Flying/Terminal Stories

[yoga-lika_abana]

Anyone have any good ones? FFF

Haven't flown that much but one of the most akward ones for me was when I was a lot younger flying home from the Cayman Islands had the window seat, my mom had the middle seat, and some weird middle aged guy had the aisle seat. From takeoff to an hour before we got to are next airport he kept conversation w/ my mom kind of akward tried flirting with her then asked her for her number about an hour before we landed she said no he went into details about he was a traveler and would love to take her with him was an even more akward hour until landing. don't remember too many other details about this just was a pretty terrible flight.

another flight from kc to la I had just set up my laptop on the little stand to watch a movie and then this bunghole infront of me leans back for the rest of the trip. don't know the protocol on this but wasn't a cool move imo for only a couple hour flight. amazing thing was on my flight back I dunno if it was some miracle or what he was on the same flight and I took the seat directly infront of him, gonna be honest felt good to recline back the whole trip.

anyone else have any good(not saying my stories are good) flight/terminal stories? 

[fatty fat fat]

what is the standard proctocol w/flight conversation? this is why i love the mhk flights, the single aisle drops this frightening possibility.

[powercatmiller]

I was boarding the train in Denvers Airport when my mom called and said the house was on fire.

[Pike]

I really enjoy riding the moving walkways in Memphis. You get on one and ride it for like 100 ft or whatever. Then you walk another 100 ft and your on the next one and ride it 100 feet. Then you repeat only going back.

[sys]

what is the standard proctocol w/flight conversation?

it is extremely impolite.  you are well within your rights to give a cold stare and turn aside.

[Saulbadguy]

I really enjoy riding the moving walkways in Memphis. You get on one and ride it for like 100 ft or whatever. Then you walk another 100 ft and your on the next one and ride it 100 feet. Then you repeat only going back.

I like those in st louis.  It feels like you are moving at an incredible rate if you walk fast enough on them.

[premierkc]

Flight talk just has to come naturally. Flying DC-KC, transferred in Chicago. Sat next to an older couple, I pulled out a trade magazine and they asked if I lived in chicago because there son-in-law was in that industry. Long story short he was a retired Veterinarian currently living in Arizona. I bet you can guess where he went to school, and he told me about basketball games and his senior year the team played there first season in Ahearn.  

[Pike]

I really enjoy riding the moving walkways in Memphis. You get on one and ride it for like 100 ft or whatever. Then you walk another 100 ft and your on the next one and ride it 100 feet. Then you repeat only going back.

I like those in st louis.  It feels like you are moving at an incredible rate if you walk fast enough on them.

Yeah it's great. Then stepping off is the hardest part.

[yoga-lika_abana]

what is the standard proctocol w/flight conversation?

it is extremely impolite.  you are well within your rights to give a cold stare and turn aside.

yes, usually always try and pull out my headphones or reading material asap.

[Bookcat]

don't mind the conversation. Kind of expect it since I'm sitting inches away from a complete stranger and we're trying not to bump knees.

[Saulbadguy]

KCI to O'Hare, sat next to a drunk guy.  He was drunk when he got on the plane, and had several more within the slightly less than hour flight time.  He was pretty talkative to me (I was 13, alone on this flight).  All the other people smiled at me cause I was the one keeping the drunk guy occupied.

PHL to KCI, sat in the middle seat, cousin was in the window seat, aisle seat was some huge guy.  He needed a seatbelt extender.  He sweat the entire time and breathed loud.  This was tough to deal with, I was tired and wanted to sleep but couldn't lean back, or lean over, so had to just lean my head forward and try to sleep. I was also scrunched in pretty good so I couldn't move.

KCI to IND - Sat next to a lady who had a cat in a cat carrier under her seat. It meowed the entire time.  Sucked. 

[steve dave]

One time coming back through Denver there had been weather and a lot of people couldn't fly in but their connections took off.  Pretty obvious we weren't going to make our connection.  When we got to Denver the Frontier service line was about 200 yards long.  We stood in line for about 4 hours finally getting to the front.  The people at those desks had obviously been getting the business from about 1,000 people before we got to the front.  Hilarious to watch Business Guy MaGee trying to throw his weight around like the poor desk lady had control over the weather and his flight not getting in.  Anyway, they were not giving anybody in front of us any hotel rooms or anything and everybody was melting down.  Most of them resigned themselves to sleeping in the airport.  My brother and I got to the front and gave the old lady at the end desk a wink and I said, "Busy night, huh."  She rolled her eyes and then I made a point to tell my brother that the guy two desks down that was berating the Frontier desk lady was a POS.  Did so in a way that our lady could clearly hear me.  She didn't say anything but handed us two vouchers for $200 off our next flights, and vouchers for breakfast and two rooms at a hotel down the street. 

