I hate flying, too. An airplane is mass transit, and the flying experience is pretty much a Greyhound bus that flies, except with extra security.
I’ve discovered that flying over the Appalachians has been relatively gentle. Flying over the Rockies has been more turbulence-prone.
Takeoff and landing are the two most stressful parts of actually flying. A little prayer there helps make you feel better. The in-the-air part isn’t so bad, generally; having a good book or music helps pass the time. Bringing a thing of trail mix or snacks in your carryon also helps pass the time.
Give yourself extra time to get through security. The last time we flew, I was standing in line for check-in two hours before our flight was scheduled to take off. We spent an hour and a half waiting to check in with our airline. We managed to get through airline security and walk to our terminal in pretty quickly, and they began boarding the plane about five minutes after we showed up. So even though they say, “Give yourself two hours’ buffer time”, giving yourself more time than that will help some of the stress on the ground.
So-- there’s lots of places to get stressed. Figure out which part of it is most stressful for you, and identify ways to make it easier. The check-in wait? Going through screening? Boarding and stowing your carryon luggage? Takeoff? Flying? The wait? Turbulence? Landing? Baggage claim? etc. Finding something to do with your mind during that stressful time— like prayer— is a good thing, where you’re able to give God your fear/discomfort/stress.