Comments on: What’s your worst flight experience? https://www.501places.com/2010/03/your-worst-flight-experience/ Travel stories that won't change the world Tue, 30 Oct 2012 12:12:56 +0000 hourly 1 By: Andy Jarosz https://www.501places.com/2010/03/your-worst-flight-experience/#comment-5958 Andy Jarosz Fri, 14 May 2010 11:04:32 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=2284#comment-5958 You had a tough time in Argentina Ian - when we flew in and out of Calafate it was calm, sunny and a very smooth ride. Your experience sounds scary! Melanie, your story is hilarious! You should enter that for a comptetition. I hope the girlfriend didn't give you dagger looks after that. I bet you can't fall asleep on a plane now without looking at the guy next to you and wondering if you're going to get a repeat. Thanks for sharing :-) You had a tough time in Argentina Ian – when we flew in and out of Calafate it was calm, sunny and a very smooth ride. Your experience sounds scary!

Melanie, your story is hilarious! You should enter that for a comptetition. I hope the girlfriend didn’t give you dagger looks after that. I bet you can’t fall asleep on a plane now without looking at the guy next to you and wondering if you’re going to get a repeat. Thanks for sharing :-)

]]> By: Melanie@TravelsWithTwo https://www.501places.com/2010/03/your-worst-flight-experience/#comment-5926 Melanie@TravelsWithTwo Thu, 13 May 2010 19:52:20 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=2284#comment-5926 Last year, I flew (without my husband) on a redeye from LA to DC. I had the aisle seat next to a twenty-something couple -- the guy sat beside me, the girl by the window -- who had a ridiculously high energy level for 11:30 pm at night. As they chattered loudly away next to me, I stuffed in a pair of earplugs, pulled up my fleece blanket and drifted off as best I could. About two hours later, I awoke fast and wide-eyed...with my seatmate's hand on my knee and his tongue in my ear! (Or, um, earplug, as the case would be.) Asleep himself by now, he'd obviously mistaken me for his girlfriend, all the way on his other side. I started bolt upright, knocking him into his girlfriend, who was startled and seeking an explanation; in her dry, safe ear he mumbled his shame and embarrassment. So, there we were, the three of us: wide awake and terrified to fall back asleep...for the next three hours. Last year, I flew (without my husband) on a redeye from LA to DC. I had the aisle seat next to a twenty-something couple — the guy sat beside me, the girl by the window — who had a ridiculously high energy level for 11:30 pm at night. As they chattered loudly away next to me, I stuffed in a pair of earplugs, pulled up my fleece blanket and drifted off as best I could.

About two hours later, I awoke fast and wide-eyed…with my seatmate’s hand on my knee and his tongue in my ear! (Or, um, earplug, as the case would be.) Asleep himself by now, he’d obviously mistaken me for his girlfriend, all the way on his other side.

I started bolt upright, knocking him into his girlfriend, who was startled and seeking an explanation; in her dry, safe ear he mumbled his shame and embarrassment.

So, there we were, the three of us: wide awake and terrified to fall back asleep…for the next three hours.

]]> By: Ian Mac https://www.501places.com/2010/03/your-worst-flight-experience/#comment-5921 Ian Mac Thu, 13 May 2010 17:54:49 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=2284#comment-5921 The worst flight in the U.S. is nothing compared to standard procedure in places like South America. Flying out of Patagonia was insane. Taking off from El Calafate the plane is battered by winds sweeping out from the Andes. The plane wasn't still for more than 5 seconds the entire first hour of the flight. I personally enjoy turbulence and found this part fun. My compadres didn't think so. What really bothered me was the hissing of air through the supposedly airlocked doors. The worst flight in the U.S. is nothing compared to standard procedure in places like South America. Flying out of Patagonia was insane. Taking off from El Calafate the plane is battered by winds sweeping out from the Andes. The plane wasn’t still for more than 5 seconds the entire first hour of the flight. I personally enjoy turbulence and found this part fun. My compadres didn’t think so. What really bothered me was the hissing of air through the supposedly airlocked doors.

]]> By: JR@DriftersBlog https://www.501places.com/2010/03/your-worst-flight-experience/#comment-5917 JR@DriftersBlog Thu, 13 May 2010 17:05:31 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=2284#comment-5917 i have to side with gwen's perspective. not too many horrible experiences, but some amusing rides. like coming home from ny with my family after my lil sis's wedding and we're flying through a storm, lights shut out, the plane drops suddenly and everyone around us starts screaming, literally. but the only thing i could think of was at least we (my family) all get to go together, morbid i know. or (not sure if this counts) getting stuck overnight in mexico city because my flight was over booked and having to run up and down through the terminal with a mother and her little son and another guy my age, all of whom spoke spanish, unlike myself, but that actually turned out alright because we banded together and the mother took the lead. but like gwen said, nothing really terrible, just some interesting stories. i have to side with gwen’s perspective. not too many horrible experiences, but some amusing rides. like coming home from ny with my family after my lil sis’s wedding and we’re flying through a storm, lights shut out, the plane drops suddenly and everyone around us starts screaming, literally. but the only thing i could think of was at least we (my family) all get to go together, morbid i know. or (not sure if this counts) getting stuck overnight in mexico city because my flight was over booked and having to run up and down through the terminal with a mother and her little son and another guy my age, all of whom spoke spanish, unlike myself, but that actually turned out alright because we banded together and the mother took the lead. but like gwen said, nothing really terrible, just some interesting stories.

