Famous people met/seen while flying.

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My Asia dine-out one is chcking in with Jackie Chan (in the old Kai Tak) - he was surrounded by minders but we got to say "hi".

F from Sydney, Bob and Blanche were next to me, cuddly and cozy before the press had gotten a hold of the news!

Next to Mr Dickson ADL-SYD - not a word was spoken.

Rod Marsh AKL-SYD great, red wine-fuelled (one sided) and enjoyable conversation for 3+ hours

Lots of sightings over the years. Interestingly many experiences have been of celebs (especially an Oz one that used to have a fluffy sidekick) throw the most bizzare tantrums to get upgrades, etc " (Do you know who I am...?" etc.
 
Argh!

How could I forget?

David Helfgott: Accosted by him in the PER QF Pub. This bloke came charging up to me and introduced himself, I spent a few minutes thinking "cough, this bloke knows me and I ought to remember his name" until I realised who he was. Had a good chat for about 15 minutes until his wife came and peeled him away.


A good slice of the 2004 AU test cricket side on an ADL-MEL flight.
 
Had "Mrs Crocodile Hunter" and mother and kids (before he tried to use the youngest as bait) on a DFW - LAX AA flight one day. They had the first 4 seats in F class and ensured that no one in F had a restful trip. Almost bad enough to want to go down the back :!:

:evil: :twisted: :roll: :(
 
Many, but a notable was Geoff Heugle and his mother in F on a Thai flight BNE - BKK (his mother is Thai and they were upgraded in the lounge) he promptly slept for the whole flight (I am jealous anyone can do that) whilst his mother entertained the entire plane with her scrap - book from the Olympics, it was about a year after the SYD games.

The papers in BKK the next day trumpeted the 'Thai' olympic champion coming 'home'.

Cheers
 
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shillard said:
Argh!

How could I forget?

David Helfgott: Accosted by him in the PER QF Pub. This bloke came charging up to me and introduced himself, I spent a few minutes thinking "s*it, this bloke knows me and I ought to remember his name" until I realised who he was. Had a good chat for about 15 minutes until his wife came and peeled him away.

Knowing David Helfgott pretty well, I suspect you were listening more than chatting (in the conventional sense). Lucky for you Gillian was around, and shame there was no piano.
 
I am the type of person who would not notice.

And if I have seen/sat next to/been on the same plane as a famous person at some time in my travels, more than likely I wouldn't recognise them and probably would not know their name either.

Many years ago I was travelling Olympic airways SYD-ATH and I noticed this lady at the economy check-in with what appeared to be 3 large suitcases (clearly well over limit) and she was having problems as they wanted her to pay money for the overweight baggage. She was complaining and the check-in lady would not listen and eventually she paid up. As luck would have it this lady was also allocated the seat next to me and as she boarded before me she tried to steal my window exit row seat as well. Just sat there and would not budge until I got the flight attendants to move her out of my seat. Little did I know that she was a famous Greek singer and 1/2 an hour after take-off she spent the rest of the time (as well as her minder) in first class at the captain's request. Did not see her again. My one brush with fame and I blew it. :roll: :oops: :oops:

Although I did get to have the whole exit row to myself SYD-ATH. :p :D
 
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Lindsay Wilson said:
Domestically - MEL QP meeting Matt Hayden and Ian Healy (I work with his brother), sitting down and having a beer with them. A Channel 7 newsreader in BNE is a client and so is James Blundell.

Internationally - Cher, her daugher and nanny in JFK Flagship Lounge, sat across the F aisle from Loretta Swit 20 minutes later on AA3 JFK/LAX.

Didn't you also meet the (in)famous "Shillard" in the SYD QF Pub?
 
Yes briefly IIRC. Would love to catch up again sometime soon (if we are ever in the same city, at the same time)...

BTW, when are you going to finish your Fiji TR over on FT??
 
Lindsay Wilson said:
BTW, when are you going to finish your Fiji TR over on FT??

Which reminds me there's someone else on this board that needs to finish one :oops: .
 
Are you meaning me, BlacKnox??? I have 2 or 3 at home to get around to (skiing in ZQN and Europe trip), but I certainly haven't any that are partially finished....
 
Lindsay Wilson said:
Are you meaning me, BlacKnox??? I have 2 or 3 at home to get around to (skiing in ZQN and Europe trip), but I certainly haven't any that are partially finished....

No, he's meaning his Fukuoka report. Which reminds me, I must get around to doing a trip report for my QF/BA/AF/AY trip and the associated ski instructor course I did in Austria in January.
 
Craigo said:
Lindsay Wilson said:
Are you meaning me, BlacKnox??? I have 2 or 3 at home to get around to (skiing in ZQN and Europe trip), but I certainly haven't any that are partially finished....

