1. Give up your seat!
I was traveling from Oakland to Hawaii, and it was a long 6 hour flight. I was really looking forward to getting some sleep. But a family of 6 passengers had other plans. The family, without booking seats together, were expecting that they could sit together. I can understand where they were coming from. They talked to the cabin crew to make some adjustments so they could sit together.
They then decided to block a row of seats for themselves till they waited. It turns out that one of the seats that they had taken over was mine. I decided to talk to them and ask them to get up so I could take my seat. Instead, they asked me to go and wait in the rear of the flight till they hear back from the flight attendant.
I made the surliest face that I could and folded my arms. It started to get crowded behind me, but I knew it wasn’t my fault that they hadn’t booked their seats. The refusal of the family is what caused the hold-up. I didn't stop staring at them, and they decided to just get up and wait in the back. I hate it when people think that they are meant to be treated special just because they have kids.
2. Punch me in the face!
I have a hearing disability, so I have a set of hearing aids that help me. I usually put them on to hear while the crew is sharing the safety demonstrations, and I take them out as soon as they are done so I can take a nap. Little did I know, I was stuck in the seat of hell!
Just a few minutes after the plane had reached the cruising altitude, the guy next to me started acting like a bratty little kid. He started hitting, pushing, and kicking the front seat because the Wifi was too slow. As I said, he was behaving like a brat. His tantrum caused his knee to hit my tray table, and my hearing aids flew off.
My reaction was to get up as fast as I could and catch them so that I did not have to scour the floor to look for my hearing aids on the flight. As soon as I stand up, one of his flailing arms punches me right in the face. This guy, who was over six feet and weighed above 200 pounds, hit me, 5’2 and 90 pounds, right in the face; I hardly remember anything after that. All I remember is I crashed to the ground.
The funny part is, he still hadn't calmed down and was still throwing his tantrum. The nearby passengers and the flight attendants had to restrain him, to prevent him from hurting anyone else. And the captain had to turn the plane around to kick him out of the flight. The flight attendants moved me to first class, pampered me, and gave me an ice pack to reduce the swelling.
3. Did you pee in that glass?
I remember taking a flight from Dubai to Cairo and sitting next to the weirdest man I have ever met. The man next to me was trying to give the flight attendant a glass of what looked like apple juice. Upon further inspection, the flight attendant found out it wasn’t actually apple juice; it was a glass filled with urine. The flight attendant almost threw up, yelled at the passenger, and asked him to take the glass to the lavatory and get rid of it.
4. Baby, sit with me!
My husband and I were traveling to Belize to attend a friend’s wedding. There was this very annoyed female who was having a pretty loud discussion with the gate agent. She wanted to sit next to her fiance.
We were getting our boarding passes scanned when the gate agent said my husband’s seat had been changed. We knew why that happened and we couldn’t stop laughing. We actually didn't mind sitting apart from each other, as it was just going to be a couple of hours. The annoyed woman at the gate ended up sitting next to me.
She was a chatty Kathy. She couldn't stop talking to me and complaining about the airline. She kept saying how it was one heck of a task to get them to change our seats. It was funny at first because she didn't know that it was because of her that my husband had to change his seat.
I told her that it was actually my husband’s seat but some people threw a temper tantrum so he had to move to another seat. Let me be honest, I wanted to take a nap and she couldn’t stop talking and she started getting on my nerves. She instantly stopped talking after that and my rest of the flight was so peaceful!
5. You think you know more about flying than the flight attendant?
I am a flight attendant and the worst kind of people that I meet are the people who keep mentioning that they are frequent fliers. Though I have to keep a smile on my face, the first question that pops into my head is, “Did I ask?” Because I know for a fact that those are the type of passengers that need a refresher on the rules.
I always end up reminding them that they have to keep their phones in airplane mode or that they can't just keep their bags in the exit row. If you are a frequent flyer, then why do I have to keep reminding you of those rules.
6. The drinks helped
About 20 years ago, my grandfather passed away, and I had to take a flight from Los Angeles to Ireland for his funeral.
I was sitting on the plane with red, tear-filled eyes from crying a lot. The last thing I wanted was to be on a long flight. I reclined my seat, hoping to sleep through as much of the flight as possible.
