police

Air India Hell Security Breach Gatwick

October 30, 2011

in Delay Stories

I was dreading the flight even before take-off in Bhuj, India, near Pakistan. Not exactly on the map for international fun seekers. I was there as a media consultant for a Jain charity called Veerayatan. Security is tight at the airport and run by the Indian Army, so that means that it is a secure pain in the backside.

The Kingfisher flight to Mumbai was quick and painless. Then to arrive in Mumbai to scenes that bring to mind Dante’s “Inferno.” Security, complete with machine gun and ¼”steel shield, told me I couldn’t enter the international airport until 3 hours before my flight because there was no room inside. I had to pay 60 Rupees to sit in a “safe-room” on the airport grounds for 4 hours.

Finally through a dozen security checks, 3 hours in lines and on the aircraft, Air India flight 131 to Heathrow. A dirty 777 and my exit row seat was like sitting on concrete with its padding missing. I don’t even want to talk about all this it is so bad. The dehumanizing security, on and off the plane. The air staff are all state-run “job-for-life” types. The food that I couldn’t eat, and if I knew then that I wasn’t going to get any food for the next 20 hours, I should have. And just the complete disregard of all that is clean, human and decent.

In flight there was nothing to report, they dimmed the lights and I napped for 10 minutes at a time. At 4 in the morning I again said no to the awful food because in 4 hours I could eat in London – I thought. As we passed the white cliffs of Dover, England we were due to arrive early, 7:05 UK time, but then we started circling again and again. Forty-five minutes of this and the Captain comes on the PA system and says because of fog at Heathrow we are diverting to Gatwick.

Not so bad, I thought, because Gatwick is only 30 minutes by train to my house. So I’m home! We landed and parked and everyone jumped up as you do after a long flight. The seatbelt sign stayed on. I was telling the Indian passengers around me how to get from Gatwick to London on the Gatwick Express train to Victoria station. Thirty minutes and I’m home sweet home.

It was a normal 4 hours of being jerked around when suddenly I heard, “No cameras!! Turn off the camera!” This is when any Journo will run for his camera. So I got mine and rushed in. I’d been staying out of it because of the hourly promises of being “in the air again” soon. But word got out that the crew would be leaving the plane and fresh air crew were on their way from Heathrow. The EU rule is that 14 hours is the maximum for aircrew. My fellow passengers went crazy in a ripple effect to the back of the plane. Like a Mexican wave they were standing up and surging forward. Angry chaos and I’m in the crush with live video. Suddenly I was grabbed by the BBC journalist, Rahul Joglekar, and he pulled me into the fray with my video camera to document this treatment.

There was a crush for the next hour of a heavily pregnant woman, several diabetics pleading for food and drink, and 100 other angry folks with concerns about missed connections, the condition of the toilets and so on. There was no food left and the water ran out hours ago. Anger was building as everyone dreamed of reasons to get off the plane. Most of the passengers were Indian nationals, so leaving the plane without proper authority would mean big immigration troubles, so they were truly held hostage by Air India. I have an EU friendly passport, so with the help of a Polish girl we decided to get off with the crew.

Things got to a fever pitch when a group of Indian businessmen began banging on the door of the cockpit. In the US this is a no-go area under threat of deadly force from the armed Sky Marshal onboard. The gentlemen were demanding the Captain come out and explain this situation. He would not come out. Where is this armed Sky Marshal that’s supposed to be on all international flights? This is when security broke down.

We were being kept from contacting the outside world to save a couple of Rupees on passenger landing fees at Gatwick. Security was non-existent, so I left the plane and wandered around the tarmac. The Polish girl came out for a while but went back in because she missed all the yelling inside. I loved the peace and solitude of the great outdoors.