]]> By: Randy https://www.501places.com/2010/03/your-worst-flight-experience/#comment-5915 Randy Thu, 13 May 2010 16:45:05 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=2284#comment-5915 My worst flight experiences haven't so much to do with the plane, but the passengers. All of the worst flights I've ever had were the result of disruptive children. I recently spent the duration of a 9-hour flight listening to a whiny child yell and scream and cry, while his mother tried to bargain with him and coddle him. Oy! My worst flight experiences haven’t so much to do with the plane, but the passengers. All of the worst flights I’ve ever had were the result of disruptive children. I recently spent the duration of a 9-hour flight listening to a whiny child yell and scream and cry, while his mother tried to bargain with him and coddle him. Oy!

]]> By: David Whitley https://www.501places.com/2010/03/your-worst-flight-experience/#comment-3696 David Whitley Wed, 24 Mar 2010 19:07:22 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=2284#comment-3696 It's comical in retrospect, but realising I was on the wrong plane and flying to a remote Great Barrier Reef Island rather than Sydney - on the day I was supposed to start my new job - was terrifying... It’s comical in retrospect, but realising I was on the wrong plane and flying to a remote Great Barrier Reef Island rather than Sydney – on the day I was supposed to start my new job – was terrifying…

]]> By: Gwen McCauley https://www.501places.com/2010/03/your-worst-flight-experience/#comment-3457 Gwen McCauley Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:36:56 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=2284#comment-3457 Interesting, Andy. When I stop to think about it, I haven't had any really horrible flight experiences in the 42 years that I've been flying. I have had some fun moments ...like the time we were flying into Belfast in thick fog and 3 times got close enough to the runway to see the lights, only to have our pilot pull back. Ended up in Liverpool and being put on an overnight ferry ...all this in the middle of The Troubles back in '77. Sheesh. The things we do for love. And then there was a short business flight from Toronto to Ottawa in a snow storm. Only problem was that I had gone drinking with work buddies so I was drunker than a skunk. A snow squall came up and they had us do the bend over and grab your ankles routine as we landed. The thought struck me: if we crash, I'm so out of it I wouldn't be able to save myself. That was the last time I ever over-indulged when flying! In '70 I had a chance to work in a fish camp off Canada's British Columbia coast. I was flown down to our floating barge in a small Cessna that was so filled with stuff the pilot had slipped a cast iron frying pan into the last couple of inches of space ...just behind my head! It was a gorgeous flight, something most people today would pay thousands of dollars to experience. We went past an incredible waterfall and the pilot banked the plane for me to get a better view. I thought I was going to fall right into the Pacific; and I was sure that fry pan was going to bonk me on the head. When we finally landed in our little harbour, I was sure the plane was going to fall into a million pieces from the jolting that happened as we skimmed across the choppy waves. Yikes, I've been on many, many washboard roads in my time, but nothing compares to that. And I can't count the number of times flights have been delayed, re-routed and otherwise messed up. But those mostly were about being bored out of my skull for endless hours. I guess I'm a fortunate gal 'cause in a life of a whole lot of flying there aren't a whole lot of bad experiences. Gwen McCauley http://algarveexperiences.com Interesting, Andy. When I stop to think about it, I haven’t had any really horrible flight experiences in the 42 years that I’ve been flying.

I have had some fun moments …like the time we were flying into Belfast in thick fog and 3 times got close enough to the runway to see the lights, only to have our pilot pull back. Ended up in Liverpool and being put on an overnight ferry …all this in the middle of The Troubles back in ’77. Sheesh. The things we do for love.

And then there was a short business flight from Toronto to Ottawa in a snow storm. Only problem was that I had gone drinking with work buddies so I was drunker than a skunk. A snow squall came up and they had us do the bend over and grab your ankles routine as we landed. The thought struck me: if we crash, I’m so out of it I wouldn’t be able to save myself. That was the last time I ever over-indulged when flying!

