mentioned, is disembarking at a different entry than boarding. For example, there have been times when my seat number requires me to board via the rear stairs, but disembarkation is via the main door.

This ‘walking through’ the aircraft freaks me out, if I think about it too much. Actually just boarding (not so much disembarking) via the rear stairs can be an uneasy feeling in itself. Boarding via the front and down the back is not as bad. I’ve never had to use those rear stairs on the t-tail jets thankfully. Not ever likely to now in this day and age anyhow. Also, the regulation of not being able to take photos doesn’t help.

I am curious, I have never heard of the superstitions mentioned by the OP. What is the issue with sitting on the left side of the plane, not flying on a Monday, and not wearing yellow? I am intrigued!