Amusing and curious incidents as a passenger.

[John Hill]

OK, air travel is not all horror stories for passengers is it? So lets hear some interesting and or curious experiences here!

I will start, circa 1974 a flight from Fiji to Rarotonga with a technical stop at Samoa. Both legs were a number of hours on a Hawker Siddely 748 twin turbo prop with about 40 passenger capacity. Just after take off one of the bare footed stewardesses taped an 'out of order' notice to the toilet door. From then on everyone sat with their legs crossed looking at the blue Pacific roll slowly by below us. It was after dark when we landed for the technical stop at Faleolo (Samoa) where I was one of the last passengers to leave and I did so the stewardess take the notice off the toilet door and a Samoan man I had never seen before came out, looked around then followed me down the steps and disappeared into the darkness. The cabin crew were smuggling friends or family!

[NZScion]

I was flying on QF from Singapore to Frankfurt as SLF. One of the passengers had gotten into his duty free booze, and was abusive to anyone and everyone. When the cabin crew confiscated his grog, things got even worse, until the CC produced zip-cuffs, handcuffed the guy, and took him away (I assume to a crew seat). I'm sure there would have been a welcoming party of BGS for him in Frankfurt too .

Well done to the CC involved.

[John Hill]

Unfortunately I have seen too many incidents like that on SIA Karachi/Islamabad to Singapore. They supply the booze to young guys who are completely ill equipped to handle it and there are no CC beefy enough to handle the consequences.

[EastMids]

Amusing:

Some years ago on a BMA ATP flight BD228 routing LHR-BHX-EMA at around Christmas time. There were something like 12 pax booked LHR-BHX and an additional one pax booked LHR-EMA(via BHX) - i.e. 13 out of LHR, 12 to BHX and one to EMA. There were also five staff (I worked for BMA at the time) travelling non-rev/sub-load LHR-EMA. Imagine the laughs from us staff pax when, after landing at BHX, the one and only revenue passenger travelling onwards to EMA got off the flight totally un-noticed leaving just us five staff onboard. Said pax was eventually located wandering around the baggage reclaim wondering why her bag had not appeared on the carousel - and was reboarded for the short onwards flight to EMA!

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Curious 1:

More recently, having sat down on a UA 777 flight to SFO, after a short wait I noticed a couple of fairly heavy-set guys came onboard, walk towards the back, and then a couple of minutes later came forward again with another guy in tow. A few minutes later yet the captain announced "Sorry for the short delay to our departure, but we had a passenger on board who we'd rather not have flying with us today, and we've been waiting for him and his baggage to be taken off the airplane"

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Curious 2:

Again as a pax on a UA 777 this time inbound to LHR, I was intruiged that we seemed to be going round the hold at Bovingdon longer than most other arrivals - UA's channel 9 allowed me to hear other aircraft behind us being vectored for approach. After landing, the aircraft braked very hard just short of the parking stand, and steps were brought up to the door rather than the jetway being connected. Must be a broken jetway, I assumed. Cabin crew said "Everyone please remain in their seats with the seatbelts fastened until instructed otherwise". Huh? Immediately the L2 door was opened, several police got onboard and went rearwards. Passengers forward of the L2 door were then allowed to get up and disembark. Never did find out why the police boarded - presumably an unruly passenger, but as I slept for most of the flight whatever happened didn't come to my attention. I've subsequently assumed that the reason the aircraft went round the hold more than all the other arrivals was to give the plod time to muster at the arrival gate?

A

[MrSoft]

Came back on KLM once, late-night from Dubai. An overnight flight with very tired B767, no IFE, very very squashed, and absolutely 100% full - except for the seat next to me

Then at the very last second, a very big Indian guy boarded and took the seat. Normally I'm friendly but was just too tired and I could tell he felt the same so we didn't even exchange pleasantries.

An hour in, I finally nodded off. He did the same, and his head started to loll onto my shoulder. My leg flopped to the side, and I could feel our legs touching. Always an awkward moment. The last thing I remember, was thinking "oh what the hell", and just relaxed into full slumber, and off I went.

Next thing I remember was just before breakfast, I woke up to find I was in the spoons with this bloke.

