July 2009

“Altruistic” Passenger Gives Up Seat

July 31, 2009

in Portly Stories

This isn’t really a horror story but it could have been. I fly a lot for business. I had taken my middle seat for my flight. The aisle seat was taken on my right, and the window seat to my left was empty. I was starting to get excited that I would have an empty seat on my left, when my hopes were dashed. A super-large woman was squeezing her way sideways down the aisle, and as luck would have it, she was going to be my neighbor. We got up so she could pour herself into her seat, and then we squeezed back in.

She was actually very nice and told me she really hated flying and she was sad that she couldn’t even sit by her friend. Well I immediately said “I hate when that happens. Would you like me to swap with her?” I figured that since I was in the middle seat, I couldn’t do any worse, and why not make this lady happy. Well happy she was! “Would you?,” she asked. “Of course I would!,” I replied. She then yelled for her girlfriend who was sitting about 6 rows up in a bulkhead seat. “He’s going to switch with you!” Well, an even LARGER woman stood up and smiled. I switched seats with her. I don’t think the guy in the aisle seat was too happy.

FacebookShare

Tagged as: portly, seats

{ 8 comments }

Baby Gets Blame For Bad Odor

July 30, 2009

in Odor Stories

My family flew from BWI to MSP on March 25th of 2008. At the time my son was 6 months old. About 20 minutes into the flight there was a horrible smell. I checked my sons diaper and he was clean. Several of the other passengers called the flight attendant to complain about the terrible smell. The flight attendant very loudly and rudely informed me that I needed to wake my son up and change him immediately. I told him that my son was not the cause of the smell but he actually made me wake him and prove to him that he did not have a dirty diaper.

While we were up the other flight attendants determined that the elderly man seated in the same row that I was in had coughed and soiled himself. He continued to cough for the entire flight and the smell continued to get worse. The flight attendants placed coffee bags on the tops of the seats but it did not help. After we left the plane several people walked up to my family at baggage claim and said how horrible the experience was due to my son! I informed them about what had really happened and of course no one wanted to believe me.

FacebookShare

Tagged as: children & babies, flight attendant, odor, poop, senior citizen

{ 3 comments }

Pan Am Is Gone, Thank Heaven

July 29, 2009

in Airplane Stories

I flew Pan Am several times never had a good experience. Here is the worst:

Lining up for takeoff from Honolulu, a great BOOM!! made the whole plane shudder. Never mind, we took off anyway, the airplane shuddering slightly until we lifted off.

Sitting next to me was a Pan Am pilot. After we were aloft the plane’s captain appeared and exchanged a few quiet words with the pilot next to me. After he left I asked the pilot next to me, “We blew a tire before takeoff, didn’t we?”

The pilot said, “Yes.”

When approaching San Francisco, the captain broke the news to the passengers. He told us that our landing would be OK, but we might not be able to taxi afterward. He verbally gave us instructions about using the escape slides and other information.

On landing we could see the emergency vehicles lined up along the runway. To the Commander’s credit, the landing was uneventful and he was able to taxi to the terminal normally.

Why, though, did he have to risk our lives by taking off from Honolulu when he knew that we had an unknown explosion before lining up? He did need to discuss the matter with the pilot sitting next to me.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

On another day my wife and I, with our two small children, were booked on Pan Am from LAX to Australia, but we managed to switch our seats to a British Air flight.

While in the air, the captain announced that our original Pan Am flight was grounded in Honolulu and that we would be taking on as many of those passengers as we could. The other Pan Am passengers had to spend the night in the Honolulu airport.

We dodged the bullet that time.

FacebookShare

Tagged as: british airways, delay & cancellation, near disaster, pan american airline, pilot

{ 9 comments }

Cease Carry-On Luggage

July 28, 2009

in Flying Hell Commentary

I wish we could eliminate carry on luggage all together! A coat and briefcase/computer/diaper bag/canvas carry all/large purse should be all that is allowed. I am tired of being hit in the head by the wheeling overnight carry-on sized bags as their owners stuff them in and yank them out of the overhead bins. I also think that this activity slows getting on and off the plane.

FacebookShare

Tagged as: baggage, overhead bin

{ 11 comments }

Reclining Seat Damages Laptop

July 28, 2009 Seat Stories

My laptop nearly cracked in half on a flight from Phoenix to Saint Louis. Although the screen didn’t break per say, there is still some permanent damage as the bottom of the screen seems to be detached from the glass of the screen. On July 28th I flew from San Francisco to Saint Louis on [...]

Read the full article →

Abuse Of Flight Attendant

July 27, 2009 Passenger Stories

I was on my way back to KY from a wonderful trip to Alaska with my new boyfriend last year. Said attorney boyfriend was a NWA “Gold” member and we were flying in “first class” of a jet that didn’t actually have first class. The flight attendant requested everyone to remain in their seats since [...]

Read the full article →

TSA-Approved Locks Are No Bueno

July 26, 2009 Luggage Stories

After a near-perfect vacation in Cancun, Mexico (early-2009), two friends and I boarded our Mexicana Airlines flight back to Texas. Our luggage contained our basic amenities and minor valuables including our phone and laptop chargers, shoes, and memorabilia purchased during our trip. For security purposes (as required by US law), each piece of luggage contained [...]

Read the full article →

Essence De Lavatory

July 25, 2009 Odor Stories

On an Air Italia flight in 1994 from Toronto to Rome, I was seated at the bulkhead row separating first class from coach – right behind the bathrooms. An absolutely beautiful woman walked into the bathroom shortly after take off. When she emerged, it was the worst smell ever. It was so bad that sleeping [...]

Read the full article →

Delayed At O’Hare Airport

July 24, 2009 Delay Stories

I was on my way back from a school-sponsored trip to Europe. The week was fantastic. The flight back into the US landed in O’Hare early in the morning, with a long layover before the flight home to Pittsburgh. Because there was not enough room for our entire group on one plane, four chaperones decided [...]

Read the full article →

Kitty Has Crap Scared Out Of Him

July 23, 2009 Animal Stories

About a year ago my teenage son was flying from Vancouver to Calgary. He was bringing with him a cat we were rescuing. The cat is now a very much loved part of our family but at the time he (the cat) had no idea what was going on and he didn’t travel very well. [...]

Read the full article →

Page 1 of 41234