August 2009

Passenger Demands That Mother Medicate Baby

August 31, 2009

in Baby & Kid Stories

I was flying from New Orleans back to Los Angeles and for some strange reason there were A LOT of babies on this flight!!!! I was sitting all the way in the back of the plane and this allowed me to see all the people boarding. Naturally, by the time the plane was full most of the infants were seated very near to the back.

There was this one particular infant that was screaming before the plane even took off. Mind you this is a 4 and a half hour flight and this baby was screaming bloody murder. I thought after the first couple of minutes flying the mother would feed the child and all would be good. I was wrong – the child ate and continued screaming. The worst part is that this screaming prompted all the other infants to start screaming. The nightmare began!!!!!

Since there were clear skies and it was a beautiful day, the captain turned off the seat belt signs during the entire flight so the mothers would take their screaming infants and walk up and down the aisle until the screaming would stop. One by one they would eventually stop, but there was THAT ONE that never did. The mother was actually complaining to the flight attendant the whole time about things she wanted and needed so she and her child were annoying me even more.

About 2 and a half hours into the flight the baby is still screaming and the mother is not pleased a bit. She then starts to walk towards where I am sitting because she still thinks the walking will help. I couldn’t take it anymore so I stood up and told her that she could at least go back to her area and not alienate the ENTIRE plane. I demanded that she move and at least give her child some Tylenol or Benadryl if she had some to knock the kid out!!! She got very upset and went back to her seat and I actually heard a few people clapping. Low and behold she actually did have some baby Tylenol and she gave it to the baby and it knocked the baby out. I actually got to enjoy the rest of the flight!!!

Nicholas B.

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Tagged as: children & babies, medication & drugs

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Reclining Seat Solution

August 31, 2009

in Flying Hell Commentary

I travel a lot and with expense controls find myself having to work in economy more often than not. Reclined seats and laptops don’t work. So here is a solution for you.

Most drop down tables drop and have two supporting aluminium “Legs.”

Lower your table.

Take the two magazines: Flight and Duty Free.

Fold them both in half and jam them at the base of those “Legs.”

This should minimize the recline in the seat in front of you.

So if you are on a flight and you can’t recline your seat…..I’m sitting behind you! ;-)

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Tagged as: laptop, seats

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Upset At United

August 30, 2009

in Delay Stories

Anyone that has flown out of Denver knows that United is always back logged in the ticketing area. It doesn’t matter the day, time…it’s a log jam.

I have arrived 4 hours early for international check-in (Denver to Belfast 3 flights w. International connections) and security — to walk through the door at 7am to find a line that was several thousand people deep. Not only did the line fill up the ticketing area, people had made their own “maze queue” after filling up the ribbon maze — but this line proceeded down the hallway, into the main terminal building…then down the hallway by at least 100 feet. It nearly had wrapped around the next corner of the terminal. So with step after step we shuffled and shuffled…we eventually got to the counter and checked in.

We then proceeded hurriedly to our gate through security. Security had it down, they ran a tight ship. We made it to our gate with about 10 minutes before boarding (forget about eating). I was excited we were flying a BRAND NEW 777. I heard fantastic things about this aircraft. We board the plane and it is PACKED…SOLID with people…about 440 total.

We sit, and sit…I had a window seat; as I look out, I see a lot of people standing around…not doing much of anything. Then after 20 minutes, the pilot comes on the intercom and notifies everyone that they could not get the luggage compartment to seal — so we will have to deboard and find other flights.

440 people unload. 440 people go to the ONE customer service desk — with 2 people.

To say that people were upset was an understatement as the “mechanics slowdown” was headline news that week.

I called United, while waiting in line. I was able to arrange accommodations for another flight, which caused another flight change…and yet a third overseas.

We had to run down the concourse, literally to the other side…which is about 1/2 mile run. The operator said, you have 5 minutes to make the gate or they will leave and you will be stuck in Denver for another day…BOOM…we are off!

We get to the gate. But did UNITED actually tell the flight we were on our way… no. We arrive completely out of breath from our 1/2 mile sprint. We get to the desk, and they can’t find our name on the list.!! WHAT? Oh…that flight was…wait for it…changed to another gate. WHAT? Thankfully this time it was on the opposite side of the same hallway.

Fly over there…WE ARE HERE!!! I yell out as they are closing the door to the concourse. Of course, because we were “instant” travelers I had to strip down and go through my 3rd security “random” screening of the day.

About 20 hours later, and another 3 chapters of this rant with OTHER UNITED FAILURES…we get to Belfast…but our luggage arrived 2 DAYS later.

I VOWED NEVER TO FLY UNITED AGAIN.

