Years ago I was visiting my sister down in Orange County for the weekend when her kids came down with the stomach flu. I knew I was next, so I decided to high-tail it out of there in hopes that I'd get back home to San Francisco before the virus struck me.

I was flying Southwest into OAK and was doing OK at the airport, but I started to feel a bit rumbly as soon as we took off. I ran to the bathroom where there was a line; there was a little kid doing the potty dance, but her mom took one look at me and said, "Uh, why don't we let this nice lady cut in front of us?" I puked my guts out.

Luckily it's a short flight, but I sat there during the entire descent trying not to vomit again. As soon as we were pulled into the gate, I ran out of my seat and back into the lavs, where I stayed until the plane had deboarded.

My husband was on the Orange County trip with me, although he had to fly to PDX on Alaska to go to a business meeting. He paid the $50 to upgrade to first class, and still says it's probably the best $50 he ever spent. He spent the whole flight trying to sleep so he wouldn't throw up.