Ridiculous airline stories

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drizzt3117

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Wow, Northwest is on fn crack. First they had elite ppl board for like 15 min, so half the ppl boarding werent even elite. Then all of a sudden they had ALL rows board, and it was a free for all. I had to stow my bag in the very back and fight against the tide of ppl all the way forward. 45 min delay ftl :mad:

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Wow, Northwest is on fn crack. First they had elite ppl board for like 15 min, so half the ppl boarding werent even elite. Then all of a sudden they had ALL rows board, and it was a free for all. I had to stow my bag in the very back and fight against the tide of ppl all the way forward. 45 min delay ftl :mad:

Elite as in l33t?
 
Most recently, flying to an interview, I flew next to a woman who had decided to bring her small toy poodle on the flight with her as carry-on luggage without sedating it. EVERY 30 seconds for two hours all I heard was "YIP YIP YIP." If I were allowed to carry any sharp objects on the plane, that dog probably wouldn't have made it off.
 
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Most recently, flying to an interview, I flew next to a woman who had decided to bring her small toy poodle on the flight with her as carry-on luggage without sedating it. EVERY 30 seconds for two hours all I heard was "YIP YIP YIP." If I were allowed to carry any sharp objects on the plane, that dog probably wouldn't have made it off.

I was on a red-eye flight a couple of nights ago that had a small toy poodle yipping. You weren't flying to Boston by any chance were you?
 
I was on a red-eye flight a couple of nights ago that had a small toy poodle yipping. You weren't flying to Boston by any chance were you?

haha, no, this was about a week ago. Nice to know I'm not alone though.
 
here's a story: i was taking my private jet for a little spin to paris, and about halfway there, i realize that instead of using grey goose for my martini, the model that serves as my airhostess used chopin vodka. i mean, who wants to drink potato vodka?
 
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You can take animals as carryons? What are the regulations for this, can u do it with cats?
 
Once this guy hostess dropped a whole glass of water on my lap, that was interesting because I had a white shirt on.
 
You can take animals as carryons? What are the regulations for this, can u do it with cats?
geez..you can bring on your dog but you cant bring on a bottle of shampoo? :rolleyes:
 
Michael Moore's next movie is going to be about airlines...
 
This is not interview air travel story, but there was graffiti on the inside of a Delta Connections plane I flew on last year. I guess artists are taking to the skies.
 
You can take animals as carryons? What are the regulations for this, can u do it with cats?

Yup you can do it with cats too. They have to be in an airline approved underseat carrier. You have to have a signed form from a vet giving them the health clearance. You have have to make a reservation with the airline and pay extra (some airlines allow it some don't - eg. Southwest allows no animals - although I've seen people do it). Its usually like $50-75 each way.

I did it several years ago with a kitten that I found in Kentucky. The other inconvenient thing is getting through security. You can't put them through the x-ray machine. So you have to pull them out of the carrier and put the carrier through while carrying the animal - try that with a squirmy little kitten!

Most recently, flying to an interview, I flew next to a woman who had decided to bring her small toy poodle on the flight with her as carry-on luggage without sedating it. EVERY 30 seconds for two hours all I heard was "YIP YIP YIP." If I were allowed to carry any sharp objects on the plane, that dog probably wouldn't have made it off.

You can't sedate animals before they fly. At high pressures and high stress a lot of animals have had abnormal responses to the sedatives, many animals have died that way. Vets, even airlines will tell you this.

I'm not saying its right for her to let her little rat dog yap the whole time, but she can't sedate it.
 
The Detroit Red Wings' charter plane slipped off the runway after a loss to my Blues last night. It got stuck in the mud and they had to spend the night in St. Louis (not sure if they survived the night in the Lou, but being from Detroit I am sure they felt right at home).

RED WINGS SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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Ok, so this was not during a flight to an interview, but it sticks out in my mind as my worst flying experience ever. 3 years ago, I was flying from Baltimore to Cleveland on Continental to visit family for Christmas. My grad school finals had gone until 12/23, so I was flying out the night before Christmas Eve. That evening, there just happened to be a gnarly snow storm in the Great Lakes region that dumped about 18" or so in Cleveland. Our flight was delayed only 2 hours, not horrible. We flew out at 8 PM and landed in Cleveland at 9. The problems started AFTER we landed in Cleveland. First, we sat on the tarmack for 45 minutes because our gate was occupied by another plane that couldn't leave due to weather. Once our gate was cleared, we started to taxi to the gate and I noticed out the window that there was a very large snow drift between our plane and the airport. I wondered how we were going to get past it. Apparently our pilot wasn't accustomed to driving through snow, because he decided to try to plow through the drift and got us stuck. We were stuck in the drift until 12:30 AM, when a fleet of 12 trucks towed us out. The worst part was that the flight crew did not serve us any drinks or snacks during the entire ordeal. Many people on the flight who were supposed to rent cars had to stay at a hotel until morning because the car rental places closed at midnight. They gave people comment cards when we finally got off the plane, and for sending in my ticked off comments, I got a $75 voucher from Continental. After I used the voucher, I never flew on Continental again.
 
