While flying is often a crucial component of vacations, it’s the aspect that many people approach with trepidation. Not only is there uncertainty about what to expect, but there are also frequently encounters with airline passengers who leave a lasting impression for all the wrong reasons.
From insistent demands for seat changes to parents allowing their children to behave disruptively, individuals have taken to Reddit to recount instances when entitled airline passengers transformed their flights into nightmares. These anecdotes are guaranteed to elicit cringes!
Fussy Handbag
As a flight attendant, it really gets to me when I politely ask passengers to store their purses under the seat in front of them, and they push back… I always take the time to explain that it’s a rule set by aviation authorities… Why? Because I want them to understand that in case of an emergency evacuation, their purse could become a hindrance and cause delays for everyone trying to exit the plane…
One lady went further, elaborating on the expensive and Italian make of her purse. I had to frame it in a more personal context for her… “Is your purse truly worth more to you than ensuring your safety on this flight?” She seemed taken aback and asked if I was serious. Without hesitation, I began to walk towards the open cockpit to inform the pilots that we had a passenger unwilling to cooperate, and she yelled out, “I’ve done it. Are you satisfied now?” I wasn’t, but at least we were able to proceed with taxiing at that point.
Generosity Acknowledged
User Woogychuck shared: “My son and I found ourselves on a cross-country flight back to Manchester when our connecting flight encountered mechanical issues… forcing us to wait until the following morning to reach home. The flight attendants advised us to approach the gate agent for assistance in finding a hotel. Upon reaching the gate, we encountered two middle-aged men in a heated argument with the gate agent. They were shouting about an important meeting scheduled for the next morning, constantly interrupting the agent’s attempts to communicate with them.”
“When I approached the gate agent, she kindly assisted us with arranging accommodation and rebooking our flight. Just as we were about to leave, she discreetly handed us flight vouchers intended for the two men as well. It turned out that throughout their heated exchange, she had been attempting to offer them complimentary flights, but they were too caught up in their frustration to notice. So, we ended up benefiting from their oversight.”
Catty Calamity
User Fairyrebel shared: “The most absurd situation I witnessed was when a lady brought a cat in an oversized hard-sided carrier as her ‘carry-on’ and another cat in a slightly smaller hard-sided carrier as her ‘personal item’. Neither carrier fit in the overhead bin or under the seat, yet she insisted on bringing both onto the plane.
“She was in boarding group five and caused a delay of over an hour by arguing with all the attendants and airport staff about where her cats would be seated. While I adore animals, this situation was unbearable, and I’m certain the entire plane full of passengers wished to leave her and her cats behind.”
Not a Playroom
User TexasTeacher shared: “There was this kid in customs… who was completely out of control. During the flight, he had a toy truck that he kept racing up and down the aisle with. The family refused to restrain him until it was announced that there would be no food or beverage service until the aisle was cleared. Eventually, someone from the cockpit had to intervene and inform the family that we couldn’t commence the landing approach until the child was seated.”
As soon as the descent began, they allowed him to roam freely, and he continued running up and down the aisle as we landed. The family seemed oblivious to the seriousness of the situation; even when the captain ordered everyone to remain seated and announced that only families with small children would be permitted to disembark first, they arrogantly made their way down the aisle. Upon disembarking, we were greeted by a police officer holding the child while the rest of the family were in handcuffs.”
Self-Centered Mindset
User Betsy514 shared: “I was on a flight from Vegas to Boston when a passenger passed away in his sleep. The entire situation was heartbreaking, and the flight attendants were visibly shaken. We made an emergency stop in New York for medical personnel to attend to him. Despite the somber circumstances, the process was handled swiftly and professionally by the pilot and crew.”
Just as we were about to take off, a man in the front row asked the flight attendant if we would all receive complimentary drinks due to the inconvenience. I’ve never felt such a strong urge to yell at a stranger in my life.
Flying First Class
“I was finally living the dream of flying first class. Savoring my drink and feeling fabulous, I noticed a woman at the back attempting to bring a massive suitcase as a carry-on. When the flight attendant informed her that it wouldn’t fit, she threw a tantrum. Screaming and demanding to bring it on board, I couldn’t help but think, ‘Could she be any more entitled?’ But then, the unexpected occurred.
The flight attendant glanced at me and uttered, ‘We’ll need to stow your carry-on bag in the hold, ma’am. This woman requires additional space for her suitcase.’ I was dumbfounded. Here was this woman throwing a tantrum, yet I was the one facing consequences. That incident marked the end of my desire to fly first class.
