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?

Enforce Carry-On Restrictions

June 25, 2010 Luggage Stories

I was on a Delta/Northwest flight from Las Vegas to Minneapolis. I was amazed how many people (1) boarded before their rows were called so they could shove their things in the overhead compartment (2) had more than 2 items (a suitcase, a backpack, a briefcase and a plastic bag, I’m afraid, is more than 2 […]

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Weather Woes

June 25, 2010 Weather Stories

My mother in law bought my husband and I tickets to see her in Wyoming. The day of the flight the weather took a turn for the worse. The plane was over an hour late leaving Denver. Once we were finally able to board, the visibility was at minimum. I wasn’t too worried about that. […]

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Lavatory Police

June 23, 2010 Attendant & Pilot Stories

In 2004 we were traveling from Boston to Ft. Lauderdale on American Airlines; my wife, my 4 year old son, and my mom and dad. We had the 3rd row in coach (5 of the six seats across). There was a business class on this flight with 5 rows of 2 seats, and a curtain separating […]

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Truck Hits Plane & FA Freaks Out

June 22, 2010 Airplane Stories

My wife and I go to NYC every year for the weekend before Christmas. This year, we had a short flight on an American Eagle plane from Houston to Dallas, then AA on to NYC. Our flight was fine and we landed in Dallas. As the pilot parked the plane at the gate and turned […]

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Luggage Lost – Twice

June 21, 2010 Luggage Stories

I travel internationally 7 to 8 times a year all over the world. Recently on a trip from Los Angeles to Rio De Janeiro via Miami my luggage had the honor of getting lost twice. Upon arrival in Rio and waiting almost an hour, no luggage. It never made the connection in Miami even though […]

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Battered Backpack

June 20, 2010 Luggage Stories

At four months pregnant, I fractured my foot, so I requested wheelchair assistance for boarding and deplaning. At the airport, after learning that our plane had been downsized, I waited over 30 minutes after boarding began for a wheelchair. The gate attendant called for the wheelchair three times, and everyone else had boarded by the […]

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Seat Kicking Kids

June 20, 2010 Baby & Kid Stories

My family and I were headed for a one week stay in Hawaii. As we boarded the plane to San Francisco, our layover, I noticed a large amount of children. Typically I fly for business and don’t share a plane with many children. As we came to our seats, I noticed that in the row […]

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A Flight Of Fear, Filth & Humiliation

June 18, 2010 Odds & Ends Stories

Last year I took Royal Jordanian from Bangkok to Amman and back with a group of my friends. Now, I’ve taken a lot of flights that had issues, but this may genuinely have been the worst one I’ve ever taken. I was on a connecting flight from Singapore and had a 6 hour layover. Not […]

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Miss Moody

June 17, 2010 Attendant & Pilot Stories

I was once on a return trip home to the UK with friends and family after a fab trip abroad in the sun. The flight itself was fine and actually quite pleasant. However when we touched down and stopped at the end of the runway, everyone immediately stood up and started to grab their luggage. […]

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Flipped Off By Flight Attendant

June 16, 2010 Attendant & Pilot Stories

On a flight from Grand Rapid, MI to Atlanta we all boarded the small Comair plane and were immediately asked to get off because there were “mechanical problems.” We all went back into the gate lounge and waited for the problem to be resolved. Two hours later, we were allowed to re-board. I was sitting […]

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Psycho Phone Yakker

June 15, 2010 Passenger Stories

On New Year’s Eve I flew from Miami to Atlanta. My frequent flier program automatically upgrades me to first class when seats are available which was the case for this trip. When the gate attendant announced that boarding would soon begin, people began crowding around the walkway entrance as they usually do. About 10 minutes […]

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Disturbed Over Diaper Change

June 14, 2010 Baby & Kid Stories

I recently flew from Australia to the United States to visit family for Thanksgiving. My mother has flown to Australia a couple of times in United Economy Plus, so I asked her before I flew if she thought it was worth it to upgrade. She told me, “Absolutely! You’re closer to the front of the […]

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