When I was returning from my interview in Vermont I flew out of Burlington, a tiny airport. I flew direct from Burlington to Chicago. My luggage went from Burlington to Washington D.C., to Chicago a full day later. Go figure. At least my luggage wasn't lost on the way TO the interview. Now, you might wonder why I didn't take my suit/luggage as carry on. That's because I took my dog!

You can take animals as carryons? What are the regulations for this, can u do it with cats?

So, yes, you can take a cat or dog on the plane with you. It must be in an approved under the seat carrier. I've taken my dog on American and United. They've never required any proof of health or vaccinations to fly (although he's got them). It's generally $80 each way, and you then can't bring a carry-on. Just the carrier and a purse (or equivalent). And remember to take your pet out of the carrier before you go through the xray machine.

You can't sedate animals before they fly. At high pressures and high stress a lot of animals have had abnormal responses to the sedatives, many animals have died that way. Vets, even airlines will tell you this.

I'm not saying its right for her to let her little rat dog yap the whole time, but she can't sedate it.

I've never done it, but I know many people who have - with meds given to them by their vets.

Anyway, my dog is silent as a mouse. He's been on about eight round-trips now (including my GW interview), and no one has ever even realized I had a dog with me unless I specifically told them (I always tell the person next to me in case they're allergic). He just sleeps or watches me in silence. So, not everyone who brings their dog is that inconsiderate. And I have a rat terrier, but he is by no means a "rat dog." A respectable 25 lbs. And we had a great time in Burlington and D.C. Certainly more fun than taking a trip alone.
 
Sitting peacefully in my seat on my way back from Philadelphia, I hear this exasperated call for a physician. Turns out some lady had a heart attack or something. We had to emergency land the plane in Memphis and ambulances met us at the gate. I had no problem stopping for this lady's emergency, but what I did have a huge problem with was the 3 hour wait for the fuel trucks before we could take off again.

Seriously, American is the worst airline ever. Here we all are after 3 hours on the plane already, hungry and thirsty. Do you think they rolled out the drink cart or handed out some free snacks? No, they didn't. It was horrible. No vouchers, no complaint cards nothing. Just a "sorry for the delay."
 
here's a story: i was taking my private jet for a little spin to paris, and about halfway there, i realize that instead of using grey goose for my martini, the model that serves as my airhostess used chopin vodka. i mean, who wants to drink potato vodka?

If it took you that long to realize they're using the wrong vodka, then you evidently don't care enough.

Sigh, on first class flights I don't even get chopin vodka. I need a jet, but how'd you justify that to the parents...
 
I've never done it, but I know many people who have - with meds given to them by their vets.

They need new vets. Its been known for years how dangerous it is to sedate animals at those altitudes and pressures. Seriously, recommend to them they find a new way before they kill their dogs.

Here's an article on it that quotes the American Veterinary Medical Association's position.

http://petrelocation.blogspot.com/2007/09/no-sedation-when-flying-pets.html

Google it and you'll find more.
 
If it took you that long to realize they're using the wrong vodka, then you evidently don't care enough.

Sigh, on first class flights I don't even get chopin vodka. I need a jet, but how'd you justify that to the parents...

haha, i don't actually own a jet, nor have i ever flown in one. i've never even flown business class before. but thanks to amex, i do get access to the first class lounges, and i definitely get more than my fair share of cookies and heineken.
 
haha, i don't actually own a jet, nor have i ever flown in one. i've never even flown business class before. but thanks to amex, i do get access to the first class lounges, and i definitely get more than my fair share of cookies and heineken.

Faked a leg cramp and moved over to first class to get more leg room...Somehow I decided not be a conman or a artist...Maybe I should talk about that in my interview 'cause it shows that I am not prone to make a wrong choice in the long term...
 
Not me personally, but my Dad travels a ton for work and was on a flight to India when a passenger had a heart attack. Lucky for him there was an ER doc and a cardiologist on board. What are the odds?
 
