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?

Mom Barges Into Men’s Room

August 6, 2013 Airport Stories

I just got back from a return flight home after a wonderful holiday on the Mediterranean island of Majorca. A typical holiday destination for us British tourists! This isn’t exactly a flight from hell story but I did experience two rather unusual toilet incidents that I thought I’d submit.

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Travelers Assailed by Angry Gate Agent

August 4, 2013 Airport Stories

In 2010 my mother and I were flying from Eugene, Oregon to Columbia, South Carolina. We were all forced to wait for two hours for an old United Express CRJ-200 that would take us to San Francisco. After waiting for two hours for “weather delays” we finally were rushed onto the cramped 50 seater. By […]

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Seats Saved for Family Members

July 20, 2013 Seat Stories

The wife and I just got back from Orlando via Southwest. I always try to use this airline as their prices and service are great. Anyway, they don’t have a seat purchase program but rather an EarlyBird check-in which gives you an earlier spot in line to board the plane.

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Travel Tips for Annoyances and Emergencies

July 16, 2013 Flying Hell Commentary

I have two tips to recommend to frequent travelers: First is to use the air nozzles above your seat to control annoyances from those seated around you. If the guy seated in front of me puts his seat way back and begins scratching his head over top of my snack, I simply aim my air […]

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Burdened by Frequent Waits and Foul Weather

July 14, 2013 Odds & Ends Stories

I was flying from DC to Frankfurt on May 26th, 2013. My first flight went from DC to JFK. Now the part I was most worried about – I was scheduled to get to JFK at 1850 hours and my flight to Frankfurt was supposed to start boarding at 1855 hours. How the hell was […]

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Disabled with Dysentery During a 13 Hour Flight

July 9, 2013 Illness/Medical Stories

Last February I flew to Vietnam to visit my brother who teaches English in the Mekong Delta. I wound up getting stuck over there for a few extra weeks because my passport and visa were stolen and I couldn’t leave the country until I had obtained new documents from the Vietnamese government. By the time […]

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Airline Staff Yells at Million Miler

July 4, 2013 Airport Stories

I fly too often for work. I must have flown close to 1,000,000 miles on airlines in Star Alliance which resulted in Star Alliance Gold status on both Asiana Airlines (Diamond Plus) and Singapore Airlines (PPS Club). In terms of sales revenue, these airlines must have captured at least $400,000 as most flights have been […]

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Traveler Mistreated by Passengers and Pilots

June 21, 2013 Odds & Ends Stories

I was scheduled to fly US Airways from NAS to BWI with a plane change in PHL. I arrived at the airport and waited, only to have the flight delayed for an hour. After a few grumbles from us sunburned travelers, we waited for another hour – not that bad. As soon as we got […]

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Passengers Forced to Gate-Check Purses

June 14, 2013 Luggage Stories

My story concerns a flight from Houston to Portland, as part of a trip that was to end in Honolulu. My mother, age 75, was traveling with my oldest son and me. Our purpose was to attend my youngest son’s wedding in Honolulu. Because of my mother’s rather fragile health I arranged that we have […]

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Traveler’s Tummy Troubles

May 31, 2013 Illness/Medical Stories

I’d had bad trips before (no pun intended), but little did I know about this one in particular. Our stay in Varadero, Cuba, 02/2010, was good but not great. My sis and dad fell ill. When the holiday came to an end, we left at midnight to be at the airport at 3:00 a.m. All […]

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Traveler’s Journey Burdened by Bad Weather

May 23, 2013 Delay/Cancellation Stories

In 2001 I went up to Boston with my family for a wedding on US Airways. Getting up there was no problem, but getting home to Washington DC was a nightmare.

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Fearsome Flight in Guyana

May 18, 2013 Airplane Stories

While living in Guyana in the late 70’s with my family on US government business, my father and I had to travel to Matthew’s Ridge. The trip out on Guyana Airways was fine despite a plane change as the first one had a mechanical issue and the second had to be fueled from 55 gal […]

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