FAVORITE FLIGHT OF ALL TIME?
 

The majority of us have flown many, many miles. Please share YOUR favorite airline flight of all time and why it was so. :-)

Ohhh, let me be the first!!! My favorite flight of all time was in January 2001. My husband and I flew first class from Newark, NJ to Tokyo in a 777 on our way to South Korea to pick up our new son, whom we were adopting. A huge, huge plane, first class was great for 14 hrs straight, but the best reason of all was, of course, our son. By the way, Seoul is probably the biggest city I've ever seen and the people are so gracious and friendly. Go to South Korea if you ever get a chance!!! (Food is awesome, too.)

I always fly in coach, which everyone knows is basically a cattle call. I've had wonderful vacations in Australia and New Zealand and Europe, but the flight to these places was always the worse part of the trip. However, once, on US Air flying back to the USA from Gatwick to Atlanta, connecting in Philadelphia, the flight was so late getting into Philadelphia that I missed my connection to Atlanta. US Air put me on the next flight to Atlanta in First Class. I'd never flown first class before. I basically had my own private flight attendent. Where people in coach were fed peanuts/pretzels for the flight, in first class we were fed a hot meal on real china with wine. That short flight from Philly to Atlanta in First Class in those big wide seats with great food and a private flight attendent was definately my favorite flight. Of course, now I know what I'm missing back in coach whilst that person in the window seat crawls over my lap to go to the lavatory.

Easy - the very first flight I was ever on. I was 6 years old and we were flying to Wisconsin to see family. The fascination for the airport still continues to this day. And I've never forgotten the fuss the stewardesses (yes, that's what they were called then!) made over me, so I must have been one of the "good kids". I still have the "wings" they gave me during the flight, and I remember how proud I was wearing them when I got off the plane. It began my lifelong love affair with air travel and travel in general!

My favorite flight was on a Cessna 172 Skyhawk with my then boyfriend (now husband). He was the pilot and I was the first girl he took up for a ride. By some odd coincidence he was the third boyfriend I had who was also a private pilot, so it wasn't really the thrill of going up on a teeny plane like that.

It was more the fact that he had only recently learned, and recently crashed, another Skyhawk. I thought he must be pretty sure of me to even have asked me to go flying with him!

We flew to Martha's Vineyard from the Boston area. Since we were both pretty young, and my beloved had just been sued in regard to the other Skyhawk, we were both broke. We got out of the plane, walked around the field the airport was in, got back in, flew home! After all, the meter was ticking. When I think of how dumb we were not to have taken a taxi into town, I just cringe!!!

By the way, hubby is (luckily) a one-crash man, and we still go flying.

There were the Business Class flights to and from Europe last year, the flight to St. Martin over the beautiful Caribbean, and one good-news/bad-news flight coming into Rochester NY between gorgeous, towering thunderheads at night: Good news -- I've never seen such a spectacular light show before or since; bad news -- we had to thread our way between them to land.

But far and away, my all-time favorite flight was returning to Boston from Heathrow on a TWA 707 in 1968. I loved those 707s -- graceful, plenty of room, and stable. I was looking forward to seeing my boyfriend (now husband of 34 yrs) and my family after 10 weeks of rambling around Europe on $5 a day (yes, I really did manage that).

The approach to Logan began over Labrador/Newfoundland and we just glided down the Canadian and New England coast at whatever the minimum descent angle must have been -- felt like about 2% -- there never was a perceptible drop in altitude, just a glide. The scenery was spectacular -- the cliffs of Maine, Cape Ann, and then my hometown Marblehead with all the little boats in the harbor, and finally the softest possible touchdown over Winthrop Bay with Boston Beantown glittering over the harbor.

For the best view ever: Denver to Durango over the Rocky Mountains, best early in the morning in mid-winter.

The second time from LAX to Faa'a. Don't remember the flight at all, just the anticipation of arrival.

I've flown first class and cattle class on every airline but the first flight that comes to my mind was a Spirit Airlines flight from RSW to LGA.