No, he's meaning his Fukuoka report.

Yep, I'm the culprit :oops: .

Craigo said:
Which reminds me, I must get around to doing a trip report for my QF/BA/AF/AY trip and the associated ski instructor course I did in Austria in January.

Please do - would love to read about that :!:
 
Ten years ago, I saw Margaret Thatcher (plus massive entourage) at JFK - she was on the same flight as me to London and caused us to wait 15 minutes to disembark at Heathrow. Wish she could sort out the unions in the US and Oz as well as she did in the UK. I'd start with United's .. .. .. ..

Also saw Germaine Greer on flight from London to Sydney.

On another London to Sydney flight I met a bloke who had just won a gold medal at the Athens Olympics. I think he was in the 4x100m (not sure if that's right). The crew upgraded him to business, lots of photo's and I got to see / hold / etc the medal. Security at Sing were a bit impressed when they asked him to open up his bags because "something was setting off the metal detector" .. .. .. ..

Best,

vaccav
 
As for me:

Bud Tingwall in front of me on a North Qld route I think it was ROK-BNE.

Cathy Freeman curled up in a ball and going without meal service in J on a SYD-BNE.

Jon English and Gerry Connoly DRW-SYD in J.

LAX-SYD: Alexander Downer in 1A with his assistants in 1K & 2F

And I'm ready for more! It is interesting for a people watcher like me. I also like to sneak a peek at who has the coveted 1A on any flight. (Even with my contacts in it's still that bit too much of a strain to read the boarding pass from the next row).
 
So what's the BIG DEAL with flying with famous people ?? They are after all only passengers going your way too and don't want stared at time after time, even if they do seek attention - would you like people gawking at you every time you trave ? It's the only time you can escape the world into your own world - give them a break, and us too, find something worthwhile to put on the discussion board you small-minded people. :roll:
 
Do you have a medal for being Australia's BIGGEST snob ???

CdaWorld said:
As for me:

Bud Tingwall in front of me on a North Qld route I think it was ROK-BNE.

Cathy Freeman curled up in a ball and going without meal service in J on a SYD-BNE.

Jon English and Gerry Connoly DRW-SYD in J.

LAX-SYD: Alexander Downer in 1A with his assistants in 1K & 2F

And I'm ready for more! It is interesting for a people watcher like me. I also like to sneak a peek at who has the coveted 1A on any flight. (Even with my contacts in it's still that bit too much of a strain to read the boarding pass from the next row).
:twisted:
 
Gerri,

Going by your comments, you might be slightly confused about what some OP mean in their comments in this thread, as the vast majority of people who read and post comments in this forum are very experienced travellers, and there is no suggestion on this thread that they stare or gawk at well known personalities. They simply recognise them, and when travelling in F or J there is a very good chance that you could be seated next to or near a well known personality or VIP. If that did occur it would be impolite not to introduce ones self and have a brief chat. I suggest that does not constitute being small minded, as you assert.
 
Gerri said:
So what's the BIG DEAL with flying with famous people ?? They are after all only passengers going your way too and don't want stared at time after time, even if they do seek attention - would you like people gawking at you every time you trave ? It's the only time you can escape the world into your own world - give them a break, and us too, find something worthwhile to put on the discussion board you small-minded people. :roll:

Dent in your tiara, princess?
 
Maca44 said:

They simply recognise them, and when travelling in F or J there is a very good chance that you could be seated next to or near a well known personality or VIP. If that did occur it would be impolite not to introduce ones self and have a brief chat. I suggest that does not constitute being small minded, as you assert.

but Maca 44 has also said:
On domestic flights I either read the newspaper or sit there with my eyes closed and pretent to sleep. I prefer to not talk to other pax on those flights, unless of course you know the person.


So are we to infer that Maca44 will ignore someone unless they are famous, which would be impolite? Sounds like a miniature cultural cringe. I think that this was the point that Gerri was trying to make. But then again, it might be the tiara. :D
 
shillard said:
Gerri said:
So what's the BIG DEAL with flying with famous people ?? They are after all only passengers going your way too and don't want stared at time after time, even if they do seek attention - would you like people gawking at you every time you trave ? It's the only time you can escape the world into your own world - give them a break, and us too, find something worthwhile to put on the discussion board you small-minded people. :roll:

Dent in your tiara, princess?

Fair call I feel shillard. Looks like someone had a bad day which is fair enough; I've had plenty of those recently :roll: .

Having shoulder length blonde hair I get stared and gawked at plenty in Japan. You just get used to it, as I'm sure famous people do.
 
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