Have you ever witnessed anything on an airplane?

[godders]

I had a drunk woman on my flight back to the UK from Disney last year.

She was the last person on the flight and we'd had no announcements on the plane to say we were waiting for anyone and we weren't late but this woman comes through the cabin holding one of her shoes and no shoe on her other foot. She is complaining to a stewardess about a woman who had been saying she had been causing the plane to be delayed. Anyway, she goes to her seat which is about 4/5 rows behind me and I don't hear another peep out of her (possibly because I had my headphones on the whole flight) and she was passed out whenever I went to the loo. We land in London and are taxing to the gate and one of the flight attendants starts saying "Mam, sit down!" I turn around and this woman is trying to get her stuff out of the overhead locker but she can barely stand and she won't sit down. Attendants come over and try to sit her down and she is resisting her so they force her into her seat. Next thing you just hear the stewardess' saying "stop trying to hit me" and "stop trying to bite me" We finally get to the gate and we all have to stay in our seats so that the police can come on and remove this woman. She is still being belligerent to the poor stewardesses and it takes about 20 minutes to get her of the plane. As their leading her out there is an older woman who is the drunk woman's mum carrying a little girl who is about 4. I felt so sorry for them. This woman was even more wasted getting off the flight than she had been when she got on but they still gave her alcohol during the flight. Couldn't believe they had served her.

 

[design_mom]

I only have a couple.

We adopted our children from Russia. The flight home (Moscow to New York/JFK) with our son was crazy. We bought a seat for our son and he was in a car seat, but we couldn't get three seats together so it was me, and DS next to each other, and DH was in the row behind us. Across from him were two women who had also adopted a baby. Their baby was a lap baby. Across the aisle from me was a guy who claimed to be a missionary (although, I don't know... he was not a very nice man. I wouldn't want him representing me in the name of religion.) In front of him was a New Yorker with his Italian girlfriend who was wearing the highest heels and shortest skirt I've ever seen. In front of me (across from New Yorker and Italian) was a Russian man who I think was drunk before he even got on the plane.

This flight was a hot mess.
1) Missionary man starts talking to me and asked me if I adopted as a single woman. I said "no" and pointed out my husband in the row behind. Missionary man thinks that's wonderful and then goes on a rant about how singles shouldn't be allowed to adopt because kids need a mother and a father... and (gasp) did you know he heard that they even let lesbians adopt?! He had to know who was behind him. At this point I just say something like "Yes. I am familiar with the requirements." and excuse myself from the conversation and attempt to ignore him for the rest of the flight. I can tell that the women behind him are steaming though.
2) He starts talking to New Yorker instead, and New Yorker comes back to sit next to Missionary Man in Missionary Man's row. They are being very loud and very obnoxious. Then one of them decides to recline their seat back, squishing the women's lap baby. I thought things were going to come to blows there. Flight attendants warned Missionary Man to behave himself.
3) Meanwhile, the Italian girlfriend decided to get up. She stood in the aisle and bent down to get something out of her underseat carry-on item. I could see it happening like it was in slow motion, but the drunk Russian guy reached out into the aisle and grabbed her butt. She screamed and the New Yorker was coming over the seat after him. At that point, it really did come to blows!
4) The flight attendants moved people around and threatened that police would be meeting the plane. We were near the back and they got moved forward, so I am not sure if anything really happened to them, but... yikes.

The other flight story wasn't quite as interesting.
I was seated between two married people who were bickering with each other. One wanted the aisle seat and the other wanted the window (then he closed the window shade for the whole trip). I offered to switch places with either of them if they wanted to talk, but they both declined then proceeded to argue across me for the whole trip. Their son is a DJ on a local radio station (they were sure to name drop that). He's part of the their "morning zoo" crew. He's obnoxious. They're obnoxious. It appears to run in the family.