It was 30 minutes later that authorities and 4 constables of the West Sussex Police Force arrived. They were very jovial as they told me to turn off the camera, which I complied with. Then they did a short interview essentially asking what I was doing outside the plane. I said, “It’s a madhouse in there. I can’t stay in there. Please don’t make me go back in. There’s no toilets, no food, no water… and no alcohol.” So I established I wasn’t drunk. There is no alcohol served on Air India. They told me I could stay right where I was at, but not to wander around too much. English police are so nice, polite and gentle.

They then went on to quell the situation inside and gave passengers a shoulder to cry on for the next three hours, something that Air India could not seem to do. International law states that the airline has complete authority over its “cargo” until it decides otherwise. The officers explained there was nothing they could do to get us off that plane. It was up to Air India.

At 17:30 we finally arrived at Heathrow. The replacement crew arrived late, having gotten lost in Gatwick airport. Not a good sign. We forced the old crew to stay with us and not leave the plane. So we were one big happy family again! All this hassle for thirty miles “as the crow flies.”

Here is a letter that I received from Air India afterwards:

Air India apology letter
The videos below explain it much better than I can put into words what happened. A full-out 9 hour hostage drama.

(Security issues are serious and in no way just silly things to do. Don’t ever try leaving an aircraft without permission. Always be on your best behaviour while traveling.)

- Mark Shorey

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Tagged as: air india, delay & cancellation, police, security

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Plagued by Pilot’s Prattle & Police Interrogation

September 25, 2011

in Odds & Ends Stories

I love flying and airplanes. At least I have except for one flight. I was taking an afternoon commuter flight into Chicago’s O’Hare airport from a small town in Illinois. It was the end of a business trip and I was relaxed until the pilot of this relatively small airplane turned on his mike and started talking.

Yes, there were thunderstorms but I was blissfully unaware of apparently how dangerous they can be when flying. That ended abruptly. With a nervous voice, the pilot started speaking. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we are experiencing difficulty with the thunderstorms that you may have noticed.” It went downhill from there.

With the mike on, we got a stream of consciousness of all his concerns and backup plans. Some of the highlights were, “There is a small airport not too far away but its runway is minimal,” and “We can’t turn back with the fuel we have now,” and my favorite one, “I think we can make it. Probably.” After that comment, somebody must have told him to shut the mike off because that was the last we heard from him.

Naturally, for the first time in my life, I was sitting in the front row of the airplane. Since it was a full flight, there was no possibility of moving to the safer back seats. So, I decided to read a book that I had with me while the passengers around me predictably started freaking out.

Fellow passenger: “Didn’t you hear what he said!”

Me: “Yes.”

Fellow passenger: “How can your read now!”

Me: “We’ll be fine.”

Fellow passenger: “But … ”

Me: “We’ll be fine.”

Fellow passenger: Picked up a magazine and joined me reading.

After all that drama, we land only a few minutes late and the connecting flight on the other side of O’Hare. I raced across the huge airport and reached the correct hub. I slipped into the security line behind a tall man with long hair and a leather jacket. This was when the security was done separately for each hub instead of for the entire departure area. Out of nowhere, a gazillion security and police officers descended on the man in front of me. He had handcuffs in his carry-on.

He argued at full volume with them and told them that he was an undercover cop and had the right to carry handcuffs on an airplane. Well, the federal cops argue back and say they want to see his identification. He refuses to give it to them. After about 6 or 7 of them surround him, he is walked off to an “interview room.” I shake my head and look at my watch; I still have enough time to make the connecting flight.

I move to put my stuff on the belt and officers remove everything. Six foot six inch officer says politely, “Please come with us.” I look at him and say, “Huh?” Not such a brilliant response but it had already been a long day. Officer repeats it slowly, “Please come with us.” My brain clicks on and I finally reply, “Yes sir.” See, working with the military does pay off!

So, I ended up in an interview room and they started asking me questions ranging from questions about why I’m traveling that day, then narrowing down to increasingly detailed ones about what I had packed in my luggage. I keep looking at my watch and finally say, “Look, keep my luggage and send it to me when you are done with it. I trust you guys. Just let me have my keys and wallet. I’m going to miss my flight!” The guy in a suit (FBI?) must have realized that I had no idea what was going on.