Adverse Event, Favorable Outcomes
User Rikuddo shared: “A few years back, during a 7-hour flight, there was a kid sitting behind me who kept kicking my seat. It continued for about an hour until I reached my limit. Despite years of flying experience, this was the first time I called and complained to a flight attendant. She apologized to me and requested the family behind me to quiet down. However, they simply stared at her and took no action.”
The moment the flight attendant walked away, the child resumed kicking my seat, and I couldn’t tolerate it any longer. I turned back and loudly asked the family, ‘Could you please make him stop?’ Despite my plea, the kicking persisted, so I eventually summoned the flight attendant and inquired if there were any other available seats. After a few minutes, she returned and escorted me to first class. It was my very first experience in the luxury section.
Crumbly Dilemma
User Imalawyerkid shared: “I’m 6 feet tall, and on almost every flight, my knees are already touching the seat in front of me. I was probably 16 at the time (still 6 feet tall), and the guy in front of me reclined his seat, practically hitting me. The seat was clearly broken, reclining a good 6 inches past the other seats, so we called over the flight attendant. She also noticed the problem and asked him to put his seat up. However, he refused, and she said there was nothing else she could do!”
Fortunately, my mom is the type who packs everything you might need on a plane, so I got an idea. I started munching on pretzels with my mouth wide open, showering crumbs all over his head and shoulders. It was rather gross. He turned around with a look of disgust and asked me to stop. I took great pleasure in refusing… and finally, he put his seat up.
Aircraft
User 3msinclair shared: “Not a flight attendant. I was on a flight from the UK to Japan. As soon as we reached cruising altitude, the guy diagonally in front of me reclined his seat. It didn’t bother me; we all need to relax. However, it was a personal inconvenience for the woman beside me, who was directly behind him. She immediately began attacking his seat, quickly escalating to violent gestures, while the guy ignored her.”
The flight attendant intervened, and somehow it became this guy’s fault that the lady had cancer. She argued with the flight attendant for at least 30 minutes before loudly giving up. It made for a long flight.
Negative Affiliation
User softballthrowaway shared: “Once, as an unaccompanied minor, I sat next to another unaccompanied minor who simply wouldn’t stop talking. Unfortunately, since he was trying to converse with me, I received the dirty looks intended for him as well.”
He kept screaming “Fire!” and laughing like a maniac. He also bothered a dog from another passenger, and we both faced criticism for his behavior. All I did was order a hot chocolate and look out the window. I’m not with him.
Chair Shuffle
“I was peacefully settled in my aisle seat when a couple approached me. The woman and her husband explained that they had mistakenly bought different seats and asked if we could switch. I agreed, handed them my ticket, and moved towards her original seat. Suddenly, a flight attendant approached me. She leaned in and whispered, ‘Sir, you do realize that was a scam, right?'”
But I had a trick up my sleeve. I had booked a premium seat, while the woman’s original seat was in economy. According to the flight policy, passengers with premium tickets, if swapped, would be compensated generously for their inconvenience. So, I smiled at her and replied smugly, ‘I know. And I got them hook, line, and sinker.’ The flight attendant’s eyes widened, but she quickly understood and couldn’t help but chuckle.
Elite Privilege
User Kidgorgeoushere shared: “I once found myself stranded at Newark for 22 hours(!) after our flight developed an unfixable fault… As we waited to board the new flight, the flight attendant announced they would be boarding passengers with additional needs and families with young children first. However, this businessperson raced to the front of the crowd and started yelling at the attendant, complaining that it was already disgusting that he had lost a day due to their incompetence, and now he had to wait even longer despite being a first-class passenger.”
Without skipping a beat, she smiled and nodded, saying, “Okay, sir,” and then made a deliberate point of leaning into her microphone and informing the waiting line of people in wheelchairs and mothers with babies that this gentleman needed to board before them, asking them to please wait. He was visibly humiliated as he sheepishly walked by. She handled the situation perfectly.
Two Steps Back
User Bran_Solo shared: “I was in a foreign country, preparing for a long flight home. By some stroke of luck, the plane was fully boarded well ahead of schedule, and the runway was clear, so the pilot announced that we’d be able to depart about 40 minutes early. However, the flight attendants struggled to get all of the passengers to sit down. And I don’t mean just one or two people; I mean maybe a quarter of the plane.”
The flight attendants repeatedly went up and down the aisles, urging passengers to sit down and buckle up, but as soon as they moved on, those same passengers would rise again. This continued for much longer than you might imagine, and finally, the pilot returned with a translator to sternly instruct the passengers to remain seated or the plane would not depart. Despite these efforts, we ended up departing 30 minutes behind schedule.