Unfortunately, the man sitting behind me was quite a nuisance. He used his entire body weight to push my seat forward and told his friends that he wouldn’t let anyone invade his space. He even put his knees against my seat to prevent me from reclining fully. He loudly complained that he wouldn’t allow me to "encroach" on his space. What a jerk.
He continued to rant about how his trip was ruined by other tourists and how expensive Los Angeles was.
A flight attendant saw everything that happened. Since the flight was fully booked, she couldn’t move me to another seat. However, she offered me a complimentary alcoholic beverage to help ease the situation.
She gave me the first of several free drinks and made sure to glare at the people behind me. She also ignored them whenever they pressed the button for assistance.
The whiskey helped a lot, and after a couple of drinks, I managed to fall asleep soundly. A big thanks to that flight attendant; she made the flight bearable. I genuinely feel sorry for anyone who has to fly with the inconsiderate guy who was sitting behind me.
7. Follow the rules! They are there for a reason
I fly quite often, so I'm pretty familiar with the rules when it comes to flying. For example, once the plane lands, you're supposed to stay seated until it finishes taxiing. On one particular flight, after we landed, several people not only stood up but also started taking their carry-on bags out of the overhead compartments.
The plane hadn't even reached the gate yet; it had just touched down. It's really dangerous to be standing and moving around with bags while the plane is still moving.
The flight crew was urging everyone to sit down and fasten their seat belts until the plane came to a complete stop. However, many of the passengers ignored these instructions and remained standing.
Then, suddenly, the plane came to an abrupt stop, causing all the standing passengers to lose their balance and fall. It seemed like the pilot might have done this on purpose to teach the rule-breakers a lesson.
The flight attendants then reminded everyone, "This is why we have rules—to keep everyone safe.
8. The annoying pizza man
I was flying from Philadelphia to Portland and had an empty middle seat next to me. I was seated in the row just after the first class, and since it was a long flight, I was really hoping the seat would stay empty.
Just as they were about to close the airplane door, a large, sweaty man rushed onto the plane holding a box of pizza. You guessed it—he was about to sit right next to me.
Even though all the overhead bins were already closed because they were full, he kept opening them to find a spot for his pizza. One of the flight attendants told him he couldn’t store it up there.
He explained that he was worried someone might step on the box if he left it on the floor.
The flight attendant asked him to put it under the seat in front of him and take his seat because the plane needed to take off. He insisted he always put his pizza in the overhead bin and never had to leave it on the ground before. I wondered how often this guy flies with pizza.
Eventually, he gave up and slid the box under the seat in front of him, then sat down and fastened his seatbelt.
As the safety demonstrations began, he started making a phone call. I assumed he was calling American Airlines customer support about the pizza situation.
Turns out he was talking to his landline provider because he hadn’t paid his monthly bill on time and was trying to get them to waive the late fee. The customer service rep wasn’t budging. He kept arguing his case as the plane left the gate and headed toward the runway.
The flight attendant came back and told him he needed to put away his phone since we were about to take off.
He tried to buy some extra time, but she insisted he put it away immediately. He ended the call and put his phone away.
The flight attendant then went to take her seat.
The man next to me started stretching in his seat. I did my best to stay out of his way as he lifted his arms above his head and from side to side.
Then he began cracking his knuckles, and while doing so, he accidentally flipped off the flight attendant. I wasn’t sure if she saw it, but at this point, I just wanted to get in the air.
Instead of taking off, we seemed to be heading back toward the gate.
The plane door opened, and the cockpit door opened as well. The captain came to our row and told the man in the middle seat that harassment was unacceptable and he needed to leave the plane immediately.
The pizza guy tried to ask the people around him if he had done anything wrong, but we all stayed quiet. The captain stood his ground, and eventually, the pizza guy picked up his box and left the plane.
The door closed, and we were finally clear for takeoff. Even though it wasted a lot of time, at least I got an empty middle seat out of it.
9. All this time wasted
I was returning to San Jose after my trip to Las Vegas. My flight had a layover in San Diego. During the layover, a family flying standby managed to board the plane without getting approval from the airline. Since they didn't have assigned seats, they started asking passengers with tickets if they could give up their seats for them.
The family told the flight attendants they needed to be on this flight to make it to a family gathering in San Jose. This back-and-forth discussion went on for more than an hour.