[Rick Daris]

was in charlotte getting ready to get on plane to mci. flight was delayed due to mechanical issues. they found another plane for us. flight was delayed again because of mechanical issues. they moved us to a dif gate. finally after about three hours they had a plane ready for us. we took off and after about thirty minutes of being in the air my wife said "do you smell smoke?". i was all like "nope, not at all. just keep reading your book or whatever. just ignore the obvious smoke smell." couple of minutes later the captain comes on and announces that we will be turning the plane around and are going back to charlotte to land. doesn't say anything else. thought we were all gonna die. was pretty sure of it. plane ends up landing and was met on the runway with multiple firetrucks. no idea what was wrong. we sit at the airport for another couple of hours and then fly home. not a fun flight back.

[premierkc]

Hilarious to watch Business Guy MaGee trying to throw his weight around like the poor desk lady had control over the weather and his flight not getting in.  

No kidding, hate seeing that. That's someone's spouse/daughter/son and you know they wouldn't want their family members treated like that.

[ltrain37]

Flying from MCI to Charlotte to pick up our connecting flight to the Bahamas.  Sitting in a window seat looking over the wing.  It was early in the morning and raining so it was kinda dark outside still.  About 15 minutes after takeoff I see a bright flash and hear a loud boom...our plane got hit by lightening.  Not a big deal...except that I hate flying.  Flight attendants assured me that the plane wasn't on fire.

Couple years later flying from MCI to Charlotte to pick up our connecting flight to Cancun.  Its April...freak snowstorm/blizzard in Charlotte.  We get stuck on the runway for something like 4 hours while the only snowplow tried to clear the runway.  When we did finally take off it felt like the plane was sliding all over the runway, not a good time (see above comment about my dislike of flying).

Went to NASCAR race in Richmond VA a couple of years ago, race was Saturday night, our flight out was Sunday morning.  Race gets rained out Saturday night and rescheduled for Sunday afternoon, so as we are standing in the pouring rain waiting for our shuttle to take us back to our hotel my wife is on the phone trying to change our flight.  We booked through Orbitz I think, neither Orbitz or the airlines were cooperating.  Guy in front of us heard the converstion, called his wife at home and had her looking up flights for us.  Guy in front of him hears whats going on and calls one of his buddies at home to do the same thing.  Had to eat our Sunday tickets but got a decent priced flight out Monday morning.

[The1BigWillie]

Coming back from Cabo a few months ago.  Window seat.  United Airlines. Headed into Denver.  2 seats to my left are two 7.5/8ish young ladies from Canada.  Been in Cabo too for spring break.  I would have done either or both of them at the drop of a hat.  Made some small talk about our week and shared stories.  Girl on aisle eventually dozed off.  Middle girl watched a movie, and I had my iPod in and was looking out the window down at the Sea of Cortez checking out boats and whales. 

Hour outside of Denver hit some crazy bad turbulence. Lots of gasps and scared faces.  Flight attendants buckled in and security measures were re-read over the intercom.  Also told us in case of evacuation to leave carry on up in stow away compartments. 

Canada girls are holding hands staring down at the floor and visibly shaken.  I'm just kinda checking things out on the wing (waiting for it to rip off) and watching the horizon go up and down. Barf bags are being grabbed all over the plane.  I am dying inside.  Scared crapless but decide I'll be big about this.  I tell the Canada girls that this happens all the time flying into Denver from the west because of the mountains and change in temperature in the air.  Told them that this actually wasn't that bad.  They seemed to calm down a bit. Asked me "really?" and I said "yeah. We even hit this on the way out here.  Very rough flight. This is no biggie."   We pull a few Top Gun figher pilot banking manuevers, buzz the tower, blow some chaff and flares and finally land in Denver. Everyone breaths a sigh of relief.  My buddy in front of me turns and says. "Bro, I fly about twice a month for business and that's the worst turbulence and roughest flight I've ever been on. I thought we were going to die." The girls from Canada just stare at me.  I'm not sure if they wanted to ride me like Seattle Slew or punch me in the face. 

