A few weeks ago, I was flying home from a blissful vacation, trying to ignore a screaming baby a few rows ahead of me and cringing at the cacophony of phlegm-y coughs coming from the seat behind me, when I realized that every flight is exactly the same. Looking around me, it was as though I’d been dropped smack dab in the middle of a roster of characters that work together to make air travel the uniquely strange, gross, frustrating experience it is. Who are these people that seem to be present on every flight, ever? Let’s break it down in list form… Keep reading »
Tag Archives: air travel
10 Annoying Airplane Behaviors That Should Probably Be Illegal
Over the past few years, I’ve traveled quite a bit and been pretty lucky when it comes to airplane seatmates. I’ve been fortunate enough to sit next to friendly, polite, interesting people who respect my personal space but will happily tell me thrilling tales about their childhood spent in a religious cult when prompted. That all changed this weekend, when, over the course of four short flights, I encountered a morning talker, an excessive ball scratcher, a sulfurous human gas machine, and a man who was smugly eating heaping bites of slimy homemade coleslaw out of a plastic bag. This is ridiculous, I thought, there should be laws against smug coleslaw crunching on airplanes! Since we managed to outlaw smoking on planes, here are some of the in-flight infractions that should be next… Keep reading »
Take It From Jeremy Renner: Viagra And 10-Hour Flights Don’t Mix
“I had to fly from London to Los Angeles for dinner and then get right back on a plane to London–that’s 10, 12 hours. I had to sleep on the plane, I had to sleep. So I take a little sleeping pill, pop it, and realize nothing’s happening–but something else was happening… I realize pretty quickly that that ‘A’ on the pill was actually a ‘V.’ Not only did I not sleep the entire flight, I was [gestures to his crotch] camping.”
– “Bourne Legacy” star Jeremy Renner tells Jimmy Kimmel about the time a friend gave him a Viagra instead of an Ambien, resulting in the, ahem, hardest flight of his life. Just say no to free sleeping pills, kids! [People]
Leisha Hailey Of “The L Word” Kicked Off Flight For Kissing Girlfriend
Celebrities seem to get into trouble on airplanes way too often. Usually, they did something kind of wack—like when Gerard Depardieu emptied his bladder or when Josh Duhamel refused to get off his BlackBerry. But when Leisha Hailey of “The L-Word” got booted off a Southwest Airlines flight yesterday, she says it was for a very different reason. She says she was kicked off the flight for kissing her girlfriend.
“I have been discriminated against by @SouthwestAir. Flt. attendant said that it was a ‘family’ airline and kissing was not ok,” she tweeted yesterday after the incident. “This is an outrage. I demand a public apology by @SouthwestAir and a refund. Hate is not a family value. I will never fly this airline.”
She claims to audio and video of the entire incident, and is now calling for a boycott.
Leonardo DiCaprio Makes An Emergency Landing And Other Plane Frights Of The Rich and Famous
Leonardo DiCaprio didn’t think the skies were so friendly this weekend. He was on a Delta commercial flight to Moscow from New York’s JFK when, a few minutes after takeoff, one of the jet’s engines blew. Several witnesses on the ground called emergency services to say the plane was on fire, but the pilots had it under control. While the lights went out in the passenger cabin, they used the jet’s good engine to circle the airport for an hour and dump enough fuel to safely land the debilitated plane. Leo put out a statement via his rep about the incident today. “[Leonardo] wishes to commend the actions of the pilot and flight crew in bringing the plane to a safe landing,” it read.
Leonardo is far from the first celebrity to be on a very scary flight. After the jump, tales of celebrity plane rides gone turbulent. Some of them have happy endings, and very sadly, some do not. Keep reading »
Frisky Manners: Spring Break Travel Is No Excuse To Forget Your Etiquette
Whether you’re on spring break or are yearning for a long weekend, you no doubt have travel on the brain. And while exploring a new place or returning to a favorite haunt can be really exciting, airplane travel can be downright annoying and frustrating. So to make sure someone doesn’t spend a whole flight plotting your murder because you’ve really pissed them off, we’re going to take a moment to focus on airplane etiquette. Remember how you felt when a fellow passenger made you uncomfortable. Keep reading »
The Dark Side Of Being A Flight Attendant
Russian airline Aeroflot, which is known for its sketchy planes, disgusting food, and bad service, is getting a makeover. At least, their flight attendants are. The company’s new boss said he is only going to hire “very eye-catching girls.” Also, women who are larger than a size 10 need not apply. [Daily Mail]
We feel bad for these women, but, apparently, things aren’t much better on other airlines. If you think being a flight attendant is glamorous you are way behind the curve. Keep reading »