 

[wilkeliza]

The other flight story wasn't quite as interesting.
I was seated between two married people who were bickering with each other. One wanted the aisle seat and the other wanted the window (then he closed the window shade for the whole trip). I offered to switch places with either of them if they wanted to talk, but they both declined then proceeded to argue across me for the whole trip. Their son is a DJ on a local radio station (they were sure to name drop that). He's part of the their "morning zoo" crew. He's obnoxious. They're obnoxious. It appears to run in the family.

This is a situation I never understand and find quite rude. If you are traveling together sit next to each other especially if the person in the middle offers a switch! I have signed up for a life of taking one for the team. Sure I wouldn't mind the aisle or the window seat here and there but I know my fiance just doesn't ever feel comfortable with the middle. I suck it up and sit in the middle so we don't have to talk across people. The rare occasion we sit aisle and aisle it even feels weird but it lets me get a break from the middle.

 

[bcla]

Not anything where someone was met by police or even where the captain came out to lay down the law.

The closest might have been one passenger getting up and pretending to be a flight attendant during the safety demonstration. She started doing the same motions of pointing to the exits. Some flight crews would have warned her to get back in her seat.

 

[bcla]

This is a situation I never understand and find quite rude. If you are traveling together sit next to each other especially if the person in the middle offers a switch! I have signed up for a life of taking one for the team. Sure I wouldn't mind the aisle or the window seat here and there but I know my fiance just doesn't ever feel comfortable with the middle. I suck it up and sit in the middle so we don't have to talk across people. The rare occasion we sit aisle and aisle it even feels weird but it lets me get a break from the middle.

Some passengers do that hoping the middle seat doesn't get selected.

 

[design_mom]

This is a situation I never understand and find quite rude. If you are traveling together sit next to each other especially if the person in the middle offers a switch! I have signed up for a life of taking one for the team. Sure I wouldn't mind the aisle or the window seat here and there but I know my fiance just doesn't ever feel comfortable with the middle. I suck it up and sit in the middle so we don't have to talk across people. The rare occasion we sit aisle and aisle it even feels weird but it lets me get a break from the middle.

That's the *last* time I've been in the middle. Now, we're usually a family of 4, and we'll take window, middle, aisle, then the seat across the aisle. if we can get it. And now that the kids are old enough that they really don't NEED to sit next to a parent, I make one of them sit in the middle seat. (Mean mommy.)

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Had to return to the gate because a guy in the back had fallen asleep and slept right through disembark, loading, and taxiing most of the way to the runway. And that was his stop.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Some passengers do that hoping the middle seat doesn't get selected.

The only time I've ever gotten sick on a flight, I had the middle seat between a husband & wife. Despite my multiple trips to the restroom, she wouldn't give up the aisle - that is, until I filled the airsick bag

 

[Branflakes]

The only time I've ever gotten sick on a flight, I had the middle seat between a husband & wife. Despite my multiple trips to the restroom, she wouldn't give up the aisle - that is, until I filled the airsick bag

Yikes! But that would do it! And that's her own fault. Hahahaha!

 

[MrsDuck]

Only recently. A young guy was getting really heated a few rows back. I wasn't entirely sure what he was upset about he surely was causing a scene. They threatened to remove him (he delayed take off, too) and he calmed down. Then he started back up, was told he'd be removed again, and then broke down in tears saying he was trying to go see his sick mom...

No clue what the deal was but he eventually relaxed and we departed.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

Worst was my last flight where an off duty FA flying in coach decided to come up to the FC crew area for the entire duration of the fight and laugh and talk loudly with the working crew members. It was a flight that took off at 9 pm, lights dim, no dinner service etc. I had just gotten out of the hospital with pneumonia 3 days before and was flying to Chicago for my next Chemo treatment. Should have been a quiet restful flight except for party girl in the crew area laughing and talking like she was in a club then whole time.

 

[Albort]

My mom saw a guy get angry at the flight attendant because the FA served the guy sausages and no bacon. guy was screaming for like 15 mins...

 

[Westcoastwild]

I totally get that but at the same time in customer service positions you have to learn to deal with it and not take someone's bag and slam it to the floor because you assume they aren't listening or following instructions. I sat in the right seat, boarded correctly, and only had 2 items.

