Best CF airplane stories

[BreadInCaptivity]

Inspired by another thread.

About 5 years ago we were flying back from the USA. We'd booked Premium Economy seats on Virgin. Configuration is 2-3-2.

Our two late teens were in front of us and we had the 2 seats directly behind. All settled in when a family of 4 embarked with 2 young children (around 5 and 7 at a guess).

They proceed to the 2 seats behind DH and I and start putting their bags down when the mother asked (politely to be fair) if we would mid swapping seats so they could sit together as a family.

Given our two were older (and once headphones were on were not going to be engaging with us) we decided to be nice and said ok.

Can you guess where this is going?

Asked where the other seats were, looking around the PE cabin a bit baffled as it appeared to be full....

Yep - they'd only booked 2 seats in PE and wanted us to take their 2 seats in economy 😂.

Clearly we said, no (with rather incredulous expressions on our face's) and sat back down. Parent then both start calling us selfish (oh the irony) and demanding we move. DH made the point that if sitting together was so important, then booking in the same cabin might be a good idea for the future, but as stands he was sure if they went down to economy the people in the seats next to those they'd booked would be very happy with a free upgrade 😀.

The response from the Father "I'm not giving up a better seat I've paid for"....to which DH deadpanned "I couldn't agree with you more"...at which point DH and I couldn't stop laughing enough to respond further.

Cabin crew eventually had to get involved as the parents had an argument over who was going to sit where. Mother won and spent the first 20 mins of the flight making loud passive aggressive comments to her child about "mean/selfish" people until crew got involved again and told her to pack it in or they'd be moved to economy if they didn't stop harassing us.

Thankfully the rest of the flight was uneventful but DH and I still chuckle about it now and again 😃.

Anyone got any others?

i was flying long haul where my neighbour accross the aisle videoed the whole flight with commentary - he set up a camera on a tripod It was so dull. Apparently he was a successful influencer (he kept telling people)

It was jet2

Thanks, can’t see any obvious oddities for them on SeatGuru, all very strange.

Family next to me on current Ryanair flight have outdone themselves today.

Arguing and crying with the boarding gate staff about their oversized bag (by a lot, not just a few cm…). Staff refused to board them until they paid up the €60 charge, they went on to throw a tantrum in front of their beautifully-behaved 3 year old (whom you might expect a tantrum from…).

They get on flight, dad boards from wrong door with mum and little girl, mum proceeds to ask lady in aisle seat if she would mind swapping with her husband so they can sit together. Lady asks politely if it’s also an aisle seat, as that’s what she has currently. Mum says yes, they all plonk down on their seats, then informs polite lady the seat is actually a window, and 20 rows away from where she currently is.

At this point everyone is starting to get annoyed by the boarding delay (we’re already not running on time), so polite lady takes her bags and moves down 20 rows, to avoid further arguments I assume.

Before beautifully-behaved 3 year old is even strapped in, they’ve already pulled up trustpilot and some other websites on their phones and are currently discussing what else to add to their list of complaints.

I do not understand how people’s brains work. They don’t book appropriate luggage options. They don’t book seats together. They scream at airport staff and then trick a fellow passenger into giving up her seat. Yet they’re the ones to loudly complain…

I know but still better than sitting next to the industrial strength sour puss

I agree children should be sat next to their parents but it is unfair to those who have paid for desirable seats to get moved. A fairer way would be for all parents and children to automatically be assigned seats together at the back (and middle for long haul) for free at the time of booking with the option for them to pay to get more desirable seats if required.

A flight I was on recently included in the pre-flight spiel something about not filming others without their permission. Your neighbour was a CF.

With the filming described in that PP being so blatant (tripod etc) I wonder if it had been officially OK’d by the airline.

Some outfits are very keen on using influencers/on-line travel gurus to push the product.

I would NOT appreciate being filmed in that way at all. Much less be part of someone else's monetisation of my image.

Agreed, and at most airlines it would be stopped….

I love a CF thread

I'd never experienced feet on foot rests or hair over screens before (and done a fair bit of flying over the years) but having done 2 long haul and two 4 hour flights last week I experienced both of those things and was just astonished. The hair I just chucked back over on her face and an elbow suddenly far back on the footrest pushing the foot off corrected both.

Also the utter arsehole over 11 hours a couple of nights ago who repeatedly put his knee or upper body into my seat space. Didn't take up his partner's personal space who was sat on the other side of him.

But the CF award goes to the airline I had the misfortune of travelling with for all four flights (work travel so not by choice) - Turkish Airlines. Every single flight was delayed, one by so much that I missed my connecting flight and eventually arrived home 36 hours after I should have done. Zero information from the crew (on one flight we were sat on the pan for two hours after take off time before the captain bothered telling us what was going on - they'd put too much commercial freight on board so were too heavy to take off and were arguing with air traffic, eventually had to go back to thr gate and unload freight), the staff were just unbelievably rude constantly. Never ever again.

The gays wanking under a blanket post reminded me that I'd recently read that the FBI had nearly 100 reports of sexual assault on commercial airlines last year. Mostly on woman and unaccompanied children.

The assaults usually happen in window or middle seats when the victim is asleep, and covered with a coat or blanket. The victims wake with perpetrator's hand inside their clothes.

Have you never heard of travel sickness pills??

But how did you know the other passengers didn't similarly have urgent appointments etc to get back for as well?

Sorry but why should anyone have to put up with that, whatever their age? Standards are certainly dropping!

I was once told by a restaurant worker friend that, if someone sends their food back, someone spits on it before it’s returned! So be warned!

I’m so glad I never have!!

And you believed them?! This is the kind of crap is pedalled so that they dont have to deal with pissed off customers.

I have worked in countless kitchen/restaurants in a 25 year career in hospitality and this has never happened. It would be gross misconduct and the person would be sacked on the spot. I am not saying it has never happened but I dont know a single kitchen or chef that would allow that to happen.

there have been many times when I have wanted to, dear me yes! But actually do it? No never.

Aren't you the helpful health professional. So kind.

She doesn't say they were filming others.

Who made you the thread police?

On short haul flights - they leave the middle seat empty (that’s the upgrade as the seats are all the same).