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?

Traveler Stands Up to Troublesome Passengers

October 26, 2014 Passenger Stories

Fight back. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

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Bathroom Break and Lost Luggage

October 24, 2014 Luggage Stories

I arrive at the Milwaukee airport in late August, looking forward to a quick direct flight to Dallas for work. As I arrive, I get an update from the airline: flights delayed for an hour. Oh well, have a couple of beers on the company dime and still get to Dallas in time for dinner.

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Poor Seat Position Turns Passenger Into Zombie

October 19, 2014 Seat Stories

I’m was on a school trip in China. We were using all sorts of transport, but for this leg we flew. Despite the fact that I was only sixteen and female, I was the tallest person in the group by a fair bit (I’m 5’7″).

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Poor Service Received After Passports Are Stolen

October 17, 2014 Odds & Ends Stories

We had the recent unfortunate experience of having a bag stolen in Montreal, Canada which contained, among other valuables, our Australian Passports. This happened as we were about to leave Canada and return home.

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Flustered by Farts in the Face

October 14, 2014 Senior Stories

This had to be one of the worst few minutes of flying that I have ever endured. My story began as I was taking a flight from Paris, France to Athens, Greece with Air France. The flight was supposed to take around 3 to 3.5 hours. And for most of that time it was just […]

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Delta Stands for: Doesn’t Ever Leave The Airport

October 12, 2014 Delay/Cancellation Stories

Here we go with the terrible travel trip. Thursday 5AM: Wake up to pack. 8AM: Arrive at airport. 10AM: Flight to Philly is delayed due to weather. One hour. (That’s fine, I can accept this.) 11AM: Flight is cancelled due to plane not being able to turn left. (Swear on my soul.)

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Screeching Screaming Siren of Woe

October 10, 2014 Baby & Kid Stories

Worse than an infant — who brings a three-year old and a five-year old on an international first class flight? VS20, San Francisco to London on September 23, 2014, someone brought not one but two young children in first class.

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Lack of Service for Lost Luggage

October 8, 2014 Luggage Stories

I flew from Newark to San Francisco on September 11, 2014 on United. I had business meetings the next day, weekend social events, and then further company meetings in Las Vegas, so I had packed numerous expensive and varied outfits, etc.

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Advice Offered On How to End Up On This Site

October 4, 2014 Flying Hell Commentary

Just to have a little fun, I figure I’d share a few common sense pointers on how to increase the likelihood of having one of your flights end up on this website (or have someone else complain about you here).

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Lady with Baby Bothers Bible Studying Seatmate

October 3, 2014 Baby & Kid Stories

OK, I need to vent about the flight I just had back to Cleveland. Ready?

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Bubblegum-Flavored Medicine Raises Suspicion

September 29, 2014 Illness/Medical Stories

A couple of years ago, my five-year old daughter and I were flying from Toronto to Tampa to visit my parents who were wintering in Florida. Unfortunately when we left, my daughter had a mild illness (just the kind of routine thing that kids get) and had been prescribed liquid antibiotics for it, as at […]

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Gooey Blob of Mayo Lands on Lap

September 16, 2014 Food & Drink Stories

During a flight a few years ago, I had an aisle seat and an Asian guy in his mid-20s had the window seat (middle seat was empty). At the gate before boarding, it was clear that he didn’t understand or speak English well. A half-hour into the flight, I noticed he was fast asleep, head […]

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