Team BookingBuddy's Top 5 Worst Flight Experiences

Posted April 17, 2008 by Heather Gilbert

Seasoned travelers that we are, Team BookingBuddy decided to regale you with our five worst flight experiences.  So fasten your safety belt and stow your carry-on, here they come.

5.)  We’ve all heard that luggage can arrive at a different destination than you do, so when I heard that one of our team members had to go pick up his checked bag at an alternate terminal at his home airport, I didn’t think much of it.  Until he mentioned that the bag he was getting was full of heavy tools related to the propane trade (don’t ask).  Then I felt sympathetic.  A bit.  Then he added that due to airport construction, the terminal was only accessible by walking roughly two miles … outside. In 90-plus degree heat.  Did I mention the heavy tools?  Ick.

4.)  Returning from one's honeymoon is definitely a big reality check.  No more la-la land, no more signing drink charges to a room number; it’s time to get back to the real world.  This change of scenery is bad enough, but made even worse when your flight is late and you have a connection to make.  And when said late flight then sits on the tarmac at your arrival destination for more than an hour, panic sets in.  Our fearless BB team member was then stuck running through Miami International, making it through customs in record time, only to be confronted with the Great Wall of China that is Miami International’s security line.  Luckily this woman is a fast thinker and quickly relayed her sad tale to the agent working the first-class line and voila, she and new hubby were whisked through security quickly.  After a refreshing sprint from security to gate, they arrived in time to see standby passengers sitting … in their seats!  At this point, the new Mrs. let fly with what she describes as a “stream of profanity.”  Unfortunately, the newlyweds spent their first night back from their honeymoon at the airport hotel.  They did get to fly home the following morning, but all their saved-up honeymoon relaxation was gone like yesterday’s pina colada.

3.)  We’re lucky enough here at BB Headquarters to be taken on a yearly team trip.  This year’s destination was fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada.  A good time was had by all.  But since all good things must come to an end, we eventually had to board planes back to H.Q.  With lots of team members on the same flights home, a whole contingency of BBers were treated to a very, ahem, gassy passenger.  For five hours.  Straight.  Apparently no matter where you sat, you were a victim.  Horrendous.

2.)  A frightened colleague told me about the time his flight into JFK had to pull up at the last second just before landing.  This has happened to yours truly many times, so admittedly I wasn’t too impressed.  Until he went on to say that the plane had to pull up to avoid hitting a fuel truck that had suddenly pulled onto the runway.  Right in front of his plane.  This is tied with the time another teammate sat on his plane at O'Hare and watched the de-icing truck currently working on his plane begin to smoke and then finally go up in flames.  He could see employees on the tarmac running frantically from the scene, but his plane didn’t budge.  The truck was fully engulfed in flames as they finally pulled away from the jetway.  Hopefully the heat from the fire de-iced them adequately.

1.)  I recently had the experience of sharing a row with a very tiny woman and her very, very large husband.  Kind of Jack Sprat-ish in reverse.  I was window, she was middle, he was aisle and half of middle.  This in and of itself does not a story make, until shortly after takeoff when Tiny starts to berate her husband for drinking too much.  Uh-oh.  I’m trapped!  Apparently the Tanqueray he’s pouring down his throat has some deafening affect, because he does a good job of not hearing her.  And then she starts in on his diabetes and how he’s killing himself.  And how she called the office last week to learn from Mr. Big’s secretary that he couldn’t come to the phone as he was currently passed out in his office.  At this point Big roars to life and grabs Tiny by the face and tells her to shut up.  At this point I also have come to the conclusion that I need to go to the bathroom.  Badly. Waiting as long as I can I finally tell Tiny that I need to be excused to use the ladies' room.  When she passes this info on to Big, he smirks and barks at her “I don’t know how the (expletive) she thinks she’s going to do that.”  Rut row.  Of course this wasn't some short-haul flight, and I was treated to much more colorful dialogue and bouts of Tiny staring wistfully at pictures of her little white dog for the duration.  When we finally landed it was all I could do not to climb across laps and seats to get off of that plane.

Have you had a bad flight experience? Please tell us about it by clicking on the comment link below!

Categories: Travel