What was your strangest experience while flying?

I don't kiss and tell, hahaha.

My strangest experience was on a trip home from Amsterdam. During dinner I had to use the restroom terribly. Hours of drinking water caught up with me. When I went to put up the tray....it wouldn't budge. I had a window seat and it was not possible to slide under it because of the neighbouring arm of the seat next to me. After 30 min the flight attendent had to bring out a tool box and take apart the tray from the seat in front, which of course took what seemed like an eternity. <BR>Lucky I could hold 'it' that long!!

About a month ago I was going to London and while I was in line to board I was asked to step to the side and was searched by the airport security. I was carrying a bottle of Coke and since it was opened I had to take a drink from it before I was allowed to board. I'm guessing because I could have had a bottle of liquid exposives? Well, that's never happened to me before??

Our strangest airplane experience involved being caught in a strike of airplane mechanics at the Rome airport. We'd flown in from Catania to catch a plane home to SFO then heard about the strike: nothing would be going out for who knew how long and that (allegedly) hotels were full.<BR>One plane (I think British Airways) left after having been PUSHED out by hand from the boarding area. We hung around for 2 1/2 hours waiting to talk to a kindly looking Alitalia supervisor.<BR>Finally, he asked if we'd like to go home (instead of spending the night on a hard airport bench). However, he said, there would be no food. We would be flying home on an airplane that had come in from N.Y. (with passengers) but would be returning "dirty" and with only a third of the passengers. We rushed off to buy some food (with only 20 minutes to board). It was raining but Alitalia officials (dressed in yellow slickers) went out and cleaned the plane! When we boarded, we were greeted by smiling stewardesses from New Zealand (!) (Alitalia had leased the plane for 2 years.) They told us to sit wherever we liked. It was a great trip back (took longer than usual but we were so grateful to be aboard)- they showed us a lot of movies and found all sorts of snacks to feed us.

Certainly the most exciting moment was on a flight from Iceland to Heathrow. Surtsey was erupting and the pilot flew round the site several times. Nowadays, flights are diverted many miles from an erupting volcano, but at the time people didn't realise how dangerous it was to fly close to one. We actually had to make an emergency landing in Glasgow. It was very scary but the sight of that eruption was certainly worth it.

The drink cart hit a seam in the carpet at the same location twice and both times a drink landed on the same person.<BR><BR>When the same thing happened closer to the front of the plane, the previous victim yelled that the flight attendant missed him!!<BR>

These are good. Anymore?<BR>

During a flight to Greece, a man across the aisle from us (my wife was in the aisle seat) got up to go to the bathroom; when he returned, he was sans clothing. Very calmly he sat down, picked up his magazine and resumed reading! Strangely enough, no one in his row seemed to care enough to complain. It was at least five minutes before the attendants caught on.<BR><BR>Rod

Our first visit to the States had us flying from Orlando to Tulsa to spend Christmas with friends.We changed planes in Dallas /Fort Worth and as we were taxiing towards the end of the runway the pilot announced we were having to return to the gate.We did this and after the plane stopped a little old lady picked up her bags and got off.Only after we got under way a second time did the pilot announce that she had got on the wrong plane!<BR><BR>Another incident was in Dabolim airport in Goa.This is a military airport which at the time I'm talking about could only take two civilian planes at once.<BR>We boarded our plane in the heat of the day.Having sat there for about half an hour the pilot then told us that our plane had parked in the wrong place as it was late arriving and just before it landed another plane had landed before us This meant it was standing where we should have been and by now there were three civilan planes there and this wasn't allowed.The airport authorities felt that our plane was parked so close to the terminal building that if they gave pe rmission to start the engines the heat from them would demolish the terminal building!I kid you not but hang on this gets better!<BR>After about half an hour in intense heat ,The pilot told us that the airport employee who had told the incoming crew to park there had now run into his room and locked the door! he was refusing to come out and would not talk to anybody.!<BR>This was followed by other broadcasts about radio conversations with the Indian Army in Delhi and our charter airline office in London.Eventually we got away and yes the terminal building is still standing!<BR>We always recount this story when someone asks what India is really like.