Why? The pilot was so excited...we were cleared to approach New York 's LGA up the Hudson river banking over Westchester Co. and back into LaGuardia. A beautifully clear day, you could see specks (people) the top of the World Trade Center, the statue of Liberty in the harbor, the absolutely gorgeous spectacle of Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum. I could pick out St. Patricks and Rockefeller Center. We banked north of the Tappanzee bridge and came in for our approach and a perfect landing.

He was a young pilot, definitely Navy, and clearly thrilled by the flight and his responsibilities. Everyone on board was thrilled too. I find it hard to think of a better flight than that. LMF

ttt

I have been flying since I was 10 days old. But the flight that stands out in my memory as the Best is the one that my husband and I took for my first trip to London. Virgin Airlines. Everything was perfect, nothing went wrong. And I got to go to London :D
I have been many times since and to other places, but that one was special.

Of course, it had to be my flight from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Anchorage. I wanted to see Mt. McKinley and the check-in personnel said it didn't matter which side of the plane I sat on because I wouldn't see it due to the clouds. I selected a seat and got on the plane. We were up in the clouds and I saw a peak of a mountain... and I just KNEW it had to be McKinley. A little further on the trip the clouds cleared and I saw the most beautiful scenes. Later, I found out I had flown over the same site that was on one of my postcards I'd purchased. It was a fantastic flight!

Many years ago when Laker Airways started up, I flew from Detroit to London. I got to go up and sit with the pilots as the sun was coming up. I think that is my most memorable. I don't think anyone will ever be able to experience something like that ever again!!

My first trip to Europe was great because I was so excited to be going; however, my first flight, on Frontier Airlines, from Fayetteville to Dallas will forever be my favorite. I was 13 years old. My mom, sister, and I were going to California on vacation. I thought the airplane flight was absolutely the best thing that had ever happened to me. We dressed up and I got to sit by the window. Back then, we took off, landed at Ft. Smith, Arkadelphia, and Paris Texas to pick up more passengers, and finally arrived at Dallas where we had to change terminals to get on the AA flight. So the trip took half a day.

But it was wonderful, and I have been sold on travel ever since.

This one brings back a great memory.

I met JFK, Jr. in a bar in NYC during my college years. He talked to us all night and even picked up the bar tab. He asks for my number and I give it to him. My mother was thrilled!!! By the time he calls, I've already met my future husband and we are quite serious, so I don't take the date.

Fast forward 5 or 6 years later. I've arranged for a car service to take me to Newark airport for a flight to Miami.
The driver asks if it is okay with me if we stop to pick up someone "important" who is also in need of a lift to Newark. Guess who it is? Right. JFK, Jr.. He remembered me as soon as he sat down. I was so excited to see him.


So, guess who is also going to Miami - on my flight? Absolutely. JFK, Jr.. We were both in 1st class and made arrangements to sit next to each other since we were both alone - and it was his idea.

We spent the flight telling each other about what was going on with our lives. He asked me why I didn't agree to a date because he said it didn't happen that often and he thought it was "sweet" that I was loyal to a man that I told him I really loved and knew I was going to marry.

He spoke to a CNN anchor (name escapes me, but I think he recently died in a car crash down south) across the aisle. I was afraid I would wind up in some tabloid as a "mystery women" when I was just an old "friend".

JFK, Jr. was probably the most handsome man, besides my husband, I have even seen in my life. And he smelled so good.

I was really crushed the day I found out his plane was missing. You just knew the news wasn't going to be good.

Although I live in NYC and see celebrities all the time in my building and on the streets/restaurants/all over, this is my favorite "celebrity" sighting.

Well, it's hard to follow that last post. But I will never forget the flight I took in 1977 from Montserrat to Antigua on a little 3-seater. It was right after a light rain and we flew OVER a rainbow. We never knew that when you fly over a rainbow, you don't see an arc, you see a complete circle. What an incredible sight! Like a visit to heaven.

Nantucket/Cape Air! From Nantucket to Hyannis.

Incredible experience in a tiny plane all in 20 minutes!

On one flight (these planes seat maybe 10 passengers), my husband was selected to sit up front in the co-pilot's seat. Quite the thrill! When he asked the pilot what would happen if he took ill or something, the pilot showed him how to turn on the microphone and speak into it.

