Your Most Interesting Airplane Travel Story

4 posted on October 4, 2008

POSTED IN: Blog Posts

Next week many of you will be traveling to Catalyst. Some will be flying. I bet those of you were are flying wished you had one of these.

Some of the best ideas are the ones that, when you see them, make you say, Why didn’t I think of that? This is one of those ideas. The Jetsleeper allows you to fashion your own pillow/head-support while sitting upright on a plane. There have been so many times on a plane I wish I could have had something like this

I used to travel by plane a lot back in the day and I’ll be honest with you, it sucked. You just can’t get comfortable or sleep good in those stinking upright chairs! Especially if, like I always had happen, you get stuck in a middle seat next to two people hogging the armrest. Or worse, the guy who falls asleep and lays his head on your shoulder. Or how about the old guy on the outside of the row having to squeeze by you 30 times to get to the bathroom?

So I’m curious, what’s your worst/funniest/most interesting airlplane story?

TWEET THIS

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 4th, 2008 at 10:24 am and is filed under Blog Posts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

15 Comments

Share yours!

Visit My Website

October 4, 2008

Permalink

1 Sarah W said:

As crazy as those things look….after sitting 18 hours on a plane, I am sure I wouldn’t care what I look like if it meant I could catch a few z’s! Those trans-atlantic flights are the worst…..long and boring, not to mention my feet always swell!!!

So my worst airplane story…..could have have been a lot worse. My husband and I were heading on a short vacation from Botswana to Cape Town. Travel time was roughly 3 hours in a pretty small plane. I started to feel a bit “off” so I asked if Kev could move so that I could co to the bathroom. Before I could get out of the seat I felt this urge to vomit (I never get that!) and as I was standing up it literally came up. How I managed to lock my lips around that was an act of God, but had I not I would have vomited all over the guy in the seat in front of me! Thankfully we were close to the toilet as I held the first wave in, but the second wave hit just as I walked in the bathroom and it exploded out of my mouth and mostly in the toilet. I couldn’t believe I actually vomited on the plane, but even more so I couldn’t believe that I didn’t cover that guy……how embarrassing would that have been!!!

Sarah Ws last blog post..No Really…..it’s not heat rash!!!
Visit My Website

October 4, 2008

Permalink

2 Jessica said:

I always always request a window Seat! That way worst case I snuggle up to the window. If I dont get a window I ask to switch and say I get sick if I cant see out the window.:) I did get one of those u shaped pillows for free from midwest flights and except for having to carry it… I love having it with!

Jessicas last blog post..September Wrap-Up
Visit My Website

October 4, 2008

Permalink

3 Brook said:

My wife and I travel internationally a couple times a year…so we got stories! But the worst had to be coming back from Ghana, West Africa. My now wife was sitting in front of a young gal travelling alone who had a nervous break down mid-flight. It started with whimpering, moved on to shaking and sobbing and ended in screaming and shaking the headrest in front of her (my wife’s). This went on for about 15 minutes before the attendant came to the rescue…BY UPGRADING the screaming traveler to first class!

But at least it was quieter from then on… We will be traveling to Thailand again in a week… Lord, please let it be comfortable and smooth!
Visit My Website

October 4, 2008

Permalink

4 Ryan said:

I was flying out of St. Louis last year and was seated next to a man who happened to be a pilot for a private company. Shortly after takeoff, he pushed the flight attendant call button. With no real hurry, she made her way to us and as soon as she got to our seats, he leaned over and, in a hushed voice, said, “Go tell your captain, right now, that you have fuel coming over the right (insert technical words that I don’t remember).” The flight attendant’s eyes got really big and we all looked out the window. Sure enough, a nice stream of liquid was flying by the window. I’ve never seen anyone move as fast as she did down that airplane aisle. Within minutes we had turned around and made an emergency landing.

It was by far the most exciting airplane ride I’ve ever been on.

Ryans last blog post..I have a great rain jacket that I want to use!
Visit My Website

October 4, 2008

Permalink

5 Brad Ruggles said:

@Sarah – Ok, that’s gross! But I guess it would have been grosser if you had puked on the guy in front of you!

@Jessica – I’m with you on the window seat thing

@Brook – Guess you learned a lesson there. Next time you’re flying a long ways just have a breakdown and start screaming so you can get upgraded to first class!!

@Ryan – Are you serious??? That would have been pretty freaky! At least the guy was able to stay calm and let the pilot know in time!
Visit My Website

October 4, 2008

Permalink

6 Aaron said:

Cec and I were in a little prop-jet and we had a guy in front of us passing gas the whole flight. The entire cabin of that little plane was FUNKY! I thought we we’re gonna die!
Also, I got stuck on a plane from Frankfurt, Germany to Detroit, MI sitting next to a 13 yr. old kid. I had the window seat, a day-time flight, so I kept the shade down. He figured he wanted to see what “the view” was like about every 30-40 minutes. We’re above the clouds, the sun is STILL out, and I’m trying to SLEEP. STOP TRYING TO OPEN THE SHADE!!! Frustrating to say the least!
Visit My Website

October 5, 2008

Permalink

7 Blake said:

No real “interesting” story. Just a lucky one. We’re flying to Costa Rica two summers ago for a mission trip. About 28 of us. And the plane from ATL to Liberia, CR is packed. Except for one row. Two friends and I are not assigned seats together, but we’d like to sit together.