Not me personally, but my Dad travels a ton for work and was on a flight to India when a passenger had a heart attack. Lucky for him there was an ER doc and a cardiologist on board. What are the odds?
Pretty ****ing high considering it's a flight to India. Something like 35% of the practicing physicians in America are Indians.
 
I had a flight a few years back to London from NY which came equipped with the little GPS screens on the back of the seat. Well, about 2 hours into the flight (with just our little plane hovering over the Atlantic) my brother and I noticed that the plane was turning around, so as were starting to wonder what the hell is going on the pilot hops onto the intercom and tells us that one of the engines has just gone out, so we were headed back to NY. Then for the kicker, he added, don't worry about the fuel being ejected from the side of the plane we're just preparing for landing... I don't think my brother was right for a week after that. :laugh:
 
Was visiting NY for spring break with the wife a couple years ago and at the end of the week hopped in a taxi to go back to LaGuardia to catch our flight. Just as our taxi is fixing to pull up to drop us off at the terminal, a few NY SWAT vans pull up and rush in, and then every single person that was in that terminal start walking out. Apparently some guy had removed his shoes during the security check and then ran off leaving his shoes there (probably just in a hurry and forgot?), so of course they shut everything down, grounded the planes at that terminal and evacuated the terminal and had to re-screen everyone. So we sat outside the terminal for a few hours watching the press arrive and then another couple hours going through security.

Needless to say we missed our connecting in Atlanta with no access to our luggage and dragged ourselves to a hotel at 2:00am with just what we were wearing to catch a few hours of sleep.
 
When I was returning from my interview in Vermont I flew out of Burlington, a tiny airport. I flew direct from Burlington to Chicago. My luggage went from Burlington to Washington D.C., to Chicago a full day later. Go figure. At least my luggage wasn't lost on the way TO the interview. Now, you might wonder why I didn't take my suit/luggage as carry on. That's because I took my dog!



So, yes, you can take a cat or dog on the plane with you. It must be in an approved under the seat carrier. I've taken my dog on American and United. They've never required any proof of health or vaccinations to fly (although he's got them). It's generally $80 each way, and you then can't bring a carry-on. Just the carrier and a purse (or equivalent). And remember to take your pet out of the carrier before you go through the xray machine.



I've never done it, but I know many people who have - with meds given to them by their vets.

Anyway, my dog is silent as a mouse. He's been on about eight round-trips now (including my GW interview), and no one has ever even realized I had a dog with me unless I specifically told them (I always tell the person next to me in case they're allergic). He just sleeps or watches me in silence. So, not everyone who brings their dog is that inconsiderate. And I have a rat terrier, but he is by no means a "rat dog." A respectable 25 lbs. And we had a great time in Burlington and D.C. Certainly more fun than taking a trip alone.

What about people (many) allergic to animal hair and fur? I know some dogs don't shed, but there still people who develop allergies. What happens if your neighbor is allergic? Who leaves the plane if it's full, you and the dog or him/her and the allergy?
 
What about people (many) allergic to animal hair and fur? I know some dogs don't shed, but there still people who develop allergies. What happens if your neighbor is allergic? Who leaves the plane if it's full, you and the dog or him/her and the allergy?

I was just gonna say that. I'm very allergic to cats and if anyone around me had a cat I would instantly know. I wonder what they do about that...
 
You can't sedate animals before they fly. At high pressures and high stress a lot of animals have had abnormal responses to the sedatives, many animals have died that way. Vets, even airlines will tell you this.

I'm not saying its right for her to let her little rat dog yap the whole time, but she can't sedate it.

Actually....you can. I did it with my pet cross country (about 9 hours of travelling). You just have to make sure they get plenty of water the day they fly...no food or drink 2 hours before they fly and you cant really feed them until they come out of the sedation. There is no problem with sedating your animal, in fact, my vet recommended it. The only reason airlines don't want you to is because they don't want a dead animal on the flight and for someone to sue them, blah blah blah. Oh and you for sure can't sedate them if they are going under the plane, that is something the airline mandates (something about not having a controlled environment temperature wise).

That's too bad you guys had to deal with that...I would have leaned over and yelled at the lady scolding her for not sedating...thinking everyone loves her little snookums and enjoys his cute little yips of love every few minutes as much as she does.


PlanEjaNe
 
Whenever I fly I try to act natural and to not make any sudden moves.
 
I worked at an airport for 4 years and some of these stories made me shudder.... man the airport can be a seriously depressing place. The worst day ever was when we had that massive power surge a couple years back.
 
