roberino

Except that "Einmal Weisenbier, bitte" doesn't really have a calming effect on nervous flyers.

Fraser

I had a vaguely similar situation to this quite a few years ago. I'd flown SFO-BOS overnight and was connecting. I had noted the gate where our flight was departing from. It was around 30mins before scheduled departure time and I asked the GA about boarding. She said the plane hadn't arrived yet and to check the various monitors in the terminal. The wife and I went to the Red Carpet Club around the corner and were following the status of the flight. The flight was due to depart at 8.55am and was showing as being on time. At around 8.40am according to my watch the flight had disappeared off the monitors! I then noticed the clock on the monitor was 8.51am! When we were coming in to land in Boston I'd mistakenly not put my watch forward a full 3hrs, but only around 2hrs 50mins. We ran up to the gate and the display behind the podium where it had previously showed our flight destination was now a blank 'Thank You For Flying United Airlines'. I went into 'Oh ....' mode at this point as the gate area was fairly empty. I asked someone if they were on our flight and he said he wasn't so I presumed it had already boarded or closed. There was no GA to be seen and the jetbridge door was open, the BP reader showed 'Boarding UAXXXX' as well. I ran down the jetway with boarding passes in hand thinking I was the very last to board. The CRJ was there with the door open and GA chatting with the FA. I held the boarding passes out to her and said we were here apologising for the delay. Then things went a little bad, the GA said the flight had only just arrived and boarding hadn't started, she shouted at me saying if I didn't return to the gate area she'd call the police. I tried to explain why I'd done what I did but she again she'd call the cops if I didn't go back "this second".

Rather embarassed I went back to the gate area and waited for other passengers to disembark. Boarding was called and once again I tried to explain my actions again but was told that I should never enter a jetbridge without permission. I've flown enough to know that everything presented to me gave the indication that the flight was closing. Do I just stand in the gate and watch my aircraft push back, which could quite easily have happened. Personally although I was in the wrong, if the jetbridge is such a hallowed area perhaps she should have shut and locked the door behind her when she went to attend to the arriving aircraft.

MissJ

Don't feel bad, IMO anyone with special circumstances around flying should make every effort to select the seats they need ASAP after booking (of course depending on the airline). Or they could have gone to a flight attendant and had them explain the situation to you in a common language.

I once refused to switch on an CDG-ATL. Got a lot of dirty looks, but seriously, I'm not switching my aisle seat in J for a middle one on a flight that long.

I can't think of anything rude I've done on a plane. If I was rude, I was likely half-asleep and had no idea what I was doing. I did once sit in the wrong seat (only time I can recall ever doing so) and when the rightful owner arrived, I was so jetlagged that I really had no idea what he was telling me and just sat there like an idiot. Thank goodness he was a polite Finn. A few minutes later, I looked at him and said "Am I in your seat?". My brain finally processed and I was very apologetic. He was totally okay with it and I moved to my seat, which was just across the aisle.

ajGoes

I felt really bad for the owner of a rollaboard on a NRT-ORD arrival. He got up, looked in the bin where he'd put it, and went into a panic when he discovered it wasn't there. I don't think I helped when I said "sorry" to him as he found it about six rows back, meaning to sympathize with his bad luck, not to take unearned responsibility. I didn't want to call out the ANA FA who had moved it to make room for mine when I boarded.

darthbimmer

Wow, some of you have great stories. I think the worst thing I ever did on a plane was pay $5 once for one of UA's inflight wines.

trooper

Had a very poor experience on a QF flight LAX-SYD years ago (started flying with NZ as a result)...it had to do with an exit row aisle seat...and a forced move to a much worse seat....

Toward the end of the flight the FA involved in the original shift presented me with a bottle of Champagne and said "thanks for helping us out"

I was a LITTLE angry and reminded her I hadn't been given a choice... then said something like "I'm allergic to wine... so now on top of making me move to a crap seat for 14 hours you're trying to make me sick?"

Still feel just a bit guilty for that.....but only a little....

Annalisa12

I am a non drinker so I agree that wine would not compensate. Even if I had been a drinker, a bottle of Krug 1928 would not fix a move to a horrible economy seat on a 14 hour leg.

Badenoch

The only time guilt should be felt is if your actions were needlessly unkind, gratuitously unfair or completely unwarranted.

I try to act with courtesy and consideration but there definitely are limits.

