Flights from Hell

[ayebee]

Have been enjoying recent threads like best 747 experience, and then tonight happened on a TV program "Flights from Hell" (a lot of ryanair) and thought ... why not

One memorable flight was a QF flight LAX-AUK-MEL where after late evening departure from LAX, and after dinner I went to recline my seat to be informed by the fellow behind that if I reclined my seat he would "kill me".
Not long after I noted the FSD circulating and had a quiet word with him about the situation.
Good for me that said passenger behind me was invited to a "better seat", somewhere forward, so rest of the flight went OK.
However, when I saw the FSD next morning in Auckland he looked a bit harried and let me know the passenger had later assaulted another passenger, broken someones glasses and had been taken off the flight in handcuffs.
Seems I had dodged a bullet.

I have had a few others ... maybe later

What were your experiences ??

 

[Actos]

Wow, very similar experience here!

I was flying BNE-TPE some time ago and was in the window seat. For one reason or another, the meal didn't sit well with me... as I got up to use the loo, the gentleman in the seat in front of me dropped his seat into recline alarmingly quickly. Of course it hit me, but I didn't think much of it until he got up and had an absolute tantrum that I'd violated his personal space, and if I touched him again, he'd kill me. I fell asleep for much of the flight afterwards with a really upset stomach, but do people really think people aren't going to bump into them in Y? Silly.

 

[OATEK]

We set course for Europe a few years ago, and the aircraft was hit be severe turbulence. The plane was rocking and the passengers were suffering, some from knocks when caught in the open or in the toilets. One woman was violently ill, and several passengers were taking to other seats where they could lie down. The turbulence persisted for several hours, and we only came out of the rough air when it was time to begin the descent.

It was at this point that I woke from my slumber to be berated by the passenger next to me for sleeping through the whole experience. I said a meek sorry and then mused about breakfast only to cop another ear full. In the end I had to say sorry dear, it won't happen again.

 

[Spongbob]

I know someone who thought BA first class not serving vintage Krug was a flight from hell (or at least hellish).

 

[Denali]

Flying CDG>SIN, my last Y flight by memory because I joined AFFer soon after and that was the last of Y for us but...

When we got to our seat, noticed a woman in front of us and she just gave a vibe that she was annoying as heck. We hadnt already taken off and I said to hubby as soon as we can take our seatbelts off, Im moving to 3 rows back because its been 10mins and I already cant stand her. She didnt do or say anything to me or those around her but she was def giving a agitated vibe. Standing, sitting, standing, getting hand luggage, putting hand luggage back and repeat way to many times in a short period of time. So plane takes off, we move a couple of rows back - all good.

About 11hrs into the flight an older aussie guy stands up and is losing it. Hes yelling at the same woman for kicking his chair for the last 10hrs and hes asked nicely numerous times for her to stop, the FAs asked nicely and shes still doing it. FAs came running from everywhere, this guy was not going to sit down and be quite any more - hes had enough and is being loud about it and shes yelling back in French.

FAs get everyone settled but I made a point to say to the guys wife while waiting for the loo that I had a feeling she was annoying before we even took off. At the very least I hoped the wife told her husband so he felt like it wasnt all him, there was something weird about the woman.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

I know someone who thought BA first class not serving vintage Krug was a flight from hell (or at least hellish).

To be fair, I almost think that about QF F and its adherence to Australian red and white wines The only decent wine served is Champagne

 

[LadyC]

After a haul in Y from MEL-SYD-LAX followed by a 2 hour processing through immigration, a few more hours waiting at LAX, then I caught a flight to MEX with Mexicana. One of the FAs was retiring after 20 years service and this was her final flight. So the crew decided it was a party flight and after take off, they started playing trumpets and singing and walking up and down the aisle, regularly offering everyone tequila shots and drinking themselves. It was loud and it annoying. This went on for the whole flight, was not fun and felt quite unsafe. I was very pleased to get off that plane.

 

[Ade]

Couple of flights come to mind ;

1. LHR-DXB-MAA - EK - Y - some pax at the back of Y thought it was OK to get drunk quickly - it was not even 2 hours since departing LHR - started abusing fellow pax, front rows pax etc - after another hour - started abusing staff - and to top it off, puked in the cabin as they were unable to get to the loo. Seems they were almost drunk even before boarding

2. SIN-MAA - SQ - Y - similar story as EK - drunk pax - puke - loud song singing in a language that I speak - so I could relate to what & who they were referring to in their songs - poor female FA - couldn't do much - As it was only a 3 hour or so flight, the ordeal was over quickly

3. LHR-DXB-MAA - BA (I think) - Y - amazingly delayed food service - I wouldn't know how long after the flight takes off food is to be served on Intl routes - but this one even made me think it's getting very late - I think it was 3 hours into a late evening departure food was served - incorrect orders, special meals not loaded OR offered to pax other than the ones that requested it - again, drunk pax on top of all this ...

 

[Seat0B]

I've had a few too:

SYD-LHR on a BA 747 in Y back in 1982. It was booked as non-smoking (back in the day) but the only seats available were right in the middle of the bank of 4 and you guessed it - in smoking. That was really revolting.

