The first time I went to Mozambique I was en route from Swaziland to Zimbabwe and had a whole day’s layover in Maputo Airport. I was restricted to the un-airconditioned departure lounge for eight hot humid hours; I didn’t even have a book to read. At 4:00pm I wandered through the airport terminal when something […]
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During the period from 2007-2010 I took many flights, either from PHL (Philadelphia International) to RDU (Raleigh-Durham), or from DTW (Detroit Metro) to RDU. Always a round trip, as I was visiting my girlfriend at Duke. During that period, on somewhere between 50-75% of the flights after everyone had boarded, the gate attendant would board […]
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This took place in January of 2011. I was supposed to return to Montreal from Atlanta through Toronto with Air Canada. I get to the airport on time, and am told that I have to take another flight to Toronto, since Air Canada switched the plane to a smaller one and there is no room. I […]
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This story took place precisely a year ago, in January 2011. I had spent the last 3 months travelling in South America, and was finally returning home to Northern Europe. At the time of return I was waaay south of Chile, bordering the South Pole areas. So it was obviously going to be a long […]
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For a few years now I’ve had plantar fasciitis in both feet, and problems with both my Achilles tendons as a result of a running injury. Generally I know how to minimise the problems and they have little effect on my day-to-day life, unless I’ve been on my feet a lot. Earlier this summer, I […]
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Air travel is supposed to be convenient, save time and offer a chance to relax when going from one place to another. In reality, however, those hopes can often vanish amidst a series of mounting frustrations that leave a traveler wondering if it was worth boarding a plane in the first place. Just about every […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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My wife and I went on vacation in Europe. I expected flights from hell somewhere, but was pleasantly surprised that, except for a 2 hour delay on our way from PHI to Zürich, all travel arrangements went as planned. Still, if not a flight from hell, at least a modest test of endurance getting home […]
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Not a flight from hell, but a funny airport story. While waiting for my flight to start boarding, I heard over the loud-speaker: “Would the woman who left her grill (those things that rappers seem to wear on their teeth these days) return to the security check to retrieve it?” This announcement was repeated several […]
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I fly from Norway to USA once or twice a year. Usually I use SAS, from Bergen to Kastrup, Copenhagen, then from Kastrup, Copenhagen to Dulles Washington. This usually goes smoothly; check in Bergen and going all the way through to Dulles Washington, just interrupted by showing my passport at Kastrup. Then just go straight […]
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I never upgrade. This isn’t because I’m cheap, but because I’m broke. My fiancée and I are in the middle of immigration hell and immigration hell costs, so while others may be able to choose that option, I can’t. That said, I sometimes wish I could… This has resulted in hellish flights, but this time […]
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210
The Frustrations of Flying
December 5, 2011
in Flying Hell Commentary
Air travel is supposed to be convenient, save time and offer a chance to relax when going from one place to another. In reality, however, those hopes can often vanish amidst a series of mounting frustrations that leave a traveler wondering if it was worth boarding a plane in the first place. Just about every […]
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