Dictatorial Attitude
User NormalAmerican_ shared: “I was on a plane at Burbank airport when a family on standby boarded without being informed they’d be on the flight. They proceeded to approach each passenger, attempting to persuade them to deplane so they could use their standby tickets. They even argued with the flight attendants.”
It was at least 45 minutes of us sitting on the plane on the runway, listening to this family argue about how they ‘need’ to be on this flight because they have somewhere to go. I was on my way home from Vegas, feeling exhausted, and I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to punch someone more than I did in that moment.
Traditional with a Twist
User Anaxamenes shared: “I had someone throw a tantrum because I asked them to properly stow their wedding dress. The dress was massive and spilling into the aisle, blocking seats in the entire row.”
They may have needed to pay the hotel to get the wrinkles out, but I likely saved them from shoe prints and beverage cart rollers going back and forth over it. Still, she was in tears, and I wasn’t willing to risk others’ safety, including my own.
First Class Celebrity
“I booked a first-class seat for a long-haul flight to Europe and was feeling pretty good about myself. But as soon as I got to my seat, I realized there was a problem. The person sitting next to me was a celebrity! Even worse, they weren’t happy about having to share the space with another passenger. They demanded that the airline move me to a different seat, even though I had paid good money for mine. I tried to reason with them, but they weren’t having it.
So I decided to switch seats with someone. I walked through the aisles until I found a pregnant lady with a baby in her lap and offered her my more comfortable seat up towards the front. She was utterly grateful and gathered all of her things before heading to sit next to the celebrity. When they noticed who was coming to take the spot, they turned back to glare at me. I simply waved back, put my eye mask on, and fell asleep.
Dictatorial Attitude
“I was on a flight to visit my sick grandmother when the passenger next to me spilled their drink all over my laptop, ruining it completely. When I politely asked for an apology, they sneered and said, ‘What are you gonna do about it, cry?’ Furious, I spent the rest of the flight seething in silence. But that’s not where the story ends.”
As we were landing, the flight attendant announced that all connecting flights were canceled due to a severe storm. The passenger next to me started panicking and yelled, “This is absurd! I have a very important meeting.” The flight attendant informed them that rebooking could be done at the gate. They saw me using the internet on my phone and asked if they could use it to rebook their flight. I simply told them ‘no’ and to ‘go cry about it.’
Tough Mom
“I had an interesting encounter on a flight home. I found a lady and her kid in my seat, so I politely informed her. She didn’t take it well, calling me a monster. She even marched towards the flight deck. Upon landing, I was shocked to be handcuffed by the cops due to her actions. The woman laughed as I was escorted out, but little did she know, she had crossed the wrong person.”
The cops were kind enough to listen to my side of the story after we disembarked. I explained what happened, and they intercepted her as she exited the plane. However, she refused to show them her ticket. They eventually contacted the airline’s general manager, who, upon understanding the situation, apologized to me for the inconvenience and provided me with a voucher worth almost double the amount of my ticket.
Emergency Contingency
“Today, on my flight, I encountered the most entitled and rude passenger. As soon as she sat down, she demanded that I switch seats with her because she wanted a window seat. I politely declined, explaining that I had specifically chosen this seat. Passenger: Excuse me, did you not hear me? I said I want that seat!”
Me: I’m sorry, but I chose this seat because it’s nearest to the emergency exit, and I want to be ready for when the plane starts falling to the ground. My psychic told me it’s a certainty, so I need to prepare.
Comply with Guidelines
User queenguac: “I fly a lot, and I was on a plane where half the passengers were ignoring the rules. When we touched down, these people immediately got up, walking around and started taking their bags out of the overhead compartments. Mind you, the plane was still moving, and it’s dangerous for half the people on the plane to be messing around, even worse taking all their heavy bags down above everyone else’s heads.”
The flight attendants were now desperately trying to get these people to sit down until the plane stopped moving… I think the captain heard the commotion and the flight attendants half yelling, because all of a sudden, the plane did a VERY abrupt stop, which knocked over all the people standing up, and then continued to park. The flight attendant then said, ‘This is EXACTLY why we have rules.’
Couple of Scammers
User ConstableBlimeyChips shared: “A couple will book separate seats, the man in a premium economy seat with extra legroom, the woman in a normal economy seat. The woman will then play the sad sack and ask another passenger to give up their comfy seat so they can sit together. If the other passenger refuses (usually because they paid extra and literally don’t fit in a regular seat), some will even complain to the crew to make them move the other passenger.”
