Post Your Airport/Plane Horror Story

[quagmire]

I have previously posted my "worst airline experience ever" story. I'll do a search and post back a link in this post, because it was quite the story. I laugh now, looking back, but it was one of those experiences that was so awful, so surreal, that you keep asking yourself, "is this really happening?!"

Here it is: https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/3564874/

Enjoy.

That sucks, but it happens. If weather is below minimums, there is nothing United can do about it. What the pilot was doing was doing the approach and see if he/she can see any visual reference to the runway( the actual runway, the lights before the runway, etc) and if the visibility and ceiling was at or above the minimums the approach called for.

It sucks that they put you in vans and were going to fly you back to Dulles though.

 

[notjustjay]

That sucks, but it happens. If weather is below minimums, there is nothing United can do about it.

Oh, I understand about bad weather, it was pretty horribly unlucky for us. I guess what really got me was the irony of how the Delta flight made it through -- our luggage got to Atlanta long before we did. I was really kicking myself for not choosing to take that flight.

I was really going to write United a "strongly worded" complaint letter, but in the end decided that they did do the best they could do given the circumstances.

It just seems like "when it rains, it pours" -- up until then, other than short delays, I had never experienced any sort of airline/airplane trouble. The "lost luggage" scenario is ubiquitously told yet had never happened to me until that night (and never again since, either).

 

[iBlue]

Great thread!

That "runway" in the congo

I was on a flight to Jakarta about 10 years ago. Had to connect on a flight out of 'Bama to Chicago, where I boarded a plane non-stop. During the changeover I decided to eat some authentic Chicago food, so I had some pizza, and some beer, and some Chicago dogs, some more beer, and to top it all off had a few shooters. I was in business class, so i knew I could sleep it off in a nice comfy seat.
It didn't turn out that way.
About half way across the Pacific my stomach was going NUTS, and I was farting some kind of death-fume from outer space. The folks around me where far enough away, so I was safe, and the aisle seat next to me was open. A little bit later I cramped up and HAD to go to the restroom NOW. I jumped out of my seat and made it to the toilet... almost. My bowels let loose about 5 feet from the restroom door and it was like someone spilled a gallon of brown gravy. It shot out of me like a volcano, and poured down my leg. I could NOT stop it, and my GOD the stench! A stewardess was right there and almost vomited, but she helped me into the cubicle. So here I was, covered from the waist down in liquid crap, in a bathroom the size of a casket. I pulled off my pants and underwear and started rinsing them out. While I was doing that I had ANOTHER eruption, and this one painted the door. Then I threw up (You would have too!) I continued on cleaning myself up... and ran out of towels. OH NO! I decided to just crack the door and ask the stewardess to get me some more, when all of the sudden some turbulence threw my out of the restroom. And what was blocking my way? The drink cart. I grabbed a hold of the handle but succeeded in knocking every can of pop and bucket of ice off the cart. THEN, I get wedged between the cart and the door frame, naked, covered in crap, then vomited again. People were screaming. One old guy threw up. A lady covered her young child's eyes and shouted "Don't look baby, don't look!" I was trapped. The steward called for assistance, and one big guy came over and tried lifting me up. I heard a crack... it was my arm. "I THINK I BROKE MY F***ING ARM!" I shouted. (I didn't) I overheard a steward call the pilot and tell them what was going on, and maybe he'd better get back here. I wasn't even humiliated. It was like a dream... or a nightmare.
Well, they finally got my up and back in the bathroom where I cleaned up best I could. The stewardess cleared a few seats around me by putting a few folks in first class. I slept.
I landed in Jakarta, went to my hotel, called my wife and sons, ordered room service and fell asleep.

This is so horrifying I hope that you're somehow kidding around.

I go on holiday a lot during holiday seasons.. Skiing in the alps-that sort of thing... I remember a couple of years ago, we were going to one of the european countries that have the Alps, and the charter was late... we waited about 3 hours for a plane and they didn't give us jack....
...

I'm sure your parents are proud. Anyone that could write the sentence: "one of the european countries that have the Alps" and not be completely embarrassed by it doesn't deserve to go, let alone complain (about the chartered flight, no less). Diddums.

 

[DiamondMac]

I was flying from Houston to Philly on Delta when the play flipped over and nose-dived

Eventually got leveled out and landed immediately

Love flying ever since

 

[dmr727]

Diddums.

Oooh! I just learned a new British phrase today! I shall use it several times today to practice.

 

[Signal-11]

Great thread!

That "runway" in the congo

I just watched that video again and you at 0:49, on the left, you can see that old crashed biplane I was talking about in my first post in this thread.

 

[arkitect]

I was on a flight to Jakarta about 10 years ago…

Les Kern, I have no idea if that was a true story, and I have no reason to doubt you, but I have rarely laughed so much as when I read your story.

I am still wiping tears away.

On a serious note, I am relieved to know you made it through unscathed, and arm unbroken. Although what your dignity suffered god only knows.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[HelloMarissa]

This past summer, an old woman in the airport was coughing really hard, so the airline made her wear a mask to cover her cough. During the flight however, she would remove the mask and continue to cough. Kinda defeats the purpose. Also whenever you looked at her, she would glare at you as if to say "Yeah, I have germs...so what?" Needless to say, everyone wanted off that flight.