Suit guy: “The plane isn’t going anywhere. We haven’t been able to verify the other passenger’s story yet. Then, he paused, “You are being questioned because terrorists often use one person to create a distraction so the person behind them can slip through unquestioned.”

Me: “Oh”

So, I ended up finally being allowed to rejoin the other passengers who avoided me for the rest of our time together. They did stare though. Once they had gone through all the luggage and reloaded the airplane, we were allowed to board an hour or so later. I ended up with a row to myself on the airplane. Three flight attendants sat on the opposite row. That was the first time that I bought a hard liquor drink from a flight attendant on an airplane.

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Tagged as: airport, flight attendant, pilot, police, security, weather

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The Never Ending Flight

August 4, 2011

in Odds & Ends Stories

1. How It All Started

We are living in the new age. This is the age of technology, the age of the internet. Everything happens at the speed of light, quite literally. People buy and sell things online, chat online, even live online in virtual worlds. Who could have thought of these things a few years ago. But despite all this progress, one thing has not changed – the travails of flying. One would have thought that with all this advancement, the traveling experience would have gotten better, but no sir, it has only gotten worse. These are the times of endless delays and cancellations. It is hard to find a person in today’s age that hasn’t been on the receiving end of flying delays. I have had my share of such flying experiences, but there is one that I can never forget.

It happened to me around 15 years back. Even today, it is still quite fresh in my mind. It all started when my fiancé and I decided to go back to India to get married. Having been brought up in India, there was no way we could have gotten married here in the US without our family and friends. Both of our parents were also in India. Once the date of our marriage was decided, we both applied for vacations and left for India. After our arrival in Delhi, India, we got busy with all the preparations. It was a big traditional wedding. It was fun to see everyone after a long time. There were so many dinners, lunches, and breakfasts we were invited to that we were literally stuffed with all kinds of Indian delicacies by the time I was ready to leave. Due to a medical emergency at my home, my wife decided to stay for an extra few weeks, while I decided to head back to the US as planned earlier.

2. Business Class!!!
I was flying through Gulf Air, which meant two stopovers – one in Abu Dhabi and one in Frankfurt. Since this was the first time I was leaving for the US after getting married, there was a lot of activity at my home before my departure. There were a lot of friends and family at home and as a result we got late in starting for the airport. Just before we left, one of my uncles reminded me to keep a fresh pair of clothes in my handbag in case of an emergency. He has had a few flying experiences which he shared with me, and suggested that I keep some things in my carry-on luggage just in case I was stuck somewhere without my checked-in luggage. Although I wasn’t worried about it, I decided to follow his advice. Who would have thought at that time that this would end up being a brilliant decision.

Delhi being a big city, there was a lot of traffic on the way, so instead of arriving about 3 hours before the flight departure as per the recommendations, we arrived with only an hour left before the departure. I ran in with my luggage and reached the check-in counter. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the lady on the Gulf Air counter wasn’t upset. In fact the whole staff at the airport was quite nice. They told me that since I came late, the seats were all filled up. I got a bit upset and enquired as to how the seats could be filled when I had a confirmed reservation. They told me that this usually happens in most airlines as most flights are overbooked to cover for last minute cancellations. At this point I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t have a cell phone (they were not as common then), so I didn’t know who to call. The airline staff told me not to worry and they gave me a boarding pass and smiled. As I started to look at it, they told me that I had been upgraded to business class with no extra charge. “Wow,” I said to myself, “This seems like a good beginning to the journey.” Boy was I wrong.

The first leg of the journey was wonderful. The food in business class was sumptuous and plentiful, the seats were comfortable, and the flight staff was very courteous. We landed in Abu Dhabi a few hours later.