On another, a fellow with a dog (a huge, gorgeous, black Labrador) was boarded, then a mom and her daughter, and so forth. They arrange you in the seats according to weight (the mom was, well, huge). After the pilot seated her, she moved to another seat to sit next to the daughter. When he noticed this, the pilot directed her back to her original seat. As soon as he turned around, she moved back to the seat next to her daughter. Then, the pilot said, "If you want to be on this flight, you must sit over there". To which she replied "Huh? How come that guy gets to sit next to his dog and I can't sit next to my daughter?!?"

On another flight (they take reservations, but then fill the planes as you arrive, and one takes off after another), my husband was put on one plane, while I was put on the next. This was one bumpy ride! Very, very windy conditions! Let's just say that we have "appreciated" one another ever so much more ever since that flight...

Then, there was the time my Mom died. The last minute tickets cost a fortune ($700 for two of us Manchester, NH to BWI). I didn't know about bereavement fares at the time. There were connections both ways, with two or three different airlines involved (don't recall which ones, either). On each leg, going and coming, we were ushered to first class seats. During the connections we were personally escorted to "special lounges" at the airports. During the flights, we were presented with flutes of Champagne. I had booked the flights through the travel agency my employer used all the time, but had no idea why they were being so nice to us! When we landed in Manchester coming home, one of the flight attendants leaned over and said, "We're all so sorry for you loss", and I couldn't even imagine how she knew...

Hi

I think my favorite has to be flying on first class with British Airways from London to Singapore. I'm not your typical first class passenger and I bought this ticket using frequent flyer points. When I got to the Heathrow to check in I was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and the women behind the counter was not very friendly. But when she saw the ticket she turned into a big smile and treated me in a different way. Sitting upstairs on the 747 was really nice and for once I actually slept on a long flight. But the problem with flying first class is that going back to normal coach is a major disappointment.

Regards
Gard
Stavanger, Norwa
www.gardkarlsen.com

When we were upgraded to Business class from London to Atlanta, first time I did NOT want to sleep! It was so much fun! First time I did not have major jet lag too! Must have been the seats and the water that was offered every 20 minutes or so :-)

After being in China two weeks (to get my adopted nephew), we were supposed to be the next flight out-------but that was on 9-11.

We were stuck for four days. It was a double pleasure landing back in the U.S. and more so, because we were bringing my nephew to the U.S.

eveneing of July 4, 1970. My first flight ever. It was out of Washington National. We took off just as the fireworks were starting, and I (being 14 at the time) felt like they were to celebrate my first flight.

Evening winter flight from Seattle to Anchorage, full moon, and Aurora Borealis right outside the plane windows at 35,000 feet. Awe inspiring and the most unique experience I've ever had flying.

My favorite flight was a nonstop JFK-LAX flight I took one unforgettable evening in September 1998-- unforgettable because I had one of those "only in New York" adventures getting to JFK.

I was on the last leg of a "three cities in four days" business junket-- first night, Chicago (Swissotel-- fab!!); second, Boston (Dorchester Holiday Inn, a dump-- a citywide booked everything closer to Boston); third night, NYC (W Hotel Times Square, DURING the renovation-- tiny, tiny room). Meeting went well, a cocktail party at the (then) Regal UN went on too long, and I dove into a cab to ride to Port Authority to grab the subway to JFK.

All the way crosstown, my Russia-born cabdriver displayed a perfectly fluent command of cursewords in English, screaming at a young woman who had cut him off earlier:

"You f*&$%*# b$&#%! Why don't you f*&$%*# watch where the f*&% you're going?"

"Don't you f*&$%*# call me b*%&@, you f*&$%*$ a*&%^#@!!!"

And so on.

Luggage on my shoulder, laptop in my hand, I ran for the subway station. I had 90 minutes to get to JFK (in the pre-9/11 days when you could just waltz through security). The train took off, and then the train just ahead of it BROKE down in Brooklyn, leaving us stuck underground downtown. When the train started moving, I was silently thinking of how I could jump out and take a cab the rest of the way.

I din't. I just got to the JFK stop, ran onto the airport shuttle and rode to my terminal. Running like a madman, I threw my luggage and laptop through the X-Ray, got through the scanner and made another mad dash for the gate. They were just about to close the door when I showed up-- and they thankfully re-opened.

