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?

Pregnant Passenger Covered With Puke

October 13, 2009 Illness/Medical Stories

I was flying from Las Vegas to Oakland on a late morning flight. My 3 year old son was flying with me and I was 2 months pregnant and was experiencing extreme morning sickness. My son sat down next to the window and I sat in the center seat. A large man sat next to […]

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Passenger’s Spirit Defeated

October 12, 2009 Delay/Cancellation Stories

I arrived at the Spirit Airline counter at 645AM for a 745AM flight to Boston, MA out of Ft Lauderdale. FL. The rep said sorry you are late and we already sold your seat. They offered to book me on a 10 AM flight for a $50.00 fee, so after arguing to no avail that […]

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A Strange Experience

October 12, 2009 Passenger Stories

I was on a very long flight from Asia to the US (about 13 hours). I was in coach and traveling alone, so I knew I would probably end up sitting next to someone I didn’t know. I ended up being seated in the same row as an older Indian woman, but there was a […]

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The Longest 51 Mile Flight In History

October 11, 2009 Delay/Cancellation Stories

Many years ago, I had to go from San Jose to Monterey for a retreat.  I didn’t have a car, but there was a really cheap flight from SJC to MRY.  The distance between the two airports is 51 miles and it was about a 20 minutes flight.  So I booked it and soon was […]

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The Crunchy Granola Family

October 10, 2009 Passenger Stories

On an 11 or 12 hour flight from Auckland, NZ to Los Angeles, a family that I would consider to be “crunchy granola” boarded and had the entire middle row of seats against the bulkhead. We were sitting a couple of rows behind them and at cruise altitude when their youngest (approximately 5yr old son) […]

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The Boorish Brit

October 9, 2009 Passenger Stories

The story I am about to relate took place in July 2005. I had booked a direct flight from Cleveland (rock on!) to Gatwick (snobville). I arrived at the airport in plenty of time to make my flight, but some British twit kicked over my bags on the way to the ticket counter. I made […]

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It’s Not The Airlines Stupid

October 9, 2009 Flying Hell Commentary

I am a bit bemused by everyone’s comments. I would not consider myself a frequent traveler, but I do fly a few times a month, primarily for business. It is extremely rare that I find anything to complain about with respect to the airlines. Airlines are very efficient given the price points under which they […]

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Blathering Lothario

October 9, 2009 Passenger Stories

I was waiting for my plane to start boarding at the Houston airport (the flight was delayed, of course). A couple of rows away from me in the waiting room was a man who was droning on and on in an extremely LOUD voice to several women, who were hanging rapturously onto his every word. These […]

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Outraged Over Lost Luggage

October 7, 2009 Luggage Stories

I was traveling with a school group from Texas to Moscow Russia via Miami and Brussels (never used this travel agency again). When I got to Moscow, my luggage was missing. No, not missing. LOST! The airline people had no idea where my luggage was. The problem was that I was leaving Moscow that night […]

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Dog Gets Loose On Plane

October 7, 2009 Animal Stories

On a recent flight from BOS to ORD, a passenger asked the FA if they could take their dog out of its carry-on bag and let it sit in their lap. I was shocked when the FA said yes! Needless to say, the dog got loose, ran up and down the aisles and under the […]

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Unattended Baggage, Unintended Consequences

October 6, 2009 Airport Stories

Reading about the dismal attitudes of the flight attendants reminded me of a trip home to Pittsburgh (PA) Greater International Airport. Actually getting there was not the problem, it was getting back and having to deal with incredibly obnoxious gate attendants that was the problem. There were a surprising number of gate attendants. This was […]

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Chester The Molester

October 5, 2009 Passenger Stories

On a recent redeye flight, I popped an Ambien as I needed to sleep so that I would be awake for an early morning meeting. Now, Ambien knocks me on my butt as I have only taken it a few times in my life. Lo and behold, the ONE time I have EVER taken a […]

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