Or in ANY position, you first check to make sure that someone if following the rules and THEN take action. I don't know what it is about flight attendants and backpacks. One last flight wanted me to sit down and stop wasting time trying to find overhead space. I said that it's got electronics, so there is no way I'm gate checking and my purse has got to go under my seat.

Stuff like that has nothing to do with the FAs enforcing rules, because if they had been enforcing carryon rules anyway, I would have had NO PROBLEM finding space for my computer bags. Have never seen so many oversized bags as carryons.

 

[Daniela Rose]

Oh yeah...and it was me!

It was 2001 and I was on my way home to NY from Florida. My flight had been canceled and I didn't know Until I got to the airport. When I got there I was told I could make the flight that was before mine, but was a couple hours delayed (which was now leaving right when I got there). I literally ran to make it to the gate. I got on and there was a couple in my seat (window and middle). I had the window and they were supposed to be aisle and window. Didn't think it was a big deal. The husband got out into the aisle to let me in, but his wife wouldn't let me in. She made me climb over her. Ok. Fine. Then she started cursing at me. I calmly sat down, buckled and then said to her "you know you didn't have to be so rude"

Welllllll, just then I could see her hand wind up and slap me across my face! Left a huge red mark. The people within a few row radius of me all heard it. I jumped up, told the flight attendant. Cops came and escorted her and her husband off. They asked me to come out to make my statements. Then the woman pretended she didn't speak English. They were kicked off, I got back on and had the whole row to myself and the flight attendant offered me whatever I wanted to drink (wine, liquor). The whole flight everyone who passed me asked if I was ok.

I got a letter from the airline a month or so later apologizing and saying that the couple would be banned from flying that airline again.

 

[amberpi]

My ears fill up at take off and I can't hear a thing the whole flight. And I'm short, so I can't see over the back of the seat in front of me. There's probably a whole lot happening, but I can't see or hear it.

I want to be you!

 

[amberpi]

I fly a ton, so I've seen some crazy things - medical emergency landings, weird emergency landing that was kinda unexplained, timing out on the tarmac, drunks, lightning hitting the plane, diversions due to weather or air traffic issues. I've seen physical fights break out when weather is really messing up the system and the wait list is super long and people are getting juggled due to a zillion airline reasons. So the worst behavior I've seen was definitely at the airport vs. on the plane.

The day an air marshall's gun fell out of his holster and onto my seat (we were both putting our luggage in the overheads) was shocking. He grabbed it, put it back, and told me to not say anything and flashed me his badge. I've sat by air marshalls on a lot of occasions, but there was something about knowing there was a gun right next to me ON A PLANE that made me nervous.

I can't tell you how many people have told me I'm rude because I don't want to chat. One older woman asked to change seats to someone who was "friendly." The guy in front of her volunteered for tribute and we both made a joke about not wanting to talk to strangers on planes. We both slept, I assume the 2 women in front of us chatted the entire OAK to BNA flight. I got a great nap.

The most chaos I've ever experienced anywhere was being stuck in London when the unpronounceable volcano erupted. My boss and I went to the airport to see what kinds of magic we could/American Express could do and I swear it was like someone had opened the doors on the institution for the criminally insane. We decided to just go back to the hotel and work from the London/East Grimstead offices for another week. We initially didn't check out of our hotel rooms in case it was crazy and we knew it was a crap shoot even going to see what flights were available/what the wait list looked like, etc.

 

[RedAngie]

On a flight to London, exH and I were seated two rows behind a mother and small child, but too old to be a lap child. The kid was fine during the whole flight. Sometime during the overnight flight the child apparently fell asleep on the mother's lap. Soon before landing the flight attendants had to remind the mother two or three times that the child needed to be in her own seat for landing. But the mother kept putting it off. Finally what appeared to be the head FA appeared and loudly ordered the mother to put the child in her own seat NOW or face possible arrest in London. The FA had to repeat the order and stood there until the mother complied.

