Flights From Hell flies you into the crazy skies with stories about the adventures and anxieties of airplane travel.

Commercial airline travel takes us far, far out of our comfort zone. We're herded into cylinders that zip hundreds of miles per hour at 30,000 feet, subjected to security screenings, confronted with delays and lost luggage, rushed to catch connecting flights, constrained to small seats, scrunched up with strangers, and surrounded by pathogens. Is it any wonder we end up becoming a bundle of raw nerves by journey's end?

Return From Paradise

March 13, 2008 Airplane Stories

My husband, two kids (12 and 14) and I flew from Hartford to Honolulu to visit my family this March. I am a nervous flier, but I had been noticing that my daughter was picking up on it and somehow managed to convince myself, along with her, that it was okay to just ‘give up […]

6 comments Continue reading →

The Unfriendly Country

March 5, 2008 Odds & Ends Stories

A few years ago I was on a business trip to the Orient visiting Hong Kong, Tokyo, Taipei and Seoul. This story tells of the frightening experience I had during my visit to Seoul, Korea and the problems encountered one week later when I was due to leave for Hong Kong. I was arriving in […]

17 comments Continue reading →

Water-Logged Luggage

February 17, 2008 Luggage Stories

This tale of frustration occurred back in the spring of 2005. I had flown from DC to Syracuse to visit family for Easter break, and my return flight had a layover in Philadelphia (where I’m originally from). I was frustrated, as Syracuse-DC is already a short flight, and Philadelphia-DC is literally less than 25 minutes […]

4 comments Continue reading →

Leadership In The Skies

February 8, 2008 Flying Hell Commentary

To: United Pilots From: MEC Communications Re: Profiles of Leadership As we celebrate Presidents’ Day, we should all take a moment to reflect on what makes great leaders — not only the leaders of our nation, but those leaders who make a difference in our everyday lives. At United Airlines, there are managers and there […]

3 comments Continue reading →

Kid Kicks Seat, Passenger Kicks Butt

January 24, 2008 Baby & Kid Stories

When I took a return flight from San Antonio, Texas back to Los Angeles, California I boarded like livestock on Southwest Airlines. Really no complaints until the rubber tires left the tarmac. I was hoping to enjoy the scenery on the way back but right from the moment of rubber/tarmac separation, this mother and child […]

27 comments Continue reading →

Travel Trepidation

January 17, 2008 Luggage Stories

I generally do my best to avoid having to “Fly the Unfriendly Skies”. Two recent Flights from Hell on United only confirmed that things don’t get much worse. Even if they were giving it away, I would steer clear in the future… The night before my UA flight from San Francisco to San Diego, I […]

8 comments Continue reading →

Fed Up Ex-Customer

January 5, 2008 Odds & Ends Stories

I travel weekly for work and also several times a year (domestic and international), and will never travel AA again if I have a choice – I would rather take multiple connections than AA straight thorough, and as far as international flights – NO WAY! To date, I have yet to get my miles for […]

6 comments Continue reading →

Big Guy Fancies Furry Hat

December 27, 2007 Portly Stories

Last month I was flying to Israel with my family on Continental Airlines. Since we are a family of 5, my son and I sat in the middle while my wife and 2 daughters sat across the aisle. A man sat down next to my son who must have weighed at least 350 lbs. The […]

17 comments Continue reading →

Child In Charge

December 24, 2007 Baby & Kid Stories

On a flight from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles, I found myself lucky enough to sit in front of a family of two parents and a toddler-aged child. For the entire four hour flight, the child would scream intermittently and kick my seat constantly. About half way through the flight, I turn around and ask the […]

18 comments Continue reading →

Toddler Section Suggestion

December 24, 2007 Baby & Kid Stories

I just experienced the toddler behind you kicking the back of your seat all the way from Chicago to Vegas phenomenon. This was coupled with the crying and demands of “I want apple juice” intermittenly throughout the flight. I don’t own any children myself, and have been very happy with my choice. That is why […]

92 comments Continue reading →

Apathetic Father

December 24, 2007 Baby & Kid Stories

I was on a flight going only halfway across the U.S. (thankfully only 2.5 hrs), sitting at a window with two seats to my left. A mother with a child of about 2 on her lap was next to me, and the father next to her. The mother actually had a ticket for the other […]

15 comments Continue reading →

Mommy’s Ready To Rumble

December 24, 2007 Baby & Kid Stories

This isn’t my personal story, but one that my sister told me after she flew from NYC to Pittsburgh. Two rows behind her on the plane was a mother, father, and their young toddler-aged daughter. The daughter misbehaved terribly. She would sing out loud, kick the seat, toss crayons into the aisles, and pretty much […]

17 comments Continue reading →



← Previous Entries

Next Entries →