3. The First Signs Of Trouble
I had about 5 hours of time before the departure of the connecting flight to Frankfurt, so I decided to look around. The airline also provided us with special food coupons. When there was only one hour left, I decided to reach the designated departure gate. I could see a number of passengers already assembled there, waiting for the connecting flight to arrive. It was already 10 pm and everyone was tired. There were not too many flights this late in the night and the airport was more or less deserted, barring the passengers of a few flights including ours. I had another hour to kill, so I pulled out a book I was carrying with me and started reading it. Some fellow travelers started talking to each other just to kill time, while some others decided to take a nap. The time flew and it was almost the time of the flight. This is when the first signs of trouble started to appear.

The time for departure was a few minutes away, but there were no airline personnel in sight. That is odd, I thought. As minutes ticked away, I grew more and more concerned. Everyone was getting anxious as to what was wrong and why the delay. It was past 11:30 p.m. when an airline representative arrived at the gate. Everyone rushed to him only to be told that there was some engine trouble which was being looked at and the aircraft would not be flying until next morning. This is not what anyone wanted to hear.

Once everyone absorbed the news, questions regarding the sleeping arrangements started to surface. The airline representative flatly refused to help, and said that there were no hotels on the airport premises at this hour of night which would give us any rooms. In addition, he told us that we could not leave the airport without valid visas and the visa official was gone for the day. After numerous requests from the passengers, he went back to meet his superiors to see if there was any hope for us. He came back after another 15 minutes and told us that Gulf Air had found a hotel in Dubai which had space for all of the 150 passengers! But it meant that we would have to take a short flight to Dubai. It was close to midnight and we all agreed to take the flight. He also told us that we need not worry about the visa as someone from the airline would be there to help us. So we all boarded the flight to Dubai.

4. A Night In Dubai
The flight arrived in Dubai close to 1:30 a.m. I was tired and sleepy, and like everyone else, I was hoping to get some sleep in a comfortable bed. But as soon as we landed, the troubles started again. The customs officials in Dubai were shocked to see so many people in a flight at that time of the night. On top of that none of us had proper papers to visit Dubai. They refused to let us go. We tried to explain the situation to them, but they told us that no one from the airline informed them about our arrival, and that we had to wait until the morning to get this resolved as the airline’s office was now closed. It was 2:30 a.m. by the time someone from the airline arrived at the airport and clarified the issue. The customs officials decided to give us coupons in lieu of our passports and tickets. So they collected passports and tickets from everyone and handed out a bunch of coupons to the airline representative. So here I was in a country I had not planned on visiting, without a passport or a ticket, and no proof of my identity. I shuddered to think what would happen if I got lost in this strange, unknown land.

When we reached the gate to leave for the hotel, the guards stopped us to check the validity of the coupons. Another problem arose – half the coupons went missing somewhere between the time they were issued until the time they checked. Apparently someone stole them for some clandestine purpose. The cops were called and one of the airport officials was held back for questioning.

God had mercy on us and imparted some sense into those officials who allowed us to continue our journey to the hotel to spend the night – which was already slipping fast out of our hands. It was well past 3:30 a.m. by the time we arrived at the hotel. I checked in and retired to the bed and was asleep in no time.

5. A New Day Begins
However the blissful slumber was quite short-lived. I was woken up by a very loud banging noise. I jumped out of the bed and started looking at what this noise was. The noise was actually coming from the door. The hotel staff had tried to wake us up by phone, but the internal system was down so they decided to round us up by going from room to room. I looked at the clock while still rubbing my eyes – it was only 6 a.m. I was told that the aircraft had been fixed and had arrived in Dubai from Abu Dhabi and was ready to fly. With no other choice, I quickly got ready and reached the checkout counter. All 150 passengers were standing in a queue trying to check out.

Some of the passengers made the mistake of drinking bottled water that was placed in the hotel’s refrigerators, and water in this part of the world is more expensive than anything else. The airline did not want to pick up the tab, so each individual had to pay for their own water. Since I too had committed this grave sin, I stood there obediently and paid about $9 for a half used bottle of water. Finally we all boarded a bus that took us back to the airport.

