Flights From Hell flies you into the crazy skies with stories about the adventures and anxieties of airline 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?

Given the Runaround, Literally

February 26, 2010 Delay Stories

As a student, I tend to travel as cheaply as possible, but my frequent trips also necessitate air travel. Spring break my senior year found me traveling from my hometown of Sioux Falls, SD, to Waco, TX, to interview for a graduate school. Timing was tight, and I was due to return on the Sunday [...]

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Kid Kick’s Passenger’s Face

February 25, 2010 Baby & Kid Stories

July 2nd, 2003 I was on Northwest flight 852 from Anchorage, Alaska to Detroit, Michigan, approximately a 6 hour red eye on a 757-300. I was only 15 at the time and by myself. Surprisingly the flight was packed full. My seat was back in row 43 and as always I had a window seat. [...]

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Do Not Disturb

February 25, 2010 Attendant & Pilot Stories

I’m in the back of coach, on Singapore Airlines from Colombo to Singapore, sleeping. Suddenly, I was being pushed. I opened my eyes to see an SQ blue girl (most junior) above me. Her statement “just tidying up the wrapper for your blanket, sorry to wake you.” I didn’t sleep the rest of the flight.
I’m [...]

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Grumpy Lady

February 24, 2010 Senior Stories

I was recently traveling in a large group on a late night flight from Miami to Boston. Being a savvy traveler, I had changed my seats online, separating myself from the rest of the group.
After about an hour and a half of delays and annoying gate agents, all the passengers boarded the aircraft. I was [...]

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Plane Etiquette

February 24, 2010 Passenger Stories

I was flying back from Malaysia yesterday on Etihad and had specifically requested a row of three seats as I was making a 28 hour journey and was hoping to catch some shut eye on the way back.
You never know with these requests whether they will process, but on this occasion I was lucky enough [...]

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Partying Passenger’s Indiscretion

February 23, 2010 Passenger Stories

I recently flew from Liverpool to Amsterdam with one of the budget airlines. It was a 6.15 am flight so I got to the airport early as the airline operates a first come, first seated policy.
I’ve always been amazed that when I get to the airport this flight is always full of the stag weekenders; [...]

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Nauseating Nigerian Flight

February 23, 2010 Odor Stories

Nothing in the world smells worse than any flight to or from Nigeria. After 4 years of back and forth action between Lagos, Nigeria and London, I began to find my gate not by number but by stench. I understand that different countries have different levels of acceptable hygeine, but… it takes weeks or months [...]

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Made For Each Other

February 23, 2010 Couples Stories

I am a travel agent, specializing in the Caribbean and Mexico. I have had many crazy flight experiences, but last year on a flight to Jamaica really takes the cake! My co-workers and I were ready for a week in paradise away from our clients and boarded our plane in Charlotte for what we thought [...]

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Two Vomit Stories For Your Reading Pleasure

February 22, 2010 Medical & Illness Stories

I don’t travel much. Life sometimes changes things and air travel is by far the quickest way. I flew to Orlando for the weekend from Michigan. The trip down was nice and pleasant. The return, however, was another story. The plane was packed; no empty seats. I’m at the window with a newly married couple [...]

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Sick And Tired Of Being Asked To Change Seats

February 21, 2010 Airplane Stories

This happened on a flight from San Francisco to New Orleans connecting through Dallas. I was flying to visit family for a long weekend and had packed just a small carry-on.
My flight to DFW was easy and hassle free. However, once I boarded the plane to go to New Orleans things got interesting. I was [...]

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