Everyone else on the plane was really frustrated with their behavior. I was especially annoyed because I was still hungover from the previous night and just wanted to get home as soon as possible. At one point, I even felt like physically removing them from the plane myself.
10. Keep your fashion to yourself
I once had a passenger who got really upset because I asked them to put their wedding dress in the overhead compartment. The dress was enormous and was blocking the aisle and several seats.
While I understand they might have to pay to get the wrinkles out of the dress, it's definitely better than having it stepped on or run over by the beverage cart.
It was also a safety concern, and I wasn't willing to take any risks just for the sake of a dress.
11. Don’t book such seats if you have issues
I once took a really long flight from San Francisco to Singapore. During the trip, there was a passenger who didn’t seem to understand how flying works.
On this long international flight, the seats were arranged in a 3x4x3 layout. This means there were three seats by each window and four seats in the middle section of the plane. The middle section had two aisle seats and two middle seats. This particular passenger was seated in one of the middle seats in the middle section.
She complained to the flight attendant, saying she couldn’t sit in the middle seat because she worried about needing to go to the bathroom if the people next to her fell asleep. The flight attendant looked a bit confused and explained that this was her assigned seat. If she needed to use the restroom, she could either step over the person next to her or wake them up.
I couldn’t help but wonder if this lady had ever flown before. Maybe it was her first time flying.
12. Is your sprite more important than someone’s life?
I've been a flight attendant for over 15 years, so I've dealt with quite a few medical emergencies during flights. There was one particular incident that really stood out. A passenger in business class had fainted and was still unconscious.
Two of us were by his side, trying to give him CPR. Meanwhile, the other flight attendant was looking for a doctor on board and coordinating with the captain.
In the middle of this serious situation, a passenger in economy class kept pressing the call button because he wanted a Sprite. He was repeatedly pressing the button and shouting for service.
Finally, another passenger nearby had enough and told him to shut up and show some decency, reminding him that there was a medical emergency happening. I was extremely grateful for that passenger stepping in.
13. How about you don’t block everyone’s way?
A woman who got on the plane towards the end of the boarding process was struggling to find a place for her bag. She left her bag in the aisle and went to the back of the plane to look for overhead space. Her bag was blocking the aisle, preventing other passengers from getting to their seats.
She eventually found space in the back and then had the nerve to tell me that I should bring her bag to her.
I told her she needed to move her bag because it was in everyone's way. She insisted that I should lift her bag and put it up for her. I refused.
A kind man decided to help her with her bag. After that, she accused me of stealing her muffler, which I didn't do. I called a flight attendant, who then had her removed from the flight.
14. Eyes on my lunch
I usually bring my own food from home when I have a long flight because, to be honest, I don't really like the meals they serve on airplanes. On my last flight, the woman sitting next to me noticed my sandwich and chips and actually told me to give them to her. I politely explained that the food was mine and I wasn't planning to share it.
She then said she was starving and really desperate for something to eat. Despite her plea, I decided to ignore her and took a big bite of my sandwich.
15. Tit for tat
Air travel is always a hassle for me because I’m 6'4" with long legs. Whenever I sit down, my knees are jammed against the seat in front of me. It gets even worse if the person in front decides to recline their seat; I have to stretch my legs out and tuck them under their seat.
There was this one flight where the seat in front of me was reclined way more than usual. The guy's head was so close that I could actually smell his hair. I politely asked him if he could bring his seat up, but he refused.
I could tell the seat was broken, so I called a flight attendant for help. She noticed the issue right away and asked him to adjust his seat. He still refused, and she told me there wasn't much she could do since she couldn’t force him to move his seat.
Luckily, my mom was traveling with me and had a clever idea. She pointed out that since the guy's seat was broken and really close to me, I could use that to my advantage. She handed me a bag of chips and suggested that I chew with my mouth open, letting crumbs fall all over him.
So, I started munching on the chips, letting crumbs fall onto him. He finally noticed and asked me to stop. I told him no, and when he saw how many chips I had left, he finally decided to bring his seat up.
16. The impatient douche bag
I was on a flight when I saw a man get really angry because the airline let four flight attendants board before any of the passengers. He started complaining loudly, saying that since he paid for a business class ticket, he should be treated better.