6. And We Fly Again, Or Do We?
Once back at the airport, we got our passports and tickets back which was a big relief to everyone. The flight finally took off at 8:30 a.m. It was a beautiful day. The sun was out and everything looked upbeat. Everyone was happy to be in the air again. The flight had already been delayed for over ten hours and I, like all my fellow passengers, was looking forward to getting back. The pilot informed us that there was one small stopover on the island nation of Cyprus before we reached Frankfurt and that the aircraft would stay for 45 minutes. He also told us that we would have to stay in the plane. No one had any issues with that.

We reached Cyprus in about an hour and a half. The sky was clear and the water was shimmering and everyone was quite happy and content. A few new passengers boarded and the plane was cleared for take off. As the plane started the run for take off, I started admiring the beauty around me. The airport was right on the edge of the island. The runway ended and the ocean began. One part of me was happy to be in the air again while another part of me was feeling a bit sad for not being able spend time on this seemingly beautiful island.

We were halfway along the runway then the plane started to slow down. The pilot jammed the brakes and the plane started to shudder. It finally came to a full stop with only about a quarter of the runway left. The pilot brought the plane back to the terminal and there was confusion inside the plane, everyone wondering what had just happened. As the murmur started to grow, the pilot announced that this plane was not going to fly anymore. He said that it had the same engine trouble that had delayed the flight the day before. He also said that he was thankful to God to have noticed the problem while still on the ground and not after takeoff.

7. Back To The Ground
One by one we got off the plane and stepped foot on the ground. When I looked out, I saw that the airport was a small one, having only one terminal with 4 gates. After we got off we were all herded into one corner of the airport. About 150 passengers occupied about one fourth of the airport. The pilot and the other airline staff were nowhere to be found. And no one had a clue when the relief would arrive. Slowly the time started to slip by. With no information about what would happen next, everyone started to grow uneasy. The airport had minimal staffing and they were having a tough time handling so many people. There were only a handful of vending machines and no food court or eating area that could support 150 unhappy passengers.

As the unrest grew, the airport official became more and more hostile. Finally around 3 p.m. we were told by the airport authorities that Gulf Air was unable to fix the plane or find a replacement plane to fly all of us to our destinations. They also told us that the airline was trying to negotiate with other carriers to see if they would be willing to help us out. It was then that I realized that Gulf Air only had four long haul aircrafts – one was in NY, one in Delhi, one was already broken and was in the workshop, and the fourth one was the one we were on. So we were stuck in No Man’s Land again. On top of that there was no food to eat either.

8. Nightfall In Cyprus
The time started to slowly slide. Every now and then there was an announcement that we might be going with one airline or another, but it wouldn’t materialize. As the sun started to set, so did our hopes. Finally at around 8 p.m. we were told that there was no chance that we would be flying tonight and that some arrangements were being made to put us up in some hotel for the night. I hadn’t had much to eat since morning. So I asked the airport official to try to arrange for dinner for everyone. They assured us that all the arrangements had been made and that we would be taken care of at the hotel.

As we all got ready to spend the night again in an unknown place, we were informed of one more problem. The officials told us that it being a small airport, they did not have space to keep the checked-in luggage for 150 passengers. We were told that we would have to take our own checked in luggage with us to the airport and check it back in the next day. As if that was not enough, we were asked to surrender our passports and tickets. The reasoning given for this was the lack of adequate papers with us to stay in the country. Right! Wonderful logic! But by this time no one had much energy left to argue. After some discussion we agreed and were then asked to go towards a door to identify our luggage and take it with us to the airport. One by one we handed over our passports and tickets to one official and stepped into the doorway. As I stepped through that door, what I saw made my jaw drop. That door was actually the airport exit. It was night and I was standing outside the airport with what appeared to be luggage lined up on the road. YES – the entire luggage from the plane had been lined up in the airport parking lot and passengers were looking for their baggage. Just then the transportation to carry us to the hotels arrived. Considering the situation, it seemed appropriate.

