Famous people seen (or even met) whilst flying or lounging

[andy2015]

Andrew O'Keefe in the Etihad lounge (AUH). His personality seemed exactly the same as on TV....that being way too energetic for 6am after a long haul flight. Noise cancelling headphones went on.

 

[Boca68]

Andrew O'Keefe in the Etihad lounge (AUH). His personality seemed exactly the same as on TV....that being way too energetic for 6am after a long haul flight. Noise cancelling headphones went on.

Noise cancelling headphones and sleeping mask would have gone on immediately for me.

Had the privilege (read dour job) of dealing with Mr. O'Keefe a few years ago. The phrase DYKWIA comes to mind.

 

[Melburnian1]

There are media reports (Fairfax) that Grant Hackett (swimming champion) has allegedly been arrested in MEL by Australian Federal Police for 'questioning by Victoria Police' after someone in front of him reclined their business class seat. The report does not give any further relevant details and looks to have been rewritten from another source.

The sole QF flight, QF880 departed MEL two minutes early this morning (Sunday 17 April) at 0928 for OOL, arriving six minutes early. The report I saw fails to give the flight details and implies it was today, but apart from including a tweet dated today does not actually say so.

Another report (Herald Sun) claims that he was travelling Virgin Australia from ADL to OOL via MEL in J and was quizzed in MEL after allegations that he 'threatened' another passenger on board.

What really happened - who knows. On the one hand it can seem to the great unwashed that there can be celebrities with huge egos behaving as if they are 'God', but on the other hand there can be a 'Tall Poppy' syndrome where others who interact with these individuals might make 'mountains out of molehills.' That is just a general remark because the media allegations in this case may be sensationalised, as is often the case these days.

It is not reported whether a meal or snack was being served or consumed when the other passenger allegedly reclined his seat.

At least we know that there were at least two passengers in VA J this morning on a flight. Occasionally I have seen it empty.

Early on Sunday morning the inner suburban streets can often have a few individuals who have just emerged from the 'recovery clubs' and who are inebriated or have other drugs in their systems. Extrapolate that to an aircraft and it could mean some aggression on board, but then again such an individual might not be able to board the plane in the first place if his or her behaviour was noted by ground or gate staff.

 

[Milefest]

Sounds like a classic case of DYKWIA.

It is not reported whether a meal or snack was being served or consumed when the other passenger allegedly reclined his seat.

That shouldn't matter as the tray table comes out from the armrest not the seat back.

 

[Melburnian1]

Milefest, many thanks.

Since I submitted the original post the 'Herald Sun' report has become more detailed. There is a claim that 'people on board' have complained that Hackett assaulted the passenger in front of him (presumably another male.) I have not attached it as this is the classic story that will 'develop' further, and is sure to be close to top of the pops on tonight's commercial television news bulletins, not that this says much for the electronic media when there are so many truly important issues.

'People' is plural so if that is true it is quite serious, as it indicates more than one witness. That reduces the chance of it just being one other who wants to make an example of a celebrity, and much as it may surprise some of us, there may well be 'people' on board in J (or whY) who do not know who the said individual is, either because they are Australians who do not follow sport or foreigners who either do follow sport (but not swimming) or who have no interest in sport.

From memory Australian rules football has the highest following (attendees at matches) of Australian sport, but even in states where it is dominant such as Victoria, WA, SA and Tasmania, there is up to 45 per cent of the population who do not follow it at all. The individual involved in the alleged incident may well be a 'household name' but if one went to the Pitt, Bourke, Queen, Hay Street or Rundle Malls, anyone undertaking a straw poll would quickly find some locals who did not recognise said person. After all, some people still think Kevin Rudd or John Howard is our PM, and as for State Premiers....

 

[JessicaTam]

Please post news items elsewhere. This thread is for first hand sightings of 'Famous people', not third hand news reports.

 

[Melburnian1]

JessicaTam, apologies. I thought about that but given it was an item concerning a 'famous person' I thought it was best placed in here. I have noted your request and won't ever post similar items in this thread again.

 

[gwilli1]

The QLD Premier ...lets just call her AP ...at the Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach this afternoon.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Germaine Greer in EK lounge BNE for EK 435!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Germaine Greer in EK lounge BNE for EK 435!

Wonder if she'll get behind the upper deck bar and join the brigade of people who post selfies wearing the EK hostie's hat and scarf combo???

Nah, yeah, nah. :shock: :shock:

Just to keep the thread on track I recently saw former PM John Howard arriving from SYD on a QF flight, NRL Brisbane Bronco's Captain Corey Parker heading out to the satellite to board a QF flight at BNE Domestic.