He argued that the flight attendants didn’t pay for their seats, so they shouldn’t get to board first.
A flight attendant explained to him that it's the airline's policy to have the crew board first so they can help with the boarding process. There were only four flight attendants on the flight, so his wait wasn’t going to be long.
Despite the explanation, the man kept ranting for another 15 minutes. It was unclear what he hoped to achieve by complaining so much.
17. Get yourself together woman
Usually, when you think of people crying on planes, you imagine babies or young kids. However, I remember one time when a woman started crying uncontrollably a few hours into the flight. The other passengers around her just stared awkwardly, not sure what to do. No one asked her what was wrong, and then she suddenly started screaming.
She even attacked the man sitting next to her.
The captain had to make an emergency landing in Dallas just to get her off the plane. She kept crying nonstop until she was finally removed from the flight.
18. An email to right the wrongs
I was on a Delta Air Lines flight, sitting next to a woman who appeared to be in her 40s. From her attire, it seemed like she was on a business trip. She boarded the flight late and struggled to find overhead bin space for her roller bag.
Despite the obvious lack of space, she tried to force her bag into the overhead compartment, disturbing the other bags already there. This caught the attention of a flight attendant.
The flight attendant informed her that all the overhead bins were full and that her bag would need to be checked. However, the woman refused and kept searching for any tiny space to fit her bag. After a few minutes, she grew frustrated with her unsuccessful attempts.
Seeing this, the flight attendant offered to help and took the bag from the woman. She quickly realized there was no room and walked to the front of the plane to have the bag checked. The woman threw a minor tantrum but eventually calmed down and took her seat next to me.
As soon as she sat down, she opened her laptop and started drafting an email to Delta customer service, complaining about the flight attendant's behavior. She mentioned the flight attendant's name and claimed she had been publicly embarrassed.
Not wanting the flight attendant to get in trouble for something she didn't do, I decided to write an email to Delta customer service from my laptop. I had seen the woman's email and noted the flight attendant's name.
In my email, I informed Delta that they would soon receive a complaint from the passenger next to me, which would unfairly criticize one of their flight attendants. I explained that the passenger's account was completely false and emphasized that the flight attendant had been professional, calm, and polite. I also mentioned that the woman's behavior had delayed our flight by more than 10 minutes.
I have no regrets about sending that email.
19. Rich entitled people
I've been a flight attendant for five years, and one of my biggest pet peeves is when passengers can't follow simple instructions. For instance, when I ask someone to put their personal item under the seat in front of them during takeoff and landing, some people argue with me as if I'm making up rules for fun.
I always explain as politely as possible that it's a federal aviation guideline to keep personal items under the seat. People often ask why this rule exists. I tell them that having bags on seats or armrests could slow down an evacuation in an emergency.
Most people understand and comply once I explain this. However, I once had a passenger with a handbag, and she insisted she couldn’t go on the ground because it was a couture piece handcrafted in Paris.
In my head, I thought how ridiculous she sounded. I get that she has a nice bag, but that doesn't exempt her from the rules. If she has an issue with this, she should consider flying on a private jet.
Of course, I couldn't say any of that out loud. I had to show her I was serious.
I asked her if her purse was more important than making the flight because if she didn't comply, she wouldn't be reaching her destination.
I then started walking to the front of the plane to inform the captain that we might need to remove a passenger for not following the rules.
After I had taken a few steps, she yelled that she had put the bag under the seat and asked if I was happy now.
Although I wasn't thrilled, I was glad we could finally close the aircraft door and get ready for takeoff.
20. Should I take that as a compliment?
I've been traveling by myself for as long as I can remember. Starting at the age of 8, I would visit my dad every other month, even though he lived in a different state. I always made these trips as an unaccompanied minor.
Every time my dad asked me how my flight was, I always told him it was amazing.
I remember one particular time when I sat next to a very friendly businessman. He let me tell my jokes and sing songs during the entire flight. He was so nice that he even gave me a fancy pen, which I proudly showed off to all my classmates at school.
One of the funniest memories I have is from when I was in 4th grade and brought along the recorder we were given to play in music class. Just before takeoff, I started practicing a few songs like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "Happy Birthday." When I finally stopped playing, the whole plane started clapping. I'm not sure if they were clapping because they enjoyed my performance or if they just wanted me to stop because I was so bad!