[G&T ice n slice]

Two with KLM...
(1)
Peak flight evening SPL-LHR just landed LHR.
Obviously fairly new stewardess starts making the usual announcement:
"Ladies and gentlemen welcome to......"
long pause
then a panicked "ohmigod where are we?"
followed by a shriek as she realised she'd said that with the mike open
Complete collapse of rest of cabin crew & pax

Sent all use tired day-trip businesspeople home in a good mood!

(2)
One summer afternoon, having managed to get away early from the office, go to SPL & ask checkin if they can put me on earlier flight.
Clickety-click on keyboard, "yes you're on do you want business class upstairs or downstairs?"
me : errr upstairs on a 737? Heathrow?
Sure nuff is a new 747-400. so upstairs for me!
In fact upstairs is me and the 2 senior F/As and that's it.

So we are on the run-in to LHR, just out of the circuit and one of the F/As comes over and says "is it OK if we look out of the windows?"
me: "err, yeah, um, sure" (?que?)

Then the whole way down until the "seats for landing" announcement there were 2 excited F/As dashing back & forth doing the whole sightseeing bit "oooh look it's Buckingham Palace".. "oooh look it's..." etc etc.

Once we were on stand I asked what it was all about - turns out that both of them had been flying for over 10 years, but never been to London, always long haul and for a long haul crew London was "an exotic destination".

I just thoughth it was nice that 2 seasoned professionals could rediscover their excitement for flying!

[John Hill]

We had a job to do in Baghdad in 2003 just after the fighting stopped. Getting there as civilians was difficult but we made it as far as the transit hotel in Kuwait, including our 15 cartons of equipment, without any problems. Then the arranged charter plane was unavailable and we were stuck in transit! Fortunately our local contact advised he had made other arrangements which involved racing out to the taxiway in a pickup truck to scramble aboard a Ukrainian Antonov freighter (4 turbo prop), engines were already running as we tossed our stuff onto the ramp and climbed on for the ride with one other passenger, two small trucks, a pallet or two and a small forklift truck. The trip was OK and on landing we taxied to an deserted apron area and they unloaded. Then we stood around looking at each other not knowing what to do, including apparently the crew. Eventually the skipper asked if we had a phone. We had an Inmarsat portable that he borrowed and called somewhere then he asked if we wanted a ride to Kiev!

I am sure we never paid for the flight and I wasnt even sure we were in Baghdad until the Australian Air Force vehicle found us and took us to the tower building.

[S'land]

I remember well over twenty years ago being on a BA flight from Newcastle to Heathrow. If I remember correctly the flight took less than one hour, On landing one of the CC stood up and gave the usual "welcome to London Heathrow" and continued with "where the time is 16.55, one hour behi...... Sorry, the same time as it would be in Newcastle. Very red face for the young lady and a great deal of merryment from pax and CC alike.

[mullers]

on a Ryanair flight into Krakow a few weeks ago the FA gives the usual welcome over the PA but with a twist "Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to Krakow where the local time etc......On behalf of your Captain Maverick, his co-pilot Goose and all of us on the Top Gun team we thank you for flying with us and look forward to seeing you again soon." It seemed like I was only one of a few who noticed and i couldnt quite believe my ears but I was reassured when he followed up with a rather stern warning to one passenger who stood up before the seat belt light went out saying "passengers are reminded that for safety reasons you should remain seated until the seatbelt light has gone off. Passengers failing to observe this rule will be shot."
i know it was Ryanair, but really, surely he could be shot for such behaviour!

[EastMids]

Southwest DAL-ELP recently... After most of the safety briefing was complete "Finally ladies and gentlement, for those of you who listened to the safety briefing thankyou, and for those of you who didn't good luck if we have an accident"

A

[llanfairpg]

Hers is one I make as a captain close to retirement.

Ladies and Gentleman welcome on board and first of all I want to tell you that i am really feeling lucky today.

As a very young first officer, i made the following PA

Got some bad news and good news for you ladies and gentlemen.

The bad news is we have a 20 minute holding delay, the good news is they have just found Buddy Hollies luggage.