PER-MEL-CBR on QF 737 in business class 2017 - when the previous passenger had obviously puked on the seat. I could tell this by the chunks down the side of the seat and the smell. I was P1 at the time in a relatively empty cabin and they would not let me move seats despite my asking nicely a few times and then less nicely a few more times. So I fixed that by passive-agressive pushing on the call button asking for a sick bag as the smell was (genuinely) setting me off, plus a complaint to P1 line as soon as I landed in MEL. Before I even boarded the CBR leg, I was whisked away and plied with several bottles of wine to take home, chocolates and most importantly of all, an acknowledgement that the previous pax HAD puked on the seat and that the seat was supposed to be taken out of service!!

LAX-SYD-MEL 1987 - on QF 747 in Y - totally not their fault, but pregnant unexpectedly with the most foul morning sickness. The staff were wonderful - got me sick bags, cups of tea, put me on the oxygen and found me a bank of seats to lie down on. But it was still a terrible flight!

 

[RooFlyer]

I didn't think I'd have anything to contribute here, but one comes to mind now.

I was in Chile, going to visit a mine deep in the Andes - getting there by the private company plane. I got the co-pilot's seat on the flight in, which consisted of flying through, not over the Andes and I think I left finger impressions in the seat-armrests. Not rough, but when you look in front, and either side, you see the side of a mountain, it was a bit hairy. Then, we started descending towards the side of a mountain. I had to ask - where are we going? There, the pilot said, pointing to what looked like a bulldozer scrape on the side of the mountain ahead. It was a bit more than that, but still not much. Landed fine.

Came back in the afternoon for the return flight to Santiago. I commented that the engines (two, on a 10-odd seater Piper, from memory) looked a bit big. Yes, said the pilot. They are well over-specced, so that if we lose one, I can still take-off and get us home. F!!! Not this little black duck! I'll be walking!

Anyway, we had both revving and took off, with me in the back this time. In the afternoon, the valleys were full of turbulence and it was rough. I didn't look up, or out, the whole time. I could remember how close the mountain sides were going in, and I was convinced that I was going to die.

Needless to say, we got home fine and my lunch had remained where it was .

 

[jb747]

Thankfully, a pretty high percentage of the really obnoxious twits make it evident before we even take off. As best I recall, 100% of the ones who came to my attention, didn’t get to fly.

 

[Major]

Thankfully, a pretty high percentage of the really obnoxious twits make it evident before we even take off. As best I recall, 100% of the ones who came to my attention, didn’t get to fly.

I think you have been asked this before but is the cabin manager allowed to chuck people off or does the captain have to ok this ?

 

[get me outta here]

Nothing like some of these horror stories, but this left an impression on me. Not long after AA11 flew into a World Trade Centre tower, was finishing a multi sector AA flight MIA-MCO for work meeting. At MIA, everybody got off - pax, FAs and pilots, leaving the coughpit open and me in row 1.
I felt that this was potentially putting me in a very vulnerable position and expected some heavy duty border force type people to come and drag me off and interrogate me. Eventually, normality returned and nobody seemed phased to find me already on there. I could’ve had my way with that plane. Very strange idea of heightened security.

 

[RooFlyer]

Not long after AA11 flew into a World Trade Centre tower,

That reminds me. this may not qualify as the 'flight from hell', but it was bad enough under the circumstances.

The day after the WTC attacks, I had to fly from Abidjan, Ivory Coast to Paris, on Air France, overnight. When we boarded, we found it was a contract, replacement plane - just bare bones, like it would have come out of the factory. No overhead lockers, no 'extras', no pillows or blankets. Contract crew was the surliest I have ever encountered, with virtually no English. No English over the PA; under the circumstances, I would have liked very attentively to what they were saying! Meal consisted of two cheese croissants in cellophane.

But the worst part was that it was a very stormy night - very rough, lightning for at least an hour but turbulence most of the way. Landing in Paris was probably the hardest I've had (JB might count it as a good one . It was a miserable flight. But, like GMOH, I remember no particular security in Paris on arrival.

 

[Daver6]

I think the first two posts put things into perspective. If no one had threatened to kill you or physical harm, then no matter how slow the service is or poor the NP weeds are, you've had a good flight.

 

[jb747]

I think you have been asked this before but is the cabin manager allowed to chuck people off or does the captain have to ok this ?

Captain has to approve it. But, that may not be the case in all airlines.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

February 2001 HKG-SYD on QF. It was nothing QF did directly but the flight was on the leased BA 747 QF used for a while; you saw it around SYD a lot with QANTAS painted on the side but sporting the World Tail. The aircraft was awful, creaky and old. There was a large tour group who kept placing their completed meal trays on the floor by the aft doors much to the consternation of the cabin crew. Pretty much no sleep stuck down the back in the last couple of rows. It was after this flight I decided I would never fly mid to long haul again in Economy, something to which I've kept true.

The aircraft rego was G-BNLH and became VH-NLH when QF leased it. The aircraft was in a dire state and the QF staff joke was to call it Never Leaves Hangar.

 

[AIRwin]

Stuck in a middle seat between 2 AFL players on a MEL-BNE flight...

 

[Franky]

Stuck in a middle seat between 2 AFL players on a MEL-BNE flight...

Could have been worse If they were NRL players....

 

[jb747]

NLH-Never Leaves Home

The BA people didn’t think much of it either, which is presumably how it was available to be dumped on QF.

I was pleased to have never flown it.