21. The side eye
I once found myself sitting next to a woman on a plane and thought it would be nice to strike up a conversation with her. Just a bit of small talk to make the flight go by faster. But from the look she gave me, it was clear she wasn't interested in chatting.
So, I decided to read instead and pulled out the book I had been working through that week. The book was about a plane crash, and the cover showed an airplane about to crash into a deserted island.
When the lady next to me saw the cover, she definitely didn't look pleased.
22. Pay the price sir
Sometimes, people who get on the plane late think they can sit in any empty seat they find. Often, they try to take an open seat in first or business class.
One time, a man tried this, and I asked to see his boarding pass. I pointed out that his seat was actually 32B, not 2B. He told me he was really tall and needed the extra legroom. I replied that I’d be happy to let him have the seat if he paid the fare difference.
He quickly went back to his seat in economy.
23. This isn’t a hotel sir
My boyfriend's father works as a flight attendant, and he shared a funny story with us. There was a man on one of his flights who got really upset because his daughter accidentally spilled Coke all over her brand-new sweater. The man approached my boyfriend's father and asked if there was a dryer on the plane that he could use to dry the sweater. My boyfriend's father couldn't help but laugh and replied, "Sir, this is a plane, not a hotel. We don't have any dryers on board.
24. The pilots don’t control the weather
I was on a flight from San Francisco to Seattle, and we hit some pretty bad turbulence. After about 15 minutes of this bumpy ride, an older man sitting by the window pressed the button to call the flight attendant.
When the flight attendant came over to see how she could help, the man started yelling at her. He claimed that he had been flying for over 50 years and that this was the worst turbulence he had ever experienced. He went on to say that the pilot was terrible and should never be allowed to fly a commercial plane again.
The flight attendant just quietly walked away. Honestly, what could she do? She doesn't control the weather.
25. My hero
The craziest experience I've ever had at an airport happened when I was stuck at the Houston airport for almost 30 hours. The plane had a mechanical issue, which led to the flight being canceled. The airline gave us hotel vouchers for the night and rescheduled our flight for the next day, but people were understandably upset about the whole situation.
The next day, boarding started as usual. The gate agent called for families with young children and those with special needs to board first. They were followed by first class, business class, and so on.
Typically, people in wheelchairs board first because it’s easier to get them settled on an empty plane rather than a crowded one. I've never seen an airline do it differently.
Then, a lady in a pantsuit rushed to the gate agent's kiosk and started yelling. She complained that losing a whole day was bad enough, but now she had to wait to board despite being a first-class passenger who spends tens of thousands of dollars with the airline every year.
After her outburst, she looked at the people around her, hoping someone would sympathize and support her. She wanted to feel justified in her behavior. The gate agent, likely exhausted and doing her best to keep things running smoothly, handled it brilliantly. She smiled at the lady and then announced over the loudspeaker that everyone with small children or in a wheelchair needed to wait because this lady needed to board first.
Everyone in the crowd stared at the lady with shock and disdain. Embarrassed, the lady tried to backtrack, saying she didn't mind waiting for the first group to board. But the gate agent calmly said that she was clear about what she wanted.
So, the lady boarded the plane first, clearly mortified. I have to say, that gate agent is my hero.
26. Schemes and tricks
Some couples come up with a plan where one person books a seat in a premium economy and the other books a seat in a regular economy. Then, one of them pretends to be sad and tries to convince someone in the premium economy to switch seats so they can sit together.
If the passenger in premium economy refuses to move, the couple might complain to the flight attendants, hoping to get the other passenger moved.
This whole scheme is just a way to save a bit of money on the more expensive premium economy ticket.
I've never seen this trick actually work. The flight crew isn't going to move someone who has paid extra for their seat. If a couple wants to sit together in premium economy, they should just buy two premium economy tickets.
27. Keep your kid in check
Back in the early 2000s, I clearly remember a trip from Montreal to Phoenix where we encountered a really troublesome kid. Right from the security check and while waiting to board, it was obvious he was going to be a handful.
Once on the plane, he started running up and down the aisles with a big toy truck. At one point, he hit me on the head with it and nearly hit my dad as well.
