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?

Prison Food

December 29, 2010 Food & Drink Stories

For a short while in 2002-2004 (can’t remember exactly when) Lufthansa started cutting costs on food. As a regular traveller at the time I was used to the free sandwich and free drinks offered on the Manchester-Frankfurt route. OK, it wasn’t the greatest food in the world, but to a hungry traveller it was pleasant, [...]

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Cascading Mechanical Problems

December 26, 2010 Delay/Cancellation Stories

I was on DL 5982, which was slowly delayed in increments, as the airline apparently attempted to wait for weather to worsen to cover for a mechanical failure. Eventually the flight was cancelled, and it took hours to get rebooked and put up in a hotel overnight. The next day, on DL 3957, the plane suffered… another mechanical [...]

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May Your Travels be Safe and Trouble Free

December 25, 2010 Flying Hell Commentary
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Sumo Baby Tantrum

December 21, 2010 Baby & Kid Stories

I was traveling on business and unable to obtain an upgrade with miles for the return flight from Tokyo to Detroit. So I was seated in ‘preferred economy’ at bulkhead (aka premium cattle-class). I’ve been there before and began to fear the worst as I scoped out the passengers waiting at the gate.  Muttering to [...]

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Passenger Interrupts FA’s Party

December 19, 2010 Attendant & Pilot Stories

I was flying Qantas on a flight from SYD to LAX. I was, of course, in cattle class. Midway through the flight I went up to the galley to request a coffee. There were 3-4 FA’s in there having an uproarious chat about something or other. I asked if I could get a coffee and one [...]

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Astounded by Huge Hairdo and Portly Passenger

December 15, 2010 Portly Stories

This isn’t really a flight from hell… but it could have been for two passengers! However, it was Scrimmy to the rescue! *Play Heroic Theme Music* Okay, really… I’m quite small. 4’10 and a whopping eighty-nine pounds. Petite little lady, am I. It’s not unusual for people to ask me if I know where my mommy and [...]

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No Drink for Thirsty Traveler

December 14, 2010 Attendant & Pilot Stories

I was flying from Paris to Rome on Vueling airlines. It was the middle of summer, incredibly hot, and when I got on the flight I was pretty thirsty. I didn’t have time to grab a bottle of water at the airport because my cab driver took us to the east airport (not west) which [...]

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Wondering about Weight Limits

December 13, 2010 Flying Hell Commentary

This is more of a question than a story. Flying from Australia to any country in the Asia/Pacific region, the total weight of your checked-in luggage is measured. So, for instance, you could check in 3 bags with a total weight of 23kg and you would be ok. Flying to North America, the baggage allowance [...]

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“Tortured” by a Beautiful Blond

December 12, 2010 Couples Stories

This is not quite a flight from hell, just a small bit of torture. I was flying back from the midwest on an overbooked flight. I had the center seat, and the window seat was still open. I was looking carefully at people as they walked down the aisle to see who was eying the [...]

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Flight Attendants with Attitude

December 8, 2010 Attendant & Pilot Stories

This happened on a Delta flight between Tokyo and JFK about a year ago. When the drink service came around I asked for a decaf coffee, which is on the list of available drinks. The FA gave me a look and said, in a voice indicating that she didn’t want to do it, “I’ll have [...]

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Unruly Kids Ruin Flight

December 2, 2010 Baby & Kid Stories

I recently had a 10 hour flight from Dubai. Having seen numerous children boarding the aircraft, I knew it was not going to be pleasant. Sure enough I was seated near three children. The youngest child travelling with her parents was a delight; she was very well behaved and was not heard at all. Unfortunately [...]

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Small Airline has Big Problems

November 30, 2010 Odds & Ends Stories

This past summer I was flying with my family back home to Texas from Cancun, Mexico. We arrived at the airport and turned all our papers in when we got the news that our plane broke down and we had to wait 8 hours to get a new one (it was a small airline company). [...]

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