The transportation was actually a convoy of 10 open air cargo trucks. I identified my baggage and loaded it onto the nearest truck myself. Then I also jumped onto that truck and thus started my 40 minute journey to the hotel. The truck ride was quite uneventful barring a few bumps and jerks. I had never in my wildest nightmares imagined riding in the back of a truck, in an unknown country, without knowing the language and without any papers to identify myself. By the time we arrived at the hotel it was past 10 p.m. I was famished, but the hotel’s kitchen was closed as it was too late. Finally the hotel arranged for some pizzas for the passengers and everyone got a slice or two to eat.

9. Finally We Fly Again
The next morning arrived and this time I had gotten a full night’s rest. We ate a good breakfast at the hotel and prepared for another uncertain day. The trucks arrived again and we loaded our baggage onto them and reached the airport. After checking in our luggage we were made to wait in the same section of the terminal. It was around 11 a.m. that the good news arrived. We were told that Swiss Air agreed to fly a special flight to pick us up and carry us to Amsterdam, and we would get another connecting flight to New York from there. The plane arrived around 3 p.m. and took us to Amsterdam. From there I took another flight and finally reached New York. In all the flight was delayed by over 45 hours with three unscheduled stopovers. I heaved a sigh of relief only after the plane had landed in NY and vowed never to fly with this airline again.

I never heard a word of apology from the airline after we arrived in NY. In fact all staff of this airline had vanished from the NY airport. The funny thing is that when my wife took the same flight 3 weeks later, the pilot apologized profusely for a 40 minute delay and everyone on that flight was wondering what all the fuss was about.

- Piyush Bhatnagar

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Tagged as: airport, baggage, customs, delay & cancellation, gulf air, hotel, overbooking, passport, police, swiss air, theft, ticket agent

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Psycho Passenger

January 31, 2011

in Passenger Stories

February 5, 2007 a friend and I were returning from western Canada to Ontario. My husband is a pilot so we were on family passes.

It was a large plane with two first class sections separated by curtains and 3 rows of seats consisting of 2 seats an aisle, 3 seats an aisle, and 2 seats. My friend Sam and I each had aisle seats and sat across from each other; me in the 2 seats and he in the 3 seats. The aisle separated us. Sam’s row was empty and my window seat was empty until the very last passenger boarded who sat next to me. He was a very nice man who said his name was “John.” He carried a small box with handles he’d made out of very sturdy tape. He was quite friendly to Sam and me and chatted away. Then suddenly he ignored Sam and would only speak to me. I had brought a package of nuts on board with me. I offered some to John. He took the package and handed it back to me empty saying “Thanks. That hit the spot.” I found this odd but not concerning, thinking that maybe he didn’t realize I was sharing, not giving.

I was reading a magazine and noticed he was looking as well. I then began asking him at each page if he was done. Suddenly he started telling me what I was to look at and for how long. At this point I was getting a little uneasy. He kept saying God works in mysterious ways. I asked why? He said you’ll see. He said we were meant to meet on that flight; I asked him why. He said you’ll see. Then he grabbed my hand and put it on the box. I was really scared by this time but stayed calm and kept looking to Sam for help. He was watching the movie. Now John is telling me to close my eyes, but at the same time he’s saying look at the bright blue sky and he’s telling me that everyone on the plane was in trouble except for the two of us. We were going to be okay. We were surrounded.

Now I’m quite scared and Sam finally looks over and asked if I’m okay. John said she’s fine. Sam went to get a flight attendant. Two came; a man and woman. They said the plane is empty and we’re moving people to 1st class. This was a lie. They said to John you stay, she’s moving. He said no, she’s with me. I’m not leaving her. They thought we really were together. They believed him. Sam and I said no he’s not. John said grab your stuff we’re moving. The attendants said no, you stay, she goes. I grabbed my stuff and went as quickly as I could to the closest first class section.