Last year Bob Ansett and his wife flying QF BNE/LAX. Some people may remember in the early 80's when TAA was the first domestic carrier to introduce Business Class they had a poster with Bob on it and the caption was "why Ansett flies TAA." Clever marketing.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Wonder if she'll get behind the upper deck bar and join the brigade of people who post selfies wearing the EK hostie's hat and scarf combo???

Nah, yeah, nah. :shock: :shock:

In these days, somehow I doubt it but being hobbled by foot issue never made it back to the bar this flight so, if so, we missed it!

We did manage to have a quick chat on the way to the DXB lounge though. We'll chalk that one up for the trip stories. I'm sure memory will embellish the encounter as time goes on.

 

[AV8]

Alyssa Sutherland (Princess Aslaug - Vikings TV series) on AA73 this week.

 

[RickyT84]

Saw Bill Shorten at the LST QP last night (Sunday, 8th May) and again on board QF 2286 to MEL. He was almost the last person to board the plane and everyone on board saw him as he sat down in seat 2D (the exit row window seat on the Q400).

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Saw Bill Shorten at the LST QP last night (Sunday, 8th May) and again on board QF 2286 to MEL. He was almost the last person to board the plane and everyone on board saw him as he sat down in seat 2D (the exit row window seat on the Q400).

Look at moiye I'm travelling whY. Kind of a a reverse DYKWIA approach. The Member for Kennedy is also a fan of boarding last on whatever flight he's on, not that you'd miss him with the cowboy hat and all. It seems the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree with his offspring having inherited the same trait in being last to board although it's better than walking in the opposite direction of the boarding gate with mobile phone glued to ear when he's the last pax to board.

Other than being last to board, I'm assuming Billy wasn't running late and had the flight held for him (as reported on here by someone who was on the same VA flight as him).

 

[kermatu]

Look at moiye I'm travelling whY. Kind of a a reverse DYKWIA approach. The Member for Kennedy is also a fan of boarding last on whatever flight he's on, not that you'd miss him with the cowboy hat and all. It seems the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree with his offspring having inherited the same trait in being last to board although it's better than walking in the opposite direction of the boarding gate with mobile phone glued to ear when he's the last pax to board.

Other than being last to board, I'm assuming Billy wasn't running late and had the flight held for him (as reported on here by someone who was on the same VA flight as him).

I twice sat in Row 1 of a 737 with Kevin Rudd across the aisle; in 2013 (around 3 months before he took back the PM position). He was vey happy sitting in 1F or 1A with around half the pax still to board. 1 in every 3 pax who saw him would say "G'day Kevin". It was then I knew PM Gillard's days were numbered...

 

[Bolthead]

I am doing bit of Ubering now and as I was dropping off a customer at Sydney Domestic T2 last week Beau Ryan was getting out of a car.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beau_Ryan

 

[drron]

Look at moiye I'm travelling whY. Kind of a a reverse DYKWIA approach. The Member for Kennedy is also a fan of boarding last on whatever flight he's on, not that you'd miss him with the cowboy hat and all. It seems the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree with his offspring having inherited the same trait in being last to board although it's better than walking in the opposite direction of the boarding gate with mobile phone glued to ear when he's the last pax to board.

Other than being last to board, I'm assuming Billy wasn't running late and had the flight held for him (as reported on here by someone who was on the same VA flight as him).

Though I once did board after the Hon Member for Kennedy on a TSV-BNE QF flight.Turned out I was across the aisle from him.Obviously threw him when as I sat down I said gday Bob.I think he spent the flight wondering if he should have known me.

 

[Warks]

I think it was the Tongan or Samoan rugby team in T2 at SYD yesterday. Dressed somewhat traditionally from the waist down (and thongs! on some). Looks like they were Australian based players all going their separate ways as only about five were on my flight to TSV. Apologies to our Tongan and Samoan brethren for not knowing which was which.

 

[BAM1748]

I think it was the Tongan or Samoan rugby team in T2 at SYD yesterday. Dressed somewhat traditionally from the waist down (and thongs! on some). Looks like they were Australian based players all going their separate ways as only about five were on my flight to TSV. Apologies to our Tongan and Samoan brethren for not knowing which was which.

That's good, but sport teams people don't rank for me as famous people. :mrgreen:

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I think it was the Tongan or Samoan rugby team in T2 at SYD yesterday. Dressed somewhat traditionally from the waist down (and thongs! on some). Looks like they were Australian based players all going their separate ways as only about five were on my flight to TSV. Apologies to our Tongan and Samoan brethren for not knowing which was which.

Just as well they weren't trying to access to QP at T3. Given that there are usually some ex All Black players who play for Tonga and Samoa they could've protested by doing a Haka to the lounge dragons. :shock: :shock: