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?

Drunk Passenger Pukes

October 25, 2008 Passenger Stories

We were on a dinnertime flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta that was full of business travelers and vacationers coming back with their wallets empty. We were in the bulkhead seats, so we were able to see everyone get on the plane. One of the passengers, a man traveling alone that looked to be in […]

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The Glamorous Days Of Flying

October 19, 2008 Non-Stories

Fly Me With all of the problems associated with today’s flying hell experience, it’s difficult not to reminisce about what it was like when people actually enjoyed flying. Here are some articles about the golden era of flying: A PDX Airport Flashback In Time and Mom Tells How Flying Used To Be. The writer of this New […]

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Seat 29E

October 19, 2008 Non-Stories

FlightsFromHell.com received a document in PDF format that purportedly was an original complaint letter written by a passenger to an airline company. While a quick net search revealed the real poop – the letter has been making the rounds for a while – we’re going to post it anyway since it’s right on target with […]

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Lost Bag Leads To Lost Business

October 17, 2008 Luggage Stories

After twenty years of flying, for the first time I’ve encountered the frustration of an airline loosing my bag permanently! It’s now been two months and there’s no sign of it anywhere! It’s just vanished! As if that’s not bad enough, this is a slightly unique circumstance. I’m at my wits end, and at this […]

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U Suck Air

October 17, 2008 Delay/Cancellation Stories

I was invited to my nephew’s wedding and had great anticipation of a lovely day. My flight was delayed, and they said they would re-direct me to Buffalo. I was flying out of Tampa on (as I like to call now) U Suck Air. I was to meet my brother in Charlotte, N.C. and continue […]

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Overhead Bin Blues

October 17, 2008 Luggage Stories

This took place quite a while ago, but it seems some things never change. In 1984 (yes, ’84) my husband and I went to Europe on our honeymoon, making several stops. The last visit was to London. We were booked on British Air for the return flight to the USA. I believe the plane was […]

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Only In The Caribbean!

October 13, 2008 Airplane Stories

In the 1980’s I was on a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Miami. We had boarded, and as they pulled the enclosed walkway from the plane, they noticed that the aircraft had been damaged by the walkway used in New Jersey. Even though the plane had made the flight safely, they couldn’t let […]

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Frigid Flight

October 13, 2008 Weather Stories

This was the proverbial flight from hell that put me off flying for several years. Back in the mid 80’s I was returning to Calgary from Ottawa during a long cold winter. Waiting to board I watched them de-ice the plane as it must have been at least -20C. Once on board there seemed to […]

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Overloaded & Underserved

October 13, 2008 Airplane Stories

This isn’t my experience, but it was shared with me the other day by a couple I know. They are both disabled and cannot drive, and they were going to a banquet in a city four hours’ drive to the south of ours. They took another friend with them to assist them. They flew American, […]

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Immigration Kerfuffle

October 7, 2008 Airport Stories

Arriving in the USA has always been a security nightmare, much worse now when, despite notices telling you that the staff guarantee a courteous and pleasant welcome (???). This certainly wasn’t in evidence when we arrived in Atlanta on a flight from Manchester UK (23 Sept 2008). We had 1.5 hours to connect for a […]

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Because They Can

October 5, 2008 Attendant & Pilot Stories

It had been ten months since a major auto accident left me unable to walk without the use of crutches. In December ’06, my husband and I took a vacation to the northern California coast – a short respite from all the therapy and a much needed change of scenery. The trip was lovely and […]

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Chewin’ Tobacco

October 3, 2008 Senior Stories

I had an out-and-back, a one day round-trip flight for a business meeting, that was three hours each way. I had a window seat on a full flight and was pleased when a rural friendly-looking elderly couple sat down next to me; Harold (not his real name) sat next to me and his wife took […]

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