And all this just to save a few bucks on the second Premium seat. No, crew don’t move passengers because they’re sitting next to someone else’s spouse, and certainly not from a Premium Economy seat.
Youthful Entertainer
User ImCaptainJack shared: “Probably me. As a young kid (starting at age 6), I flew as an unaccompanied minor every other weekend to go see my mom. I don’t remember this, but my mom told me one time she asked how my flight was; ‘Great! I sat next to this nice man in a fancy suit…”
I sang him some of my songs, told him some of my jokes…’ I also remember one time I got a harmonica for Christmas one year… you best believe I whipped that bad boy out while we were taxiing the runway… I got an ovation when I stopped lol”
Restorative Rest
U/Blue_Irish: “On a 6:30 am flight, and the plane is mostly full. The row behind me has 3 seats and only 1 passenger. After take-off, I lean my chair back about half way and begin to fall asleep. I felt jostling on my seat, but didn’t think anything of it. A few seconds later, the man in the row behind me smacks my chair 3-4 times, hard.
When I turned around to ask if there was a problem, he began scolding me:
Him: ‘Lean your chair back up! I can’t sleep with your chair in my face!’ Me: ‘What?’ Him: ‘You have to lean your chair up. I’m trying to sleep!’
He was laying across the three seats, with his head at the window (I had a window seat). Apparently, leaning my chair back was not allowed because it was too close to his face.
Moody Passenger
User HannahHex shared: “Not a flight attendant, but I have been on a flight with three infants. One directly behind and two in the seats in front. Next to me was this crabby old lady who kept swearing and grumbling whenever the infants would cry or make too much noise.”
It got to the point where a flight attendant came up and asked her to keep it down as she was disturbing the young children around her. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face after that!
Chair Exchange
“I was settling into my seat on the airplane, excited for my vacation, when I noticed the most obnoxious passenger sitting next to me.
Passenger: (tapping my shoulder) Excuse me, I need the window seat. Can you move? Me: Oh, I’m sorry, but I specifically chose this seat. I prefer the window view. Passenger: Well, I paid for the window seat in another row, but there’s a woman with a child sitting next to me so obviously I’m not going to stay there.
Me: Why not?
Passenger: Didn’t you hear me? Sitting next to a CHILD! For 10 hours. I don’t think so.
Me: I see.
I went and had a quick word with the flight attendant and swapped to sit next to the woman with her baby. I’m a nursery teacher and love kids, and I’ll take entertaining a toddler over sharing breathing space with such an unpleasant person any day of the week.
Judging a Book
User Fourtires3rims shared: “I’m not a Flight Attendant, but I booked a first-class ticket from Hawaii to St. Louis two weeks ago because my Grandmother passed at 104 and I needed to fly back rather quickly, and it was the only way I could make my travel needs.”
Anyway, I get on the flight and to my seat, and the guy next to me looks me dead in the face and says, ‘Are you sure you’re in the right seat? You don’t look like you can afford this seat.’ Granted, I wasn’t dressed the greatest, but I showed him my ticket and told him to shut his mouth. Didn’t hear a word out of him except ‘excuse me’ the rest of the flight.
Discomforting Journey
User Griffie shared: “Had a very large woman sit next to me once. She was very well dressed, as was I. I tried to strike up a casual conversation with her, and she just looked at me like I was a pile of dog s— on the sidewalk.
Soooo…. I pulled out a book to read… of course, it was an airline disaster book. On the cover was a picture of a 747 with a cruise missile going through the side of it. She was not amused.
Holding Baggage
“I was on a plane, sitting in my first-class seat and feeling like a queen. Suddenly, the woman in the seat next to me started to complain about everything. The seat wasn’t comfortable enough, and the food wasn’t to her liking. I tried to ignore her, but she continued to pester me for the entire flight.
When we landed, she demanded that I give her my designer handbag as compensation for her troubles. I was gobsmacked at how rude she had been the entire flight, and before I could give her a piece of my mind, another passenger in first class strolled over to us to call the rude lady out for her behavior. I didn’t even have to say anything, and the lady still got up and stormed off the plane to the sound of thunderous applause from the rest of the cabin.
Onboard Amusement
User ImCaptainJack shared: “As a young kid (starting at age 6), I flew as an unaccompanied minor every other weekend to go see my mom. I don’t remember this, but my mom told me one time she asked how my flight was; ‘Great! I sat next to this nice man in a fancy suit…I sang him some of my songs, told him some of my jokes…'”
I also remember one time I got a harmonica for Christmas one year… you best believe I whipped that bad boy out while we were taxiing the runway… I got an ovation when I stopped lol.”