Therefore I do not feel guilty about the quiet but somewhat menacing conversation I had with a father who ignored my polite request to stop his son from kicking my seat.

Nor do I feel the slightest regret for my foot coming down on the instep of the man behind me who failed to heed my friendly advice not to poke me in the back a second time while we were deplaning. Clumsy me.

About the worst thing I've done is ignore a short elderly woman who couldn't get her bag in the overhead. I felt bad about that and now always help when I can.

davesam12

A shoulder injury several years ago, preciptated me always checking my roller bag even if a carry on size, because I just couldn't (and still can't) do the hoist up to the bin. Too much risk of reinjury. Because I keep in shape and look pretty fit, I have often stood idle as someone in front of me struggles (often an elderly pax) to lift their bag up to the bin. I've gotten some dirty looks for not offering to help. And "sorry I have a bad shoulder" I don't think is believed.

A couple years ago I was in F and had a tight connection on arrival, and we were running late. An elderly couple had pre-boarded with husband in wheel chair. He was quite elderly and feeble. He could walk, but very very slowly with assistance, as we observed when he went to the lav twice during the flight. The wife was younger, slim and fully amblitory. They each had a carry on bag in the bin. They were seated in the second row of F. On arrival, the wife jumped up with lightning speed, got both their carry ons in the aisle, blocking everyone and then had to assist him getting up to deplane. She was determined that both of them and their two bags were going to walk off the plane. It took forever, of course, and blocked everyone else from deplaning. FA said nothing and offered no assistance. Out of frustration, and out of character for me, I mumbled loud enough for them to hear about "pre-boards remaining seated" No reaction from them at all. I did feel like a s--t immediately afterwards. But, I was stressed about missing my connection.

pinniped

OK, I just remembered one. I was kind of annoying when I flew AA, ORD-PVG.

I was on a three-cabin F award ticket. I was the last person to be offered a meal, and by the time it got to me it was some crappy option that I didn't want at all. (I forget exactly what it was.) Frankly, I thought that was pretty poor all around: I get that J or Y run out of meals, but how the hell do you undercater F so badly? This was before you ordered meals online in advance: I'm glad AA *has* fixed this.

So, being a little bit pissed about it, I asked for the chicken from coach. FA had the gall to get mad at me about it, since she had to go off looking for the meal. She was irritated for the rest of the flight, and it's the last time I'll ever fly AA F. It's kind of turned me off to even buying revenue J on AA, although J is more about the hard product than soft. (And AA is fine in that respect.) In F, the soft product really needs to amaze, and AA didn't.

But I'm sure that FA thought I was a d*ck for being pissed about the meal and not just accepting the leftovers she offered first.

HomerJ

...now normally I wouldn't even entertain the idea, and this day was no different.
2-2 config and I am in the aisle.
Dude asks if we can switch as he is a nervous flier and he doesn't want to sit by the window.
I'm not a dick but I'm not super friendly either when I tell him no I prefer the aisle seat that i had booked.

This poor guy had a nearly full on panic attack for the majority of the flight.
Now 20 minutes in I figure stop being such a dick and give this poor dude your seat.
So I offer but he says its too late.
He was like one of those autistic kids for the whole flight, rocking back and forth and shaking.
Me and a couple of the FA's tried to take his mind off of flying but it didn't seem to help.
Really wished I'd given him my seat right off the bat.

Annalisa12

I understand sitting by the window causes panic. I hate sitting by the window myself. I feel more nervous there. I had a hissy fit at Husband once as he always sits by the window and I finally got to sit there. We got to cruising altitude and I said he could have his precious window seat back and never wanted it again. I like to be able to pretend the floor of the plane is on the ground. I can't do that if people are the size on ants.

HomerJ

...but while we were on the ground and even taxiing he didn't seem that upset, and I booked the aisle seat cuz I don't like to crawl across people.
But this poor guy just lost it once we took off.
I even held the hand of a scared female seatmate once (I didn't know her) to help her calm down, but she was minor league in comparison to this poor guy.
Worse he was catching a TPAC flight in YVR after this one.

Toshbaf

I have occasionally passed gas. Sorry

CMK10

I bought a snack box on US Airways eight years ago. I handed the F/A a $10 and instead of giving me back a $5 he gave me a $20. I didn't say anything, I just pocketed the profit.