Actually....you can. I did it with my pet cross country (about 9 hours of travelling). You just have to make sure they get plenty of water the day they fly...no food or drink 2 hours before they fly and you cant really feed them until they come out of the sedation. There is no problem with sedating your animal, in fact, my vet recommended it. The only reason airlines don't want you to is because they don't want a dead animal on the flight and for someone to sue them, blah blah blah. Oh and you for sure can't sedate them if they are going under the plane, that is something the airline mandates (something about not having a controlled environment temperature wise).

I addressed this to someone else above already. The official position of the American Veterinary Medical Association is that it is unsafe and a bad idea to sedate flying animals except in unusual circumstances where its absolutely necessary.

So much like a doctor and the FDA, where I would take the word of an overarching body of medicine over my friendly family practitioner. I would take the word of the AVMA over a local vet.

Here are some links:

http://www.avma.org/advocacy/federal/legislative/lac/Air_Transport_020926.pdf

http://www.avma.org/careforanimals/animatedjourneys/livingwithpets/sedate.asp

Its very risky, and I don't know why anyone would risk their pet's health just so they didn't have to listen to them make noise while traveling.
 
What about people (many) allergic to animal hair and fur? I know some dogs don't shed, but there still people who develop allergies. What happens if your neighbor is allergic? Who leaves the plane if it's full, you and the dog or him/her and the allergy?

You'd be surprised. American Airlines allows up to 7 pets in the coach cabin on a flight. I'm not sure how many United allows. But there are some airlines that don't allow any pets - if I were deathly allergic, I would probably stick to those airlines, or say something when I booked the flight. If there was someone that was allergic near me, I'd have no problem moving, but it hasn't come up yet.

I guess another way to look at it would be like a perfume allergy. Imagine that the person next to you is doused in perfume and you're having a reaction. If it were me, I'd ask if there was another seat open in the plane. It's not like they're going to kick the person who over-applied perfume off the plane. Similarly, if I paid to board my dog and followed all of the airline rules, they're not going to kick me off either. They'll simply find a way to accommodate both parties. Perhaps move them to the front of the plane, or me to the back.
 
From Nashville to LAX with an annoying DOG next to you for five hours!!! Barking the whole time...Complete rudeness.
 
On a 16-hour flight I got so bored that I watched the same Ashton Kutcher movie twice.
 
Flying inbound into Pearson International in Toronto just as the Toronto Blackout hit in 2003...Oh that was good. The pilot made a point to tell us that the landing strip at the airport just went dark. ..shrug..
 
i'm coming back from an interview in NY back to KY. Supposed to fly from La Guardia to Detroit then to Lexington. So I get there 4 hours early...flight's supposed to leave at 3...no biggie. Interview done semi-early. Delayed...another delay...another delay. I cant make my layover. I tell the people there. They say I'll be fine. Delay. Ok, talk to someone else. No way to make layover. Northwest attendant supposedly switches me over to Delta plane. So I have to wait for another 3 hours for a flight straight to Lex. No hope for my luggage at this point. I go to start boarding and they said that they hadnt switched me over. There is ONE empty seat and I beg them to let me have it. Delta people are super nice. They switch me over and I get back to KY. I talk to Delta about baggage return and they are awesome about it. Returned luggage next day.

Moral of story: Never fly northwest. Delta is soooooo much better. Total wait from time from airport arrival to landing in lexington - 13 hours in a SUIT. Worst day ever...too bad they couldn't wipe the grin off my face since I had found out I got into UK the day before.
 
lets see.. one time i was flying from LAX to Boston, and we circled the city for around 3 hours because of a snow storm. that was pretty great.


another time, we are going to land at Bradley(Hartford) and our back wheels touch the ground. then all of a sudden the plane pulls up really sharply and we climb fast. apparently there was something else on the runway we were trying to land on......
 
From Nashville to LAX with an annoying DOG next to you for five hours!!! Barking the whole time...Complete rudeness.
I know right!? You'd think the dog would be considerate enough to keep it's mouth shut for a couple of hours. :D
I was flying out of Honolulu going to San Fran in Sept. on United airlines. We board the plane on time and then sit on the tarmac for about 1 hour. We de-board back at our gate and get on a new plane. Then we sit on the tarmac for another two hours. Plane was supposed to leave at 9 p.m. We left after midnight. We get up in the air and I fall asleep for a couple hours. I wake up thinking that we've only got a little while more before we land and they suddenly announce our landing back in Honolulu. Turns out the plane that we had switched had the exact same problem that our first plane did. We get back and there are no more flights out and no more seats on any other flights.
 