I got the Coach section of a DC-10 to myself for that blissful, uneventful trip. The flight attendants even brought me hot cookies from First Class. My first non-cattle car experience in Steerage-- I mean, Coach. Heaven.

Hard to choose, so two:

First time I sat in the right seat (copilot's - I wasn't, there wasn't one) on a Grumman Goose flying around the Aleutian Islands. For the uninitiated, the Goose was a pre-WW2 amphibious airplane - looks like a shrunken PBY - able to land on the water then lower the gear and roll onto the beach/ramp etc. Taking off from the ocean in an amphibious plane - the water level about 12 inches below the window, the radial motors sounding like a swarm of motorcycles just behind your eyeballs, the water rushing toward the windshield at an impossible pace - well, let's just say it's a serious rush. Many of these wonderful airplanes are still flying, even the one from Fantasy Island.

Second place (first?) goes to a flight on United from LA to New York, stopping outside Chicago at a new airfield the pilot called "O'Hara." 1958. The autumn colors - red barns, orange trees, green fields - from the air were very impressive to us pre-teens. I also happened to notice oil running from the back of one of the engines on the DC-7, and was thanked by the pilot personally :-) for pointing it out - at "O'Hara" the UAL crew fixed it while we waited for the plane to be re-fueled for our ongoing flight to Idylwild. What adventure.

Fun flights were when I was little and got to go visit with the pilots and get my wings.

Poignant and favorite flight from London to Vancouver BC. We were in England 9/11, then to Scotland. We were so sad we barely recall seeing anything and spent much of our time in Scotland trying to figure out how to get home. Our flight was among the first to get out. We were lucky because we weren't bumped so we had first served - I felt so sorry for the people who had been waiting at the airport for 4 days! No one was allowed to carry any bags, no purses for some. All our stuff was in clear plastic bags (never felt so safe!). We were all patted down (literally). Flight was fairly uneventful until we reached Canadian shores then the pilot said we would have to land somewhere, I can't remember because his emergency air had an error light. We all traipsed off, picked up our luggage and they were going to get another plane for us. At that time people were friendlier and we were feeling a big like a family. Finally we get on next plane after several hours which means we have almost all missed our connecting flights and are stuck with all the other people still trying to get flights. On the new 'healthier' plane the intercom didn't work so the attendants had a bull horn that didn't work. We were all laughing and it felt so good and friendly. What else was there to do but laugh. It was such a warm feeling after such tragedy. The airlines put us up in a hotel and we continued to see our friends and chat the next day as we left on our connecting flights. I remember the crew and our new 'friends' with fondness.

Anchorage to South Africa, Thanksgiving Day, 1983. British Airways. Nine hours to London, they fed us three times. My mom, sister and I all had a row of seats to ourselves. After a 12 hour layover in London( AND LOTS OF SIGHTSEEING AND SHOPPING), we gratefully settled into the next flight, B.A. again, 14 hours. I'll never forget waking up at some point, looking down, and seeing a huge river glistening below. I knew we were somewhere over Africa, and the feeling was incredible. We stopped briefly in Harare, Zimbabwe(a little scary with the military guys and rifles boarding and checking us out), then on to Jo'burg, where we stayed with family and toured the country for 2.5 months. It was probably the most memorable flight to date. Nothing opens your eyes like seeing the world. Btw, I was 23 at that time.:)

I had posted this a while back, but it seems to fit here as well:

Sometime in the mid 80's, I was on a flight from Cairo and the Stew asked if it was alright if they moved a passenger from coach to business next to me. The passenger turned out to be a Nun, in her mid 70's, who had gone to Africa from Ireland when she was 16 and was now repatriating to "retire". It was only her second time to fly, and she could not believe how large and comfortable the 747 was. When the wine was served, she commented that it was her first glass of decent wine in over 30 years. The Stew overheard this and kept the wine flowing throughout the flight to Amsterdam.

