taz99

Flashback two decades ago to my 20's. I was flying cross-country, and this little kid behind me kept kicking the back of my seat. It was driving me nuts. I looked back a few times at the kid's mom, and she ignored me and the kid kept kicking my seat. Finally, I said, "Your son is kicking my seat." She said, "I'm sorry, but he's only 4 years old." I said, "So make him stop!!!"

As if a parent could control a four-year-old kid to that degree when flying for hours across the country! Now that I'm a parent, I think of that every time my kid flies with me or his dad and I worry payback will start. Luckily, my son, age 9, has flown about 20 times, if not more, and is a seasoned traveler and sleeps the entire flight. Always has, since infancy. But karma is waiting for me. She's a sneaky one.

That's by far the worst thing I've ever done on a flight. "So make him stop!" That phrase flashes through my head periodically at its utter lack of parenting knowledge and compassion for others. I was so single-woman, no kids arrogant. Ugh.

But it makes me wonder...what's the worst thing any of you have ever done or said on a flight?

Fraser

A few years ago I was going through a very tough time personally. I was flying LHR-IAD in Club World on BA and had a window seat.

When I boarded an old Scottish lady was in the aisle seat. As soon as I got to the seat I had my rollerbag out on the ottoman and grabbed pyjamas to go and change, plus was getting headphones etc out of my bag. The lady tried to strike up conversation,"you must do this a lot"..."that's quite a routine you have" etc. I just completely ignored her because I didn't want to be engrossed in conversation for the flight. I put the privacy screen up as soon as I sat down. Once in the air the crew put it down for service (something they often do but service standards are to serve around the back of the seat) and I was replete with headphones staring out the window. The old lady tapped me on the shoulder because the cabin crew were trying to get my attention. I ignored her again and addressed the crew directly then put the screen back up so the crew started serving around the back.

She probably thought I was a completely @rse because I was on that particular flight.

Annalisa12

You were a $#U#Q)Q$U) that day.

CDTraveler

As the parent of a kid who has been traveling by air since the age of 4 months, I have to say that yes, a parent can and should make a 4 year old stop kicking. At 2, it would be more difficult, but still possible. To allow a 4 year old to do it lazy parenting. Simplest way is to take the kid's shoes off so it hurts to kick things. Next step is putting your hand on your child's legs until the kid gets the idea. Been there, enforced that.

If saying "So make him stop!!!" is your worst crime, I'm willing to leave you off the bad pax list today.

tmorse6570

I was in my thirties. This middle aged man sat next to me on a half empty flight in coach and started .....ing and complaining about everything before we even took off.

I told him "sorry, can't listen to this for five hours" and moved five rows back.

It was back when they only took cash for drinks and I'd always make sure to have 20 $1 bills with me, cause the attendants were always asking if anyone had change. I got lots of free drinks that way.

So the attendant ran out of change, asked and I helped and he said thanks, I'll be back with a free drink for you.

The grumpy guy turned around and yelled "why don't you give him a free ticket while you're at it!"

Everyone including me stared at him like he was nuts and I enjoyed my free drink.

Wasn't too horrible.

Badenoch

No need for penitence. Parents who won't control their children deserve it. If your remark made her control her child then it was the best thing you did. On my scale your event wouldn't bump the needle for bad behavior.

pinniped

I don't think I've ever been a total d*ck onboard. There have been a handful of cases where someone has tried to seat-swap with me in what I considered a suboptimal manner, and I stood my ground, told them to beat it, and even offered advice on how they should have approached the seat-swap to begin with. I may have been a wee bit condescending but dammit, I was right, they were wrong, and their piggishness invited the exchange.

(FWIW, usually a variant of swapper hoping that swappee accepts a worse seat, instead of swapper with better seat offering to accept lesser seat in exchange for sitting together. If you're holding 8B and 29A, you should be talking to 29B, not 8A.)

bitterproffit

I cut in front of the entire Sky Priority Line to board a DL flight once. I didn't even see it. It was in LAX and the signs were all for Alaska Air priority, so I thought they were waiting for another gate. The gate agent told me that I cut everyone in line, and I asked her if she wanted me to wait or go back in line and she just shook her head. So, I got on the flight and got dirty looks from everyone else in first. I felt pretty self centered.

Peoriaman1

Exactly. I would have been about twenty times ruder had the seat kicking continued even one more time.

Worst thing I ever did was board a plane at Phoenix for a flight home, but when I awoke that morning I felt the beginnings of stomach flu coming on. By the time I left the motel to drive to the airport I was in a cold sweat and nauseous. I returned my rental car, checked in at the airport (this was in the days before online checkin) and collapsed at an empty gate to wait it out. A couple hours before boarding I went to the restroom and threw up. I felt somewhat better, as is typical with stomach flu, but not good by any means. Eventually it was time to board the plane and I chose an aisle seat in the last row next to the toilet. For the entire flight, I felt like I was about to vomit again... But at least by that point I could pass it off as airsickness I suppose. Fortunately there were no accidents. But to anyone who caught the bug from me on a PHX-MDW flight... Please accept this belated apology.

Proudelitist

Apparently it was "No, I will keep my assigned seat thanks". This totally set off a split up adult couple both of whom had middles...who I also later learned were non-revs. Yeah, I am not going to take a middle on a 4 hour flight so you can sit next to your girlfriend.

backprop

I was flying a US domestic AA route in First. My modest duffle backpack was in the overhead above me. There was a little room left in that compartment, but the rest in the cabin were full. I was exhausted after a long day of delays.

Another F passenger came in, one of the last to board, loudly yapping on his phone. He couldn't fit his rollaboard into the bin..but he spied my bag and the empty spot next to it. He took it out, while I watched to see what happened. He loaded his suitcase into the bin above me..then without asking anyone, he started shopping around in the economy cabin for a place to put my bag...at which time I loudly asked what the F he thought he was doing.

I could/should have been much nicer about it, but I also don't see how he would have fit his giant suitcase anywhere on the plane at that point. The FA finally gate checked it, and I got to sit across from him for the flight.

roberino

Not your fault. No one should touch your stuff without your permission, especially not move it back along the plane.

roberino

I refused to swap seats with the husband of the woman next to me going from PEK-FRA because they both had middle seats and I grouchily thought "well I bothered to select my seat online - why can't you?". They didn't speak great English and my German is good for ordering beer. It turns out the lady next to me was afraid of flying and turned into a gibbering wreck as soon as the engines spooled up on the runway. All she wanted was for her husband to hold her hand. That made me feel pretty bad.

firequall

Couple years ago at YYZ the GAs called the first couple zones for boarding and I came upon everyone waiting at the top of the jetway. Line slowly builds, no one has come to get us, and I hear the final call announcement go in the terminal. I was in no rush and merely curious what the deal was so I walked down to the door and asked the FAs if someone was going to come get us. They told me boarding was soon, I offered to go back but they said not to bother and to find my seat. Moments later, as I'm settling in, another gentleman turned to me and flatly said "patience is a virtue." Yeah buddy, screw off.

pinniped

I'd be more than happy to explain to a nervous flier how statistically safe flying actually is, but there's a zero percent chance I'd trade an aisle for a middle on PEK-FRA. (In coach anyway. If someone asked very, very nicely in J or F, then maybe.)