We jumped the train in Denver Airport after going throug customs and headed up to the bar/restaurant area.  I gave them a wave and went to get a beer.  Never saw them again.  Probably still talking about me up in Canada somewhere though.   

[jthutch]

Never had anything fun or exciting happen on a plane or in a terminal.  The most exciting thing that I have had happen on mass transportation is on the train to the top of pikes peak we sat with the driver of The green machine monster truck.  He had some pretty cool pics and being 8 or 9 years old I was all 

[cyclist]

Mrs. cyclist and I flew from Atlanta to Stuttgart, Germany to visit our niece who was going to school in Tubingen.  It was an overnight flight and the moon was actually full.  It was an interesting site to see out the window seat.

[MOKSUAZ]

flight from San Jose to Seattle, was about to enter the bathroom when we hit some pretty good turbulence.  ended up cracking my head on the wall and had to make my way back to my seat falling over people.

while in the Vegas airport the wife won $100.

[yoga-lika_abana]

not a flying story but a traveling story. went w/ my brother to detroit were staying in a pretty decent place. went to continental breakfast the next morning and there were about four guys sitting at table all dressed similar obv. some sort of dork convention was in town. then another dork convention guy walks up one of them and says "bill, your rental car is missing its tires." bill just chuckles to himself and then when he sees the other guy is serious runs outside then runs back in and totally freaks out turns out someone did steal all four of his tires off of his rental car(a ford taurus didn't understand that) and put the car on cinder blocks. friends asked him if he got the insurance......he said he didn't.

< only the exact opposite.

[Perry]

Visited my mom in San Antonio, flew there and was flying back alone (first time flying that I would be able to remember). When I was flying back, I was dropped off at the terminal 5 hours early since Mom had a conference or something to go to. Hit up the Starbucks to buy a latte, the guy asks me if I wanted a lemon bar. I only had enough for a latte, so I declined. He then informed me that the lemon bar had broken in half, and, while still edible, could not be sold. It was free.   

Also, love Southwest. On the way there I sat in an aisle that was only 2 seat rows, and nobody was sitting next to me. Plus, warm chocolate chip cookies were served.  <--- Except Southwest

[WillieWannabe]

Was sitting next to a girl on a flight...everything was going good till we were about to land. She got real figitty and put her face in her hands. Right as our wheels touched down....   FML

[pwrcat1]

This is such a great thread!

Was leaving Denver in 04.  Plane got to the end of the run way and the pilot suddenly slams on the brakes. Says an engine had failed, that it was no big deal and that we would take off again shortly.  40 mins later we start cruising down the run way again, get about half way this time and the same thing happens.  By now people are getting a little "wtf??" but the pilot comes back on the PA and tells everyone that it's no big deal.  After another 40 mins we try again.  We literally get all the way to the end of the run way, the nose is lifting off when it crashes back down and &@#%ing screeches to halt.  Now everyone is like "GMTFOOH!" but the pilot came over the intercom and said the same crap he'd already said.  Also said that we could safely fly with the non-malfunctioning engines alone and basically told us to sack up and stop being pussies.  Four hours later we finally lifted off.

[Kat Kid]

the worst is people that eff with rental car people.  I mean seriously, at least the airline peeps have a cute uniform and can generally look or smell somewhat normal.  Hertz behind the counter is a death trap.  Saw some rich lady pull out a manager on a lady once, was really awful and uncomfortable.

I always tip people at airports, in cabs, at dinner, hotel and at bars.

[WillieWannabe]

I think this is fitting....
Brian Regan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9em-ZCddWk&feature=PlayList&p=6DB2E66F7DECD0F8&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=11

[EllToPay]

on a flight with my family from msp to hnl about 10 years ago. i was in the eighth grade. flight was somewhere over the pacific when i dozed off for a while. when i woke up, my mom was standing right next me holding my arms down. i'm all like gtfo of my face mom, when she told me i had been dreaming and was violently touching and hitting the woman seated right next to me. i looked over at her and she was very visibily upset.

i brushed it off and put the headphones back on and listened to my sweet smashing pumpkins cd.

[EllToPay]

also had an eight hour layover in dfw once. 

 saw troy aikman at a restaurant. can't remember which termy.