We enjoyed several glasses of the wine together and had long conversations about her experiences in her 50 years in Africa, some of which made us laugh, and some made us cry. The three hours to Amsterdam seemed to fly by. We parted in a rush as we deplaned and went our separate ways. I was overnighting in Amsterdam to catch a flight to Houston the next day. I usually went into Amsterdam, but this time I stayed at the Hilton in the airport. At dinner that evening, I looked across the room and the Nun was being seated by herself. I knew she was using the KLM vouchers for her meal, and that that meal would be very basic, so I flagged a waiter and told him to send her a bottle of my favorite Bordeaux, and to allow her to order anything on the menu that she wanted. I am sure he thought I was flirting until he looked and saw the 70+ year old that I wanted the bottle delivered to. He did not know quite what to think then!

When the waiter delivered the wine, he pointed across the room to me and I waved at her. Her face lit up with recognition and she waved back. When I finished my meal and signed off on the bill, I told the waiter the short version of her story, and he too was touched.

I stopped by her table and she invited me to share the bottle. Not wanting to deprive her of the treat, I only had one glass as we talked another three hours. She was a lovely lady and it was clear that while she was happy to be going home (for the first time in 50 years) she was, at the same time, sad about leaving the world she had shared for so long. When we could talk no longer, we said our goodbyes for the last time. On my way out, I arranged for another bottle to be delivered to her room with a "thank you for sharing your evening" note from me. The manager said that he would not hear of my paying for the wine, and he would send it "on the house". I was truly impressed!

That was almost 25 years ago and I suppose she is gone now, but I think of her often and wonder at the personal sacrifice she endured for her faith. I am not very religious, but I say a little prayer for her from time to time and toast her every time I open a bottle of Bordeaux.

ALL flights that have taken me away from work!

That would have to be my first flight, many years ago, as a teenager. I was going to Miami to visit my grandparents. For some reason, I was upgraded and sat in first class with a bunch of airline employees, either going on vacation or hooking up with a flight. I had the time of my (young) life!

As they say.....priceless!

November 93 London - Palma de Mallorca, as the ONLY passenger on board, chatting with five beautiful hostesses and drinking wine as well, taking up and landing seating in the cabin with the pilots, God !, I felt like in my own private jet ! Sounds nice, the previous flight, from Palma to Aberdeen, Scotland, I did it ( for free ) seated in the very small seat at the end of the plane, so that when someone went to toilette, i had to stand up and remove mi seat to allow them in the toillet. Nice just to tell !

I have two favorites.

Prettiest was Bar harbor Airlines from Worcester to Montreal in early October. It was a DC 3 at about 5000 feet, right up the Conneticuit (sp?) river valley during peak foliage season. Awesome!

Summertime Friday afternoon flights from Dallas to Boston on American. Back when I flew weekly, I always upgraded to first class. On the early evening flight Bob Crandall, Chairman of American would be travelling to his weekend home on Cape Ann. The service was always superb!

Cradall lives about a mile from me. He has a huge sloop with a GOD AWFUL AA logo on his jib. Thought some would find that interesting.

rich...what a story! now that's worth the trip.

What an image, Brenda!! How lucky you were.

I had a flight from SEA to SFO and we overflew a Blue Angels airshow. It was really something else to see their formations from above, esp. the one where they fly straight up (more or less) and then peel out in several directions like a flower blooming.

JFK-DEN on JetBlue, it was the first time I was west of the Missisippi, and on the way we passed Chicago which you could see with the lights and all, and of course seeing the Rocky Mountains.

Probably the flight on the day we got married. Ceremony at 11 a.m., fun receiving line, sit-down meal at noon. Changed clothes, grabbed luggage -- our flight was about 4 p.m.

After I got my lap belt on, my husband and I looked at each other. I can't describe the joy I felt!! Nine-plus years later, I remember it so well. I'm sure we glowed.

My favorite flight was in HS when I took pilot ground school through Jr. ROTC. We did a wing over in a Cessna 152 and pulled a negative G. We had pencils floating around the cabin!
I also enjoyed taking off on my own and having all the power to myself. I once flew over an air craft carrier. I really wanted to do a touch and go on it!
My class also went on a heilcopter ride at Ft. Lewis. It was amazing flying over the Nisqually river and seening hundreds of bald eagles.