Fortunately, I managed to grab the truck away from him before it could hurt my dad, who was quite frail and on blood thinners at the time. I called over a flight attendant and handed the truck to her. She told the kid’s family that she wouldn’t be giving the truck back because of the disturbance he was causing.
His family insisted he wouldn’t sit down until the truck was returned. The flight attendants responded by saying they couldn’t start serving food and drinks until the kid cleared the aisle.
Eventually, another passenger took matters into their own hands and led the kid to his seat, making him sit down. But as soon as the food and drinks were served, the kid was up again, causing more trouble. One of the co-pilots even left the cockpit to tell the family that the plane wouldn’t land until the boy was seated with his seatbelt fastened.
He finally sat down and buckled up, but he screamed loudly as the plane descended. As soon as we landed, he was out of his seat again, which didn’t surprise anyone at this point.
When it was time to deplane, the family pushed their way to the front, ignoring the captain’s instructions to deplane row by row. Since my dad used a cane, we decided to wait and let others go first. As we neared the front of the plane, we heard the kid shrieking again. A police officer was talking to him and his family, and it looked like he was putting the adults in handcuffs. Hopefully, this experience taught them a lesson about proper behavior on a plane.
28. Thank god for the upgrade
A couple of years ago, I was on an approximately 8-hour flight from San Francisco to Panama City. There was a little kid sitting behind me who started kicking the back of my seat really hard. At first, I decided to ignore it, thinking that eventually, he would stop.
Boy, was I wrong? The kicking continued for about an hour, and I was reaching my breaking point.
In all my years of flying, I had never complained to a flight attendant about anything. But this time, I told him that a kid was kicking my chair and asked if he could kindly request the child to stop. The flight attendant spoke to the family and asked them to tell their son to stop kicking.
Unfortunately, they did absolutely nothing. The kicking only paused for the few seconds that the flight attendant was there.
As soon as he walked away, the kicking resumed. I had had enough, so I turned around and told the parents directly that they needed to tell their son to stop kicking my chair.
The father apologized but didn't give his kid explicit instructions to stop, so the kicking continued. I called the flight attendant again and asked if there were any empty seats available because the people behind me weren't listening.
After a few moments, he came back and informed me that there was a seat available in first class. I was ecstatic, as I had never flown first class before. The flight attendant was very nice and kept trying to apologize for the situation, but I assured him that it wasn't his fault and that some people were just rude.
29. Strike a deal with the god of thunder sir
About ten years ago, I saw a business traveler in a very expensive suit completely lose his cool at the airline desk. He was told that his flight would be delayed because of thunderstorms, and he didn’t take the news well at all. He started yelling at the top of his lungs and even jumped up and down like a little kid throwing a tantrum.
He bragged about his platinum status and threatened to take his future business to another airline if they didn't do something to fix the situation.
The airline employee at the desk handled it like a pro. He calmly explained that he couldn't control the weather, but suggested that the man was welcome to go outside and try to tell the sky to stop the thunderstorm. This made everyone waiting at the gate burst into laughter. The businessman was so embarrassed that he hung his head and walked away quietly.
30. Read the room lady
I was on a flight from Boston to Los Angeles because I was moving there for a new job. About two hours into the flight, the captain informed us that we were experiencing engine trouble and would need to make an emergency landing in Minneapolis.
Naturally, everyone on the flight became worried.
One passenger, a woman, got up from her seat and approached the nearest flight attendant. She explained that she was a babysitter and that the children she was looking after were waiting for her in Los Angeles.
She seemed a bit out of touch with reality. Did she really think the pilot would consider trying to make it all the way to Los Angeles with a faulty engine? Or would someone from the crew somehow fix the engine while we were 30,000 feet in the air?
Clearly, there was no way to resolve the issue mid-flight. The flight attendant told the woman to return to her seat and fasten her seatbelt.
31. Have some decency
I was on a flight from Miami to Seattle when a passenger sadly passed away in her sleep. It was a terrible situation, and you could see that both the passengers and crew were really shaken up by it. The captain decided to make an emergency stop in Chicago so that professionals could take care of the situation.
When we landed in Chicago, everything was handled smoothly and with great professionalism.