The one row of 3 that didn’t have a single person sitting there was the exit row. With TONS of leg room. I was able to strike a deal w/ the attendant to hold them til we took off and we got the seats. Started with good conversation, then I had room to flip the trey down and rest my pillow/head on it and sleep for a few hours since I’d stayed up all night.

Made for a much better flight and first day!

[And I'm really jealous of the Catalyst crew]
Visit My Website

October 5, 2008

Permalink

8 Molly said:

I have several.

But the coolest was going out to meet the dude that would be come my husband. (we met online!)

I got upgraded to first class AND was seated next to a woman who had ALSO gotten upgraded she met the love of her life from a news papwer ad more than 20 years ago-second (or third) marriage for her…she talked about how her family freaked (could identify) and a bunch of other things that were creepy familiar…it was very cool and totally eased my fears.
Visit My Website

October 5, 2008

Permalink

9 Steve said:

Flying into Raleigh-Durham, the cross-winds were so bad that I thought the plane was going to do a cartwheel! I don’t scare very easy on planes, but I had some serious white knuckles that day!

Steves last blog post..Twice adopted – Saturday Cafe pt. 13
Visit My Website

October 5, 2008

Permalink

10 Jason Ruggles said:

This is not the most interesting here, but I always loved it when I’d find someone afraid of flying and then quote my uncle’s sayings:
“just remember… every part on this plane was made by the lowest bidder.”
And then a couple minutes later saying loudly to my travel companion, “Did you hear that?”
Ah, comedy gold!

And then there was the time I flew out of JFK the day before 9/11… that kinda freaked me out afterwards.
Visit My Website

October 5, 2008

Permalink

11 Crystal Renaud said:

just happened on the way back from South Africa. i was seated next to a man from Kenya. he was on his way first ever trip to the United States. at first, he was really friendly, i gave him some gum (more for my benefit if you know what i mean – eek wow)… but once we took off — he kept leaning over and watching my tv (all of the seats at personal televisions)… and even though i had my noise reduction headphones in, he kept pointing to my screen asking, “who is that” “who is this” “what show is this”. finally he fell asleep and left me alone, but then he starting to drift toward my direction… and laid his head on my shoulder!!!! needless to say, i ended up moving seats.

Crystal Renauds last blog post..“New Office Policy”
Visit My Website

October 5, 2008

Permalink

12 Crystal Renaud said:

wow, sorry for the excessive typos in my previous comment.

Crystal Renauds last blog post..“New Office Policy”
Visit My Website

October 5, 2008

Permalink

13 Kassie said:

I was flying out to California and was in O’Hare to catch a connecting flight. I’d just finished a pre-flight bathroom stop, when a guy comes up to me as I exit the bathroom saying, “Are you with HIM?” Totally oblivious, I look around and say “Who?” Apparently, as I exited the bathroom, it was at the same time as Muhammad Ali, who I also walked almost right next to for a few feet. Of course, I was NOT with Muhammad Ali, but he did end up being on my flight. On the same flight I get up to the front of the boarding line, and they say they’ve had to switch planes and this plane doesn’t have a “G” seat in the row I’m in. I instantly panic, thinking I’ll get bumped. But what happened was that they reassigned my seat…..up to business class! Comfier and bigger seats, better food, and foot rests! It was the sweetest flight I’ve ever taken.
Visit My Website

October 5, 2008

Permalink

14 Brad Ruggles said:

Dang! You guys sure have some great stories – way better than mine. Kassie, flying on the same plane as Muhammad Ali? Wow!
Visit My Website

October 8, 2008

Permalink

15 Nick said:

I always ask for an isle seat. For a couple of reasons, one of which was lived out on my way home from California on Sunday which is also my only airplane story…what can I say I must have a boring flying life! The second reason is, I have to pee a lot when I travel, so it is easier to get in and out of the row.

My flight on the way home was packed full. If we crashed some of us would have lived because there were enough people in the plane to serve as padding. I was the first person to sit in my seat, the second was a window seater and she was a tiny Indian girl. As the plane continued to be loaded I prayed and prayed that my row would only have 2 people. The line of passengers loading into the plane started to thin out, but then it happened. The largest guy on the plane walks past me, and 30 seconds later, comes back and says, oops this must be my row. I got up, let him in the middle seat, he stunk! At least 3 days without a shower (seriously). So he sits down, and he is a leg spreader, not straight forward, but into my leg room, and as I said, he was a large man so his arms basically ended up all in my personal space and in the personal space of the little Indian girl. She was already asleep before we took off, fortunate for her. I waited until we were allowed to turn on our personal electronic devices to pull down the arm rest to force some division between me and the Jolly Green Giant. It didn’t help much as he took up both arm rests for himself. Fortunately, being in the isle seat, I was able to turn my body out towards the isle until the stewardess came by with their carts…the isle seat was my only life saver for 3 hours and 45 minutes.

Nicks last blog post..Conversations with a 5 Year Old (Part 5)