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Tagged as: airport, baggage, delay & cancellation, missed flight, security, united airlines

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Thirteen Year Old Learns The Complexities Of Flying

August 29, 2009

in Delay Stories

About 3 years ago, I flew on a major US airline from Chicago-O’Hare to Sacramento by myself at the age of 13. I was going to see relatives and stay with them for a week.

After checking in at ORD (and passing security with a 12 oz bottle of liquid- it was after the “liquid scare”, but that’s a different story =).

The flight to Sacramento was uneventful. I had an awesome time on the flight (I love flying =)

The flight home was a different story. My trip home was supposed to be Sacramento – Denver – Chicago. Departing at 11:30 am. When I got to the airport, the check-in counters were full for the airline I was flying. Apparently, this airline had a major computer crash on the east coast and that had a ripple effect on all of the flights (guess which airline it is now). I was booked on the flight to Denver, which was running late. There were thunderstorms in Denver. The flight was delayed.

By the time I got to the counter, my Denver flight departed. Thus, I missed my connection onward to Chicago. The agent at the counter presented me with two options:

1) Same trip (Sacramento-Denver-Chicago), departing at 6:30 am and arriving in Chicago later in the day.

2) Fly to LAX, catch red-eye to ORD, get into Chicago at 2am.

After calling my parents and discussing the matter with them, I opted to go with the first option. So the agent changed my booking, and gave me my boarding passed (I had to be at the airport by 3am, to go through security). To my surprise, I was handed two FIRST CLASS tickets!!! A 13 year old in First Class by himself!!! Unheard of!!!

So, I went back to my relative’s house to sleep. At about 2am, my uncle and I left for Sacramento Intl. I was one of the first ones in the security line. I passed through security… only to have my bag searched. That 12oz bottle of liquid was removed.

I went to the gate for my Denver flight and waited. I noticed that there was a non-stop to ORD, and I wondered why I wasn’t booked on that. Turns out it was overbooked.

At about 5:50am or so, the gate agent came to the gate for my flight. Then…. a DELAYED sign was posted on my flight. After debating whether or not to go and check on my flight, I ended up going up to the desk and stating my situation. She explained that the flight HAD NO CREW because of the computer crash the previous day. She went and booked me on the non-stop, in the exit row (I was 13, remember). Turns out it wasn’t overbooked.

So, after about 18 hours, I was on a flight home. I got into Chicago around 3pm local time. And I barely had enough minutes to call my mom (I had a prepaid phone at the time) to pick me up at ORD.

So, the whole experience hasn’t dampened my flying spirit. I would fly again at any time. (I’m going to Nicaragua with my youth group this summer… should be interesting =)

R.K.

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Tagged as: delay & cancellation, missed flight, overbooking, security

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Hayseed Clan Intrudes Into Passenger’s Space

August 28, 2009 Portly Stories

So I’m boarding a flight from Frankfurt to Philadelphia with the three other members of my band and all is going well. Everyone looks mellow, no kids, no obese people no—wait a minute…OH NO!!! Coming down the aisle I see a large party of people, most of whom are obese and with many small children [...]

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FBI Man

August 27, 2009 Passenger Stories

I was returning from a nonprofit training seminar. I can’t recall the airline I was flying with, but I remember very well the trip. A man in his mid to late 30s got on the plane. He was a big guy, about 6’3″, wearing a baseball cap that said “FBI” in large fuzzy letters. He [...]

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A Valuable Lesson

August 26, 2009 Odor Stories

Over the years I have logged thousands of hours sitting on planes and it was on one of these flights that I learned where not to sit, if at all possible. I had made a last minute change to my plans so I had to jump on a plane at the last minute. Not too [...]

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A Rather Large Man

August 26, 2009 Portly Stories

Flight was from Washington Reagan to DFW. I took my seat by the window and as it got closer to take off, I still did not have anyone sitting in seat next to me. I am thinking “sweet….I’ll have room.” They were about to close the door and one more person got on. It was [...]

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Passengers Late And Irate

August 25, 2009 Delay Stories

In January of 2003 I was flying to Amsterdam from Johannesburg, South Africa on KLM/Northwest. The flight was on time getting to Amsterdam. It had been snowing in Amsterdam. I had an approx 4 hour layover in Amsterdam before boarding a flight for Dulles Airport. Boarded the plane on time and the plane left the [...]

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Toddler Reluctant To Fly On A Plane

August 25, 2009 Baby & Kid Stories

We took our son to Florida for the first time when he was barely 3. I explained to him how we were going to be flying “on” a plane, and he took me literally. For days he said he didn’t want to fly “on” a plane. Finally I asked him why, and he said, and [...]

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