A few minutes later a signed note came up to the flight deck,
it read

I didnt think that was very funny!

[Seat62K]

Had a similar experience to "mullers" recently, also on Ryanair, probably travelling from Stansted to Valencia. The captain sounded like he had, or aspired to, a second job in "stand up" comedy. I felt somewhat uneasy. It reminded me of a '60s cartoon showing hippy passengers aghast that their pilot was also a hippy.

[Avman]

Personally, it just worries me deeply that people no longer have:

a) a sense of humour; and b) tolerance for bad jokes!

[barry lloyd]

Soon after the fall of Communism, I found myself on a flight - I won't name the carrier, but it wasn't Aeroflot - from Vnukovo (Moscow) to Ekaterinberg. It was -15C outside, and thankfully, some time had been spent in de-icing the aircraft, an IL-86. During this time, the CC came round with a trolley, flogging booze, soft drinks and sandwiches, which from the look of them had been made at home. I had the distinct impression that the whole thing was a bit of private enterprise, because there were no serious catering facilities at VNO in those days. The aircraft started up and began to taxy to the holding point. The CC were deeply immersed in their work, and did not realise the captain was making a rolling take off. As the aircraft climbed out, realisation began to dawn on them, but it was too late. Gravity forced the trolley to rear of the aircraft (where I was seated), whereupon the CC lost control of both it and its contents. (For those not familiar with the IL-86, you enter the aircraft by a door in the belly, where there is a baggage storage area. You then take the stairs into the cabin). The trolley finished up at the bottom of the stairs, accompanied by a cacophony of breaking glass, and a bout of trooper-like swearing from the two CC, who obviously saw the end of their private enterprise for that day!

[SLF]

Late PAX

Easyjet from Stanstead a couple of years back, we were missing 2 passengers. Cue mutterings from the cabin and the usual pointed announcement about offloading baggage from the flight deck. Enter two rather red-faced and breathless passengers...

...and about 30 people in front of me waved their hands in the air in a kind of "Mammy" way. Apparently they were a party of deaf people off for a break, and of course their friends had not heard the announcements. Not sure what would happen in an emergency of course, let's hope thay can lip-read!

Cheers - SLF

[Miraz]

One from BA - onboard a 737 intended to fly Koln-LHR

Koln gets very intense storms during the summer - I was sitting in 1A as we taxied out to the runway watching the bow wave from the nose gear as the rain pelted down.

We lined up on the runway and the engines began to spool up, then rapidly spun down again closely followed by a clearly audible "What the do you think you are doing?" through the cockpit door.

The aircraft was then taxied off the runway to a holding point where the skipper proceeded to tear strips off his co-pilot for about 15 minutes until the weather had passed.

I'm guessing that the episode was only heard by the first few rows of passengers, but it had us chuckling.

[perkin]

clearly audible "What the do you think you are doing?" through the cockpit door

Great example of bad, very bad, CRM!!

[Rwy in Sight]

I can't understand why the skipper of 737 (with only one tiller) could blame the co-pilot for attempting a take off?

Rwy in Sight

[damirc]

August 2003, Iberia, MAD-JFK. A340-300, EC-GGS.

Boarded the plane (they were boarding in zones, and I was one of the last to go through in my zone - and got upgraded to biz as a consequence ) normally. 60 minutes later we're still sitting on the tarmac and the jetway is still connected and (speculating, not sure how the system works) the A/C was being fed from the ground. The captain finally announces why we're still waiting - seems that Iberia somehow made a mistake (in his words "In the 25 years I've been flying with Iberia this is the first time this has happened") and the F/O allocated to the flight arrived JFK-MAD the same morning and couldn't possibly be flying with us. Well - 20 minutes later we got our spare F/O


D.

[John Hill]

We seemed to spend most of a snowy January day in some sort of queue waiting our turn, or whatever, to take off from Prague for London. We got deiced (or something) a couple of times, watched a movie and drank all the booze that was offered then the announcement that there would be a slot for us in a couple of minutes or we could go back to the terminal building for more food etc. He went on to say that the First Officer thought we should take a vote "But I am the captain and only my vote counts, we are going to London", everyone cheered and we were on our way!