Embarking on a journey through the clouds can be an exhilarating experience, but it can also bring its fair share of awkward encounters. From unexpected seatmates to embarrassing mishaps, join us as we delve into the comical and cringe-worthy moments that unfold in the unpredictable realm of air travel.
Stories have been edited for clarity.
Stink Bomb
“Oh boy. This still makes me cringe to this day.
I was traveling with some friends to Washington D.C..
Our flight was due for departure in about an hour, and none of us had eaten since the day before. One of my friends went to a small Mexican restaurant in the airport, while the rest of us went to get some coffee and a small snack. We made pleasant conversation, unaware of the horror and humiliation awaiting us on the plane.
Jason met up with us just before we boarded. He had a strange look on his face, but kept brushing off all of our inquiries. Right as we were getting on the plane, Jason tapped me on the shoulder. He had a panicked look on his face and said, ‘I’m not feeling too great.’
Thinking he was getting plane sick, I told him to use the bags they offered because we couldn’t afford to miss the flight.
I sat in the middle of two of my other friends. By chance, we were also right next to the bathroom. I had brought a book to read, and I had happily begun to immerse myself in it, while they argued and peered over my shoulder occasionally. The plane finally took off. About an hour in, I saw Jason make a dash for the restroom in my peripheral vision. Several moments later, Jason emerged, his face red. At the same time, my friend sitting next to me went in and quickly stumbled out gagging. His eyes were watering and he began to swear profusely under his breath. When Jason sat back down, I asked him if he was okay. He turned to me and whispered,
‘Jason clogged the airplane’s toilet. He even missed the toilet.’
Then the smell hit. It was as if it had a life of its own, spreading throughout the plane. It was promptly followed by Jason’s audible mumbling of, ‘Oh man, oh man, oh man.’ If Jason was trying to be inconspicuous, he had failed. A baby started to cry, waking up a couple of people who were greeted by the smell.
The smell was overpowering, and my group was practically crying. I raised my book above my head, so no one could see my face. People who had been waiting for the bathroom immediately headed to their seats. Just when I thought that this couldn’t get worse, the pilot got on the intercom and said…
‘We apologize for the smell. We will attempt to clear it out shortly.’
Everyone was groaning, the baby was crying, and Jason was about to jump off the plane. People turned around to look at my group constantly as if we all had collectively ruined the bathroom. Finally, we landed in D.C.
I’d never seen a plane empty as quickly as it did. People watched us as we walked out, and little kids laughed and some pointed at Jason as he went by. It was mortifying. We left and got everything we needed. We had to get a taxi to get to the hotel we booked and by the time we got to said destination, we seemed to all smell like Jason. Then, of course, being the mature friends we are, we had to make wisecracks about it for the rest of the day.
Truly, this was an experience I wish to never repeat.”
Sleepyhead
“I was flying with Frontier Airlines from Atlanta to Denver. A long day of traveling had taken its toll, and all I wanted was a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. I leaned back, closed my eyes, and hoped for a peaceful slumber.
Minutes later, I found myself drifting in and out of slumber. Suddenly, a gentle weight pressed against my shoulder. Startled, I opened my eyes to see a man, probably in his late 40s, slumped against me, fast asleep. Drool pooled at the corner of his mouth and slowly trickled down his chin. I couldn’t help but cringe at the sight.
I gently nudged him, hoping to wake him up, but he didn’t even stir. I had just become his new pillow. I couldn’t possibly spend the entire flight with a stranger’s drool seeping into my shirt. I glanced around, but the flight attendants seemed too busy to notice my predicament.
Trying to make the best of an uncomfortable situation, I focused on the man’s face. He seemed peaceful. He probably had been traveling for hours, just like me, and was completely worn out.
Taking a deep breath, I summoned the patience to endure. I leaned back, making myself as comfortable as possible, and let my mind wander.
A few more minutes later, the man suddenly jumped from his nap. He blinked and looked around, clearly disoriented. After seeing how he used me as a pillow, he mumbled an apology, wiping the drool from his chin. We both shared a laugh, breaking the tension that lingered in the air.
I’m not a very confrontational guy. The thought of waking the guy up sent my anxiety through the roof as weird as that sounds. But it was a funny memory that I think about from time to time.”
Botched Landing
“My grandmother was a flight attendant, so I flew pretty often. She taught me to always be on my very best behavior on the plane, and to always ‘dress to impress.’ I was packing for a trip from LA to DC to see my grandfather, who I hadn’t seen for more than three years. I realized, the night before my flight, that all of my nice air-worthy pants were dirty. There was no time to wash my clothes, so I was reluctant to resort to boarding the plane in cargo shorts. Luckily, I found some beige dress pants that I thought would go wonderfully with my powder blue polo shirt. The pants were too small for me, but I could button them, and I figured that was good enough.
Big mistake.
After saying my goodbyes to my Dad, who had brought me to the airport, I boarded the plane. I was a teenager flying over two thousand miles without any parents or siblings, so I felt like the coolest kid in the world. I was polite to the flight attendant, as per my grandmother’s teachings, and I was able to get bottomless ginger ale with ease. On top of that, since I was flying on a free ticket from my grandmother, I got to sit in economy plus. Life was good.
Until the landing.
Before the pilot began the descent, I had to use the bathroom. Bad. I waited for thirty excruciating minutes to get up and go, but I managed to get there in time. The seatbelt sign came on, and it was time to get back to my seat. So, I zipped up and buttoned my pants.
But they were too small.
My pants simply wouldn’t button. I couldn’t even pull them all the way up to my waist because they were a lot smaller than I expected. I thought, ‘Okay, well I can just tuck it under my shirt and fix it when I get to the bathroom at the airport.’ This seemed like a solid idea, so I walked back to my seat and prepared for the landing.
Once we were finally on the ground, everyone began to disembark. I was desperate to get my pants together, so I hurried off the plane, both of my hands holding my luggage. What came next was mortifying.
My pants began to slide off.
I did an odd dance trying to keep them up, and I stopped in several empty rows of seats to correct them. Everyone on the plane was probably already trying to hold back their laughter. They almost fell completely off in the jetway, and the only thing that kept me from collapsing from embarrassment was knowing that I would probably never see any of the people at the airport again. I entered the airport, and my grandfather was standing there to greet me. My pants were 50% of the way off. What I saw on his face was an odd mixture of happiness to see me, concern, laughter, and mutual embarrassment. The first words I said to him in person for a few years was, ‘Lemme just use the bathroom real quick.’
The first thing we did after that was buy new pants.”
