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?

No Drink for Thirsty Traveler

December 14, 2010 Attendant & Pilot Stories

I was flying from Paris to Rome on Vueling airlines. It was the middle of summer, incredibly hot, and when I got on the flight I was pretty thirsty. I didn’t have time to grab a bottle of water at the airport because my cab driver took us to the east airport (not west) which […]

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Wondering about Weight Limits

December 13, 2010 Flying Hell Commentary

This is more of a question than a story. Flying from Australia to any country in the Asia/Pacific region, the total weight of your checked-in luggage is measured. So, for instance, you could check in 3 bags with a total weight of 23kg and you would be ok. Flying to North America, the baggage allowance […]

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“Tortured” by a Beautiful Blond

December 12, 2010 Couples Stories

This is not quite a flight from hell, just a small bit of torture. I was flying back from the midwest on an overbooked flight. I had the center seat, and the window seat was still open. I was looking carefully at people as they walked down the aisle to see who was eying the […]

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Flight Attendants with Attitude

December 8, 2010 Attendant & Pilot Stories

This happened on a Delta flight between Tokyo and JFK about a year ago. When the drink service came around I asked for a decaf coffee, which is on the list of available drinks. The FA gave me a look and said, in a voice indicating that she didn’t want to do it, “I’ll have […]

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Unruly Kids Ruin Flight

December 2, 2010 Baby & Kid Stories

I recently had a 10 hour flight from Dubai. Having seen numerous children boarding the aircraft, I knew it was not going to be pleasant. Sure enough I was seated near three children. The youngest child travelling with her parents was a delight; she was very well behaved and was not heard at all. Unfortunately […]

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Small Airline has Big Problems

November 30, 2010 Odds & Ends Stories

This past summer I was flying with my family back home to Texas from Cancun, Mexico. We arrived at the airport and turned all our papers in when we got the news that our plane broke down and we had to wait 8 hours to get a new one (it was a small airline company). […]

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Stressed about a Full Seat Recline

November 28, 2010 Seat Stories

We all know EVERYONE “fights for the armrest.”  Would you also “fight for the full seat recline?” This situation happened on a mid-1990s flight from Raleigh-Durham to Tampa.  Delta 757, first class upgrade. Sat down in my prized left aisle seat; super comfortable blue leather; nice.  NICE. “Thanks for the drink; will we be leaving […]

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Booked on a Flight to the Wrong State

November 25, 2010 Airport Stories

In 2004, I was living in Pittsburgh, PA and attempting to come home to Joplin, MO for Christmas. It was the first time I had ever flown alone. My mother booked me a Delta flight from Pitt to Kansas City connecting in Cincinnati on December 23rd. I was dropped off at the Pittsburgh airport by […]

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Happy Holidays!

November 24, 2010 Non-Stories

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Pooptastrophe on Plane

November 21, 2010 Baby & Kid Stories

When I got to the airport, people told me I was “brave” for flying alone with two kids.  I wasn’t sure if I was more brave or stupid, but either way I was flying halfway across the US to St. Louis.  It was going to be rough because 1) Getting to my hometown is never […]

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Frets Over Privacy Boost Sales of Pasties

November 20, 2010 Non-Stories

  Concerns about airport scanners and privacy issues have come to a head. Many travelers have raised objections over images being taken by full-body scanners of their private anatomy, what some have termed a “virtual strip search.” TSA claimed that citizens had no need to worry since scanners couldn’t “store, print, transmit or save” images, and images […]

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The Last Straw

November 17, 2010 Airport Stories

I believe I had the honor of witnessing THE LAST STRAW for Southwest Airlines’ ORIGINAL queuing process. Background: for those that never flew SWA, or maybe just fly Gulfstreams, SWA was unique in that they did open seating; line up and enter.  The problem was that lines would be silly long interfering with the hallways, […]

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