What was your worst ever flight?

[runawaytrain]

In my limited experience, the worst and best flight for me was an SQ flight from CDG to SIN.

WORST: Extreme turbulence with cutlery etc flying in the air (I'm not a fan of rollercoasters and that is what it felt like), annoying people behind me kicking my chair although I didn't even have it reclined and if I want to recline I would ask.

BEST: My friend had status so although we flew Y, they let us have 4 seats in the middle for the both of us. Also, my friend knew one of the FAs looking after the cabin, so she took great care of us. Thanks SQ.

 

[IrishPete]

Not so much a bad flight as one that could have been. Late 1990s, Bangkok to Perth with Thai Airways in economy class (see how easy it is to not use abbreviations?). I was one of the first on the plane, and gradually it started to fill with Thai folk and all the weird and wonderful stuff they bring to Oz with them. Gradually the plane also started to fill with a stong smell of fish. Eventually one of the flight attendants noticed and started sniffing around, and located a very large (probably two feet long), probably smoked, fish, wrapped in newspaper in the overhead locker. She identified the owner, they had a heated discussion and the fish was removed from the plane. Gradually the smell dissipated.

Pete

 

[Awesom Andy]

Recently, I was in an exit row seat next to the door on a BA 744. For some reason, I couldn't sleep at all on that red eye flight. My family said that it was due to the stress of minding the emergency exit door in the extremely unlikely case where I may need to operate it. :shock:

 

[crm911]

The severe UK winter of 1/79 caused my BA flight BOM-SIN to be replaced by a seat on an Alitalia plane. The stewards were having their own party instead of serving us beverages. They were running up and down the aisles taking Polaroid photos of one another! We had to go to the galley and help ourselves. Complaints were laughed off. I have never flown Alitalia since that date.

Other flights in Asia have been marred by people trying to squat on the toilets and missing the hole. I recall one where all the toilets in Y were closed off for this reason and we had to use J and F under close supervision.

Flew in Hercs in the RAAF, where the toilet was a space about 30 cm in diameter with a canvas wrap-around, so you did your best not to use it. The pre-flight briefing would be from a crusty WOFF Loadmaster who told you that the spew bag became your property after using it and you had to take it with you. The most interesting flight we had was with the seats in "VIP" configuration, i.e. padded bench seats instead of the straps. Flying around the Red Centre we were playing cards when we encountered CAT (clear air turbulence) and the plane just dropped like a stone. Tremendous G forces on our bodies and could hadly move. Hercs have no artificial ceiling, so the bare metal roof is about 10 metres above your head. All the cards and money floated up to the roof in slow motion and then crashed when we levelled off. The game was not resumed. Luckily, nobody was using the toilet and everyone was strapped in.

 

[anat0l]

A bit hard to pick a "worst flight" as I can't bear to go through all of them to find out. The immediate one that springs to mind is my UA flight SEA-NRT about three years ago in a very old UA 777-200.

Even with my *G status, on my Y ticket I was seated second-to-last row. Surprised to find the seating quite cramped (I'm not shooting **** here - it felt cramped, but it must be standard Y pitch - how possible?). Flight was full minus one, literally. No choice of Y meal for me - had to accept the rudimentary pasta with tomato-based sauce and boiled broccoli (no meat), a preparation that makes a supermarket frozen dinner look and taste like a master creation from a 3 hat Michelin.

Overall, not a really comfy flight. Couldn't wait to arrive at NRT.

Most of you are probably thinking, "First World Problems". Yeah, probably is.