I once rode in a plan so small, I couldn't stand up fully in the middle of the aisle (I'm only 5'10"). With one seat on one side and two on the other, of course I got stuck next to the fatty. To make matters worse, my leg started cramping up and I had no room to stretch it. 3 hours of hell.
 
I once rode in a plan so small, I couldn't stand up fully in the middle of the aisle (I'm only 5'10"). With one seat on one side and two on the other, of course I got stuck next to the fatty. To make matters worse, my leg started cramping up and I had no room to stretch it. 3 hours of hell.

Well, this is a problem I've NEVER had to deal with. I can usually stand straight while standing directly underneath the upper baggage storage area. I can also walk underneath a regulation volleyball net (without bending my head down) and have the net just brush the top of my head. Leg room is never a problem either. I'm 4'10.5".:D
 
I once rode in a plan so small, I couldn't stand up fully in the middle of the aisle (I'm only 5'10"). With one seat on one side and two on the other, of course I got stuck next to the fatty. To make matters worse, my leg started cramping up and I had no room to stretch it. 3 hours of hell.

That sounds like Delta Connection. I flew with them and the planes are ridiculously small. Luckily, both times I flew the flights were fairly empty.
 
US Airways got me from SLC to Phoenix. I was supposed to fly to Minneapolis but they canceled 3 consecutive flights for "Maintenance" tried to send me to Las Vegas but I noticed my connector was canceled out of Las Vegas so I begged my way onto a Northwest flight. Made it into Minneapolis round about 1am and when flying back was again stuck in Phoenix because they cannot seem to get their planes off the ground. If you ever have anywhere to be in any reasonable amount of time avoid US Airways like the plague!!
 
Okay, so I'm more than 6'4", and I have the legs of someone who is like 6'8". I was recently on one of the little puddle jumper jets on my way to an interview, and I sit down in my seat. Naturally, my knees are right up against the back of the seat in front of me, so naturally, the douche sitting in it decides to lean his seat back. It only goes about a centimeter before it can't go anymore, so he keeps trying to lean it back anyway. He slams his body back a few times, and then he turns around and tells me that he is absolutely going to lean his seat back.

I tell him that it obviously won't work, and there was nothing I could do about it. He tells me that I should move, because he has "back problems"

I notice that he is sitting in the exit row, where there is extra leg room. I page the fight attendant and tell her that he told me that he has a back injury, and that I don't feel safe with him in the exit row, in the event of an emergency. She asks him a bunch of questions about his "back problems", moves me to first class, and puts him in some other seat. He was obviously full of ****. I win.

After I get my bags, I get on the shuttle to head over to the rental car area. Guess who is on the same shuttle. After a few stops, the shuttle is completely full, and people are standing. Every seat is taken, except this douche is sitting sideways in order to take up two seats. I wanted to throw my orange juice on him. ****ing selfish dingus.
 
She asks him a bunch of questions about his "back problems", moves me to first class, and puts him in some other seat. He was obviously full of ****. I win.

Way to stick it to that asshat. There are too many people who are so self-absorbed that don't even have the common courtesy to ask you rather than demand from you. I hope his back still hurts.
 
This one doesn't involve going to a medical school interview, but it happened when I was a kid traveling to my home country. My family and I arrived to our destination and as we were collecting our luggage, this one guy comes over and picks up one of our small bags and begins to walk away. So my mom sees him and starts yelling out loud (THIEF! THIEF! THIEF!).

It turned out that he was just an employee helping people transport bags to nearby dollies; it was complimentary too.

Very embarrassing.
 
lets see.. one time i was flying from LAX to Boston, and we circled the city for around 3 hours because of a snow storm. that was pretty great.


another time, we are going to land at Bradley(Hartford) and our back wheels touch the ground. then all of a sudden the plane pulls up really sharply and we climb fast. apparently there was something else on the runway we were trying to land on......

yeah......like another airplane!!!!

One of those many runway incursions....YIKES :eek::eek::eek:
 
This one doesn't involve going to a medical school interview, but it happened when I was a kid traveling to my home country. My family and I arrived to our destination and as we were collecting our luggage, this one guy comes over and picks up one of our small bags and begins to walk away. So my mom sees him and starts yelling out loud (THIEF! THIEF! THIEF!).

It turned out that he was just an employee helping people transport bags to nearby dollies; it was complimentary too.

Very embarrassing.

:laugh::laugh::laugh:
 
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