Not on the plane, but during a long weather delay in MSP, two guys got into a fistfight at the rebooking desk, and police had to be called.

 

[Turn the Page]

Or in ANY position, you first check to make sure that someone if following the rules and THEN take action. I don't know what it is about flight attendants and backpacks. One last flight wanted me to sit down and stop wasting time trying to find overhead space. I said that it's got electronics, so there is no way I'm gate checking and my purse has got to go under my seat.

Stuff like that has nothing to do with the FAs enforcing rules, because if they had been enforcing carryon rules anyway, I would have had NO PROBLEM finding space for my computer bags. Have never seen so many oversized bags as carryons.

The last time we flew DH commented on that. There we are, standing in line waiting to board with out carry ons (which were the size of the actual carry on pieces that come with luggage sets so really about the size of a smallish tote bag) and it seemed like every other person in front of us had the smaller wheeled suitcase size that somehow still fits carry on regulations. They were begging people to gate check them because there wasn't enough space in the overhead bins for all of them. They finally just told everyone to plan to put any and all carry ons under the seat in front of us because all the space in the overhead bins were full of those roller bags.

It wouldn't surprise me that airlines either reduce the size of allowable carry ons or start charging for the larger pieces. It really is getting ridiculous. Of course, if they wouldn't charge such high prices for checking bags I bet few people would carry on the larger bags in the first place.

 

[bcla]

The last time we flew DH commented on that. There we are, standing in line waiting to board with out carry ons (which were the size of the actual carry on pieces that come with luggage sets so really about the size of a smallish tote bag) and it seemed like every other person in front of us had the smaller wheeled suitcase size that somehow still fits carry on regulations. They were begging people to gate check them because there wasn't enough space in the overhead bins for all of them. They finally just told everyone to plan to put any and all carry ons under the seat in front of us because all the space in the overhead bins were full of those roller bags.

It wouldn't surprise me that airlines either reduce the size of allowable carry ons or start charging for the larger pieces. It really is getting ridiculous. Of course, if they wouldn't charge such high prices for checking bags I bet few people would carry on the larger bags in the first place.

We bought our luggage at Costco, and the "carryon" piece in each set is still more (with wheels) a traditional size that doesn't technically meet the legacy carriers' 22"x14"x9" maximum size. They're closer to what Southwest allows (24"x16"x10"). It's kind of odd that these are still sold as carryon in this environment, but a lot of people still want to maximize their luggage space. I also remember that Alaska Airlines stated that they were going to change their size to that of the legacy airlines, but it sounds like they backed off. They said it wasn't because passengers often fly on multiple airlines and they wanted to make it a consistent expectation for what to bring.

The last time my family flew was on Embraer 175s. They're in a 2+2 configuration and any carryon would have to go in the overhead bins lengthwise. We frankly knew that it wouldn't fit in their sizer but took our chances rather than buying new luggage. On our outbound flight we barely made it to the gate, and the gate agent immediately told us that there would be no room in the overheads and that we needed to gate check the bags. On our return flight we were allowed to board the plane without our bags and nobody said a peep since they actually fit in the overhead bins even though they were theoretically over the size limits. The airlines generally won't get crazy on enforcement unless it's one of the discount airlines, although they generally get people to check in luggage since it's cheaper than their carryon fees. The airlines have bigger issues to worry about.

 

[maxiesmom]

This one is kind of funny in retrospect--

Imagine you are on an airplane waiting to taxi out. It is taking more time than usual, so the pilot comes on to explain something like "We are waiting for clearance to fly as there is a small problem with one of the engines". Here is me I saw many people flagging down the FAs to talk to them, apparently sharing my same fears. Because after not too long the pilot comes back on and states "Apparently I worded that poorly--there is a small ding in the casing of the engine. It doesn't affect flight, but we need to be ok'd to fly with it".

Yeah. Nothing like being told your gonna fly with a damaged engine. I was very glad for the clarification because I was truly thinking of getting off.