After we took off again and were on our way to Seattle, one of the passengers asked if everyone could get free drinks because the flight was delayed. I couldn't believe how rude and inconsiderate this person was, and I felt like screaming at him for being so insensitive.
32. Safety is more important!
A flight attendant asked the woman sitting by the window next to me to open her window shade as the plane was preparing to land. She explained that this was a federal aviation regulation. The woman replied that it was too sunny outside and preferred to keep the shade down.
The flight attendant then made an announcement over the loudspeaker to the entire plane. She said they were going to play a quick game of trivia and asked why window shades need to be open during takeoff and landing.
Before anyone could respond, she answered the question herself, explaining that it's important to keep an eye on the outside of the plane to ensure everything is safe. She added, "We all want to be safe, right?"
By the time she finished her announcement, I noticed that the woman next to me had already opened her window shade.
Safety first!
33. Karma hit them hard
I fly pretty often, so I'm very familiar with the rules of air travel. One important rule is that you're not supposed to leave your seat until the plane has finished taxiing after landing.
On this particular flight, as soon as the plane touched down, a bunch of people stood up and started taking their carry-on bags out of the overhead compartments. The plane was still far from the gate and had just barely landed. Standing and moving around with bags while the plane is still moving is really dangerous.
The flight crew was urgently asking everyone to return to their seats and fasten their seat belts until the plane came to a complete stop. However, many of the passengers ignored these instructions and continued to stand.
Then, all of a sudden, the plane came to a stop, causing all those who were standing to lose their balance and fall. I suspect the pilot might have done this intentionally to teach the rule-breakers a lesson.
Afterward, the flight attendants reminded everyone that the rules were in place to keep everyone safe and prevent injuries.
34. The pizza problem
I was flying from Philadelphia to Portland, and I was pleased to see that the middle seat next to me was empty. I was seated in the row right after first class, and since it was a long flight, I was hoping the seat would stay empty.
Just as we were about to close the airplane door, a large, sweaty man rushed onto the plane carrying a box of pizza. Unfortunately, he headed straight for the seat next to me.
Even though all the overhead bins were closed, indicating they were full, he kept opening them to find a spot for his pizza. A flight attendant told him that he couldn’t store it up there.
He explained that he was worried someone might step on the pizza box if he left it on the floor. The flight attendant instructed him to place it under the seat in front of him and to take his seat so the plane could take off. He reluctantly complied, muttering that he’d always stored his pizza overhead before.
Once he finally stowed the pizza under the seat and fastened his seatbelt, the safety demonstrations began. To my surprise, he pulled out his phone and made a call. I assumed he was calling American Airlines customer support about the pizza situation, but it turned out he was talking to his landline provider. He was trying to get them to waive a late fee for his unpaid bill, but the customer service rep wasn't budging.
As the plane left the gate and taxied to the runway, the flight attendant returned to tell him he needed to put away his phone for takeoff. He tried to negotiate for more time, but she insisted he put it away immediately. He ended the call and complied.
Then he started stretching in his seat, lifting his arms above his head and stretching side to side. I did my best to stay out of his way. He then began cracking his knuckles, and as he did so, he unintentionally flipped off the flight attendant. I wasn’t sure if she saw it, but I just wanted to get airborne.
Instead of preparing for takeoff, the plane seemed to be heading back to the gate. The airplane door and cockpit door both opened, and the captain walked to our row. He told the man that harassment was unacceptable and that he needed to leave the plane immediately.
The man tried to get support from the passengers around him, but we all remained silent. The captain stood firm, and eventually, the man picked up his pizza and left the plane.
The door closed, and we were finally cleared for takeoff. Although the whole episode wasted a lot of time, I ended up with an empty middle seat for the rest of the flight.
35. A true waste of time
I was on my way back home to San Jose after a trip to Las Vegas. My flight included a layover in San Diego. While we were there, a family flying standby managed to get on the plane without being officially cleared by the airline. Since they didn't have assigned seats, they started asking passengers who already had tickets if they would give up their seats.
The family told the flight attendants that they really needed to be on this flight because they had to get to San Jose for a family gathering. This back-and-forth conversation went on for over an hour.
Everyone else on the plane was getting really frustrated with their behavior. I was so annoyed that I felt like removing them from the plane myself. On top of that, I was still hungover from the previous night and just wanted to get home as soon as possible.