I felt a hand on my elbow and hoped it was Sam. I was too scared to look and didn’t turn around until I got to an empty row of seats. John had me. He said sit. I said no. Sam and the attendants rushed to us. There are passengers all around. John’s telling the attendants I’m his and that he’ll never let me go. He has me tighter. His strength and adrenaline were amazing. Five people are pulling him off of my left side and a man on my right is pulling me on the right. John is holding tight. Sam said land the plane! They finally get Sam down and cuff his hands. He’s silent with a dead cold stare. He seems to see and hear nothing.

I’m hysterical on the inside but trying hard to be calm on the outside. The attendant comes back from seeing the pilot who asked if he really needs to declare an emergency. I don’t care. I just want to go home. Sam says yes, she’s not flying another 2 hours with this guy. The pilot isn’t happy. He lands so quickly we have to wait for the plane to depressurize before opening the doors. The police come on board and remove John and interview me. The ground crew tracks down my husband who was in ground school and give me a bulky cell-like phone to speak to him. I’m in shock. All I can say is I’m fine. The pilot comes out and says you don’t now that guy? No I say. Never seen him. “Weird” he says and walks away.

The attendants are amazing though. They took amazing care of Sam and me and those who helped. The whole plane is shaken up though. Apparently John had found out his dad was ill and his family sent him away for a ski weekend. He never left the room. No one knows what was in the box. John, whose name was actually “Mark,” had been in a coma in the hospital for some time. He had snapped. They weren’t sure he was going to live. He never said a word about it again. He’s now on the do-not-fly list and had to pay for the landing and emergency services. There’s a 500 feet peace bond in place; he’s never allowed that close to me. It doesn’t matter though. I’d never seen him before and never will again.

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Tagged as: flight attendant, pilot, police

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All I Want For Christmas Is To Make It Home

September 8, 2010 Passenger Stories

I think it was 1999. I was living in Virginia at the time and the week before Christmas I had to travel to Los Angeles for some business. I had traveled from Greensboro, NC which was only about 90 minutes from home, and US Air had an easy connection through Charlotte to get me to [...]

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Wackadoo Whacks Passenger

September 2, 2010 Weird People Stories

My husband and I were flying from Boston to West Palm Beach. The seats across the aisle were empty. At one point more than half way into the flight a woman came and sat in the aisle seat next to my husband. She was clearly off of her meds – scratching her head, moving irrationally, [...]

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Shook Up Over Shakedown

September 1, 2010 Airport Stories

OK I am waiting for my flight in the Indira Gandhi National Airport in the capital city of India. There were four of us all in our early 2os. So we are waiting for our flight, tired and bored. This guy from Air India comes up to us and tells us that our luggage has exceeded the [...]

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Traveler Bypasses Mob Scene

June 8, 2010 Airport Stories

I’ve been flying for most of my career, so I’ve seen my share of aborted landings, drunks, medical issues and, of course, my share of delays. But this evening I hope never to repeat. The scene: Nashville Tennessee to Chicago Illinois, August 2007 My flight was scheduled to depart at around 7:00pm, and I had [...]

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The Textbook Mechanic

May 24, 2010 Airplane Stories

I get to fly a lot on different chartered flights for work, sometimes these are ok because of the service. But all in all they generally suck. Its one of the things you learn to expect when the lowest bidding contractor wins hands down, and the person booking the tickets never has to take the trip. [...]

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Passenger Refuses To Give Up Knife

April 15, 2010 Passenger Stories

I was flying from Anchorage to Seattle in 2003. The plane had maybe 30 people on it, so there was at least one row per person. I was in row 9, against the right window. Just before we pushed back from the gate, I overheard a bit of a commotion in row 6, the bulkhead [...]

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