I was flying from London to Paris on business in 1997. When they brought the drinks cart by, the attendant first offered me a drink (as I was on the aisle) and then offered one to a man sitting in the window seat (there was nobody in between). Since the man's eyes were wide open and he didn't answer, I assumed he simply didn't hear the attendant. When I asked him the same question, once again, he didn't respond. When I shook him gently he fell slowly against the window.<BR><BR>The attendant then took his pulse and whispered to me that he was most likely dead but asked if I would I mind staying next to him for a moment while she searched for a doctor. She managed to find someone with medical training who confirmed that he was, indeed dead. They asked me to keep quiet about it and then asked if I "wished to be moved to first class?". Obviously, I said "yes".<BR><BR>They tucked a blanket around him (only up to his chin so as not to panic the other passengers) and I thought that was that. <BR><BR>When we arrived in Paris there was an ambulance waiting for the plane. I hung around for a minute wanting to see how everything turned out. Imagine my shock when I saw the man WALK BY ME TO EXIT THE PLANE! The attendant who had wrapped him in the blanket was saying good-bye to people at the door and when she saw him she shrieked!<BR><BR>Needless to say I have never forgotten this!<BR><BR>Sand

I was in the bulkhead window seat in a 3-3 configuration flight from DC to Seattle. The last 2 people on the plane were my seatmates, whom I deduced were a very high muckety-muck in a government agency and one of his assistants. <BR><BR>I guess I was invisible, because they spent the first hour or so of the flight talking about their approach to the meeting they were going to, then about their weekend, his wife, her family, etc. and by the second hour she was doing a lot of accidental-touching and shoes-off toe-wiggling against his trousers, etc. By hour 3 or 4, they had gone together to the back of the plane where the restrooms were. They didn't come back for about 20 minutes (leaving a number of confidential papers in plain sight), and when they did, there was almost no discussion any more, just hand-holding and snuggling.<BR><BR>The first time either of them spoke to me was at the end of the flight, when he let her disembark before he did and then offered to help me get my bag out of the overhead bin. <BR><BR>I saw them at baggage claim, standing very far from each other and then come from different directions to greet their hosts as if they hardly knew each other before arriving in Seattle.<BR><BR>Oh, please.

Oh, wow! What a cool story!

My stories don't compare to these! I'd have to give 1st prize to Rod so far, followed closely by Sandy! Loved them all. Judy

I had a couple stories to tell, but after reading Sandy's I'm not going to bother. She wins!!!!!!

Sandy wins!!!!<BR><BR>Send her the proze!!

this did not happen to me but it happened to my friend. I guess she forgot to lock the door when she went to the loo. Well, the plane hit some turbulence....yes, the door flew open and she had her pants down and she landed right in the aisle....some guy took a picture of her and asked for her address so he could send her a copy....i think she told him to bugger off!

Hi Polly,<BR><BR>My ninety year old 90% blind grandmother visited my parents in Arizona during the winter. <BR><BR>On the return trip she was to fly from Phoenix directly to Milwaukee where my brother was to pick her up and drive her the last 50 miles home.<BR><BR>With bad weather in Milwaukee she was diverted to Madison, Wisc. I happened to be on a business trip to Madison and ran into her at the airport. (She had been booked by the airline on another carrier to go on to Green Bay closer to her home) but instead I drove her home.<BR><BR>My panic stricked brother drove Milwaukee to Madison to Green Bay trying to find her. (With the airline staff bearing the brunt of his rath for 'losing' her in Madison) <BR><BR>After an exhausting circuit around Wisconsin he finally called my parents in Phoenix, who told him grandma and I were at home having a grand old time.<BR><BR>My apologies to the airline for not notifying them were met with a complementary flight coupon.<BR><BR>My brother - well he still speaks to me on occasion.

The funniest thing that ever happened to me was that I was on this flight to Paris and everyone thought I was dead..........Sorry! Sandy Wins hands down.<BR><BR>On a flight back to London on Air Senegal (don’t ask) a large lady swathed in batik made her way through the cabin to the toilets. Giggling that grew as she passed through the asile marked her return. As she passed by the batik was tucked in her knickers revealing the largest pair of grey knickers, black stockings and suspenders that I’ve ever seen.

Frances, how strange. The same thing happened to me on a flight from Dallas-Forth Worth to New Orleans. It was August, so the weather was sweltering, and the air conditioning was shut off at intervals. First our flight was delayed for half an hour, and then there was a long line of planes waiting to be cleared for takeoff. By the time we got to the head of the line, everyone on board was sweaty and cranky, but instead of taking off, the pilot turned down a side runway and headed back to the terminal. Amidst loud groans, he explained that there was a passenger on board who was on the wrong flight. After the passenger in question (very red-faced) had disembarked, there was a short silence. Then the flight attendant asked over the loudspeaker, "Sooooo... Is everyone here going to New Orleans?" That made us laugh, and we forgot to be mad. <BR><BR>But hearing your experience makes me wonder how well they check boarding passes at Dallas-Fort Worth.<BR><BR>Sandy, thanks for a great story.