In ’70 I had a chance to work in a fish camp off Canada’s British Columbia coast. I was flown down to our floating barge in a small Cessna that was so filled with stuff the pilot had slipped a cast iron frying pan into the last couple of inches of space …just behind my head! It was a gorgeous flight, something most people today would pay thousands of dollars to experience. We went past an incredible waterfall and the pilot banked the plane for me to get a better view. I thought I was going to fall right into the Pacific; and I was sure that fry pan was going to bonk me on the head. When we finally landed in our little harbour, I was sure the plane was going to fall into a million pieces from the jolting that happened as we skimmed across the choppy waves. Yikes, I’ve been on many, many washboard roads in my time, but nothing compares to that.

And I can’t count the number of times flights have been delayed, re-routed and otherwise messed up. But those mostly were about being bored out of my skull for endless hours.

I guess I’m a fortunate gal ’cause in a life of a whole lot of flying there aren’t a whole lot of bad experiences.

Gwen McCauley
http://algarveexperiences.com

]]> By: Andy Jarosz https://www.501places.com/2010/03/your-worst-flight-experience/#comment-3455 Andy Jarosz Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:21:06 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=2284#comment-3455 Thanks for sharing your stories. Mark, I would to fly in a Hercules someday (although for 7 hours it would be nice to get more than a crap sarnie and crisps). Mind you, US airline serve less than that cross-country don't they? Sue, your journey sounds horrible! It's a wonder everyone agreed to board the plane... maybe the only flight in the UK where people cheered on landing?? Ciki, sounds familiar. Is there something about the air currents around LAX? Have had the same on an approach there, but it was in a 747 - you would have felt it far worse in a Fokker! Thanks for sharing your stories.
Mark, I would to fly in a Hercules someday (although for 7 hours it would be nice to get more than a crap sarnie and crisps). Mind you, US airline serve less than that cross-country don’t they?

Sue, your journey sounds horrible! It’s a wonder everyone agreed to board the plane… maybe the only flight in the UK where people cheered on landing??

Ciki, sounds familiar. Is there something about the air currents around LAX? Have had the same on an approach there, but it was in a 747 – you would have felt it far worse in a Fokker!

]]> By: ciki https://www.501places.com/2010/03/your-worst-flight-experience/#comment-3449 ciki Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:10:51 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=2284#comment-3449 oh mine would have to be, flying on the tiny Fokker - connecting flight from LA, and though it was just a short flight of 40 minutes, the weather was so bad that we kept rising with the air-pockets and then free fall for 5 seconds. then up against the pressure so hard that I thought my head was going to pop. However, having just read your flight experience to LV, I feel like mine was peanuts. thanks for sharing! oh mine would have to be, flying on the tiny Fokker – connecting flight from LA, and though it was just a short flight of 40 minutes, the weather was so bad that we kept rising with the air-pockets and then free fall for 5 seconds. then up against the pressure so hard that I thought my head was going to pop. However, having just read your flight experience to LV, I feel like mine was peanuts. thanks for sharing!

]]> By: Sue Hillman https://www.501places.com/2010/03/your-worst-flight-experience/#comment-3436 Sue Hillman Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:12:03 +0000 https://www.501places.com/?p=2284#comment-3436 So many flight nightmares to chose from! Just one? Returning from Jersey the storm was so bad the plane was bouncing on the runway as, still in the small departure lounge, we watched the departure board show clock up cancelled flight after cancelled flight as all the airports in the UK were closing one by one. They finally but suprisingly announced the flight was boarding and we ran across the runway onto the plane and took off in record time. A near vertical take off got us through a gap in the storm. As we approached Heathrow we started to circle as the plane dropped and shuddered in the storm that seem to have followed us. The cabin became very quiet and we circled and circled. I started to think, how much fuel do we have and. given that all the airports in the UK are closed, where do we go if we can't get down into Heathrow? Then we started our descent, wheels down, lights coming into view and then a massive roar and we pulled up and back into our orbiting around London. Several circuits later we had another try at landing and this time, to huge relief all round, we made it and a a shakey set of passengers were very happy to see the arrivals lounge. So much for short haul flights being easier.... So many flight nightmares to chose from! Just one? Returning from Jersey the storm was so bad the plane was bouncing on the runway as, still in the small departure lounge, we watched the departure board show clock up cancelled flight after cancelled flight as all the airports in the UK were closing one by one. They finally but suprisingly announced the flight was boarding and we ran across the runway onto the plane and took off in record time. A near vertical take off got us through a gap in the storm. As we approached Heathrow we started to circle as the plane dropped and shuddered in the storm that seem to have followed us. The cabin became very quiet and we circled and circled. I started to think, how much fuel do we have and. given that all the airports in the UK are closed, where do we go if we can’t get down into Heathrow? Then we started our descent, wheels down, lights coming into view and then a massive roar and we pulled up and back into our orbiting around London. Several circuits later we had another try at landing and this time, to huge relief all round, we made it and a a shakey set of passengers were very happy to see the arrivals lounge. So much for short haul flights being easier….

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