Trouble Maker
User Sweetpicklebee shared: “A woman who boarded towards the end sitting in row 10A left her bag in the aisle blocking everyone else trying to get on because she was looking for a place for her bag. She found a spot towards the back and put her hand in the air and started snapping and hollering at me to get her bag for her.”
I went up to her and told her to get her bag out of the aisle. She got in my face and demanded that I needed to put it up, which I told her I could not lift her bag for her. She threw a fit. Finally, a nice gentleman helped her. Anyways, after boarding, she accused me of stealing her fur scarf, which I didn’t. She was removed.
Mile High Fight Club
“We were looking forward to the flight until we took our seats and heard some… clearly intoxicated guys taking their seats behind us. One of them was actually being carried by two friends and lolling his head… said dude threw up all over himself, and his friends were in hysterics… about 10 minutes later when two of the guys… got into a drunken argument, and one of them got up… while we were still taking off (seatbelt lights on).”
The light goes off, and then the other friend (argument friend) gets out of his seat and approaches the guy who moved. The next thing you know, they’re having a d—— fight (physical) in the aisle, rolling around on the floor, and I swear to God you could feel the plane moving slightly with it. The stewardesses pulled them apart and eventually got them both to sit back down (in separate seats).
Kiddie Priority Seating
User Madammonie shared: “When on an 8-hour flight to Florida, a family of five boarded first and then demanded the attendants rearrange their kids’ seats to all be together. I get it; I’m a mom now too, but they occupied my seat… while the flight attendant tried to arrange them to all sit together. I politely asked them to let us sit down, and they just ignored us.”
Asked again, and they said no, we are waiting for our seats… I just crossed my arms and stared them down. I held up the whole plane, and I do feel bad about that, but I made it clear it was the entitled family that was the hold-up and not me. They finally moved to go wait at the back of the plane. I can’t stand people who think they are a higher class just because they have kids.
Aggression in the Clouds
User yoghurtijs shared: “One time my father had to make an emergency stop to have a passenger be escorted out of the plane. The man was rude to the crew and passengers around him. He didn’t want to eat the food… when the crew told him they didn’t have anything else for him, he dumped the food on the floor. He was harassing female passengers and even started shouting when a female crew member told him to stop.”
He wasn’t happy to be told by my father that he had to leave the plane, but as soon as he saw my father… he calmed down significantly and didn’t seem too bothered to have to leave the plane. It almost looked like he didn’t want to be there in the first place. They made the stop, and he left, in the hands of the authority that was waiting for him there.
Unexpected Delay
User outlandish-companion shared: “Not a flight attendant, but this is my story. Years ago I was moving from Toronto to Belfast. It’s about a 7-hour flight. I was in the lounge waiting to board, and our flight was delayed. I had a few glasses of wine, and as they announced our new departure time, I popped a Benadryl so that I could sleep most of the flight. Well, it was pushed back again.”
Long story short, the few glasses of wine mixed poorly with the Benadryl. I got on the flight, but they delayed it again because the staff thought I was too drowsy and posed a ‘flight risk.’ I was removed by wheelchair and left in the baggage claim area. Some guy from the bar also lent me PJ pants, and I remember him yelling ‘hey, my pants’ when they wheeled me off the flight. Fun times.”
Deceiver’s Payback
“There I was, settling into my airplane seat when a married couple approached me. They played innocent…and asked if I could swap with them. I…simply said, ‘Okay.’ With a small smile, I stood up, handed them my ticket… As I took my new spot, the flight attendant rushed over to me, a look of deep concern etched into her features.
She warned me, ‘Sir, you were just scammed.’ I leaned back in my seat, a twinkle in my eye as I replied, ‘Give them 5 minutes, you’ll see what comes next.’ And boy, did the show begin. Turns out, my original seat was right next to a rather vocal baby, and the ‘gentleman’ had a severe allergy to the lady’s perfume in the next row…the rest of the flight was…not as serene as they had hoped it would be.”
Standing Ovation
User notnotnotabot shared: “I’m a passenger, not a flight attendant, but on a flight from PHX to some airport in Texas, there was this really creepy guy. He was alternating between getting angry at the male flight attendants for the flight being delayed on the ramp and hitting on the female flight attendants.
When he [acted out], one of the flight attendants told him, ‘Sir, you need to get off of this plane. You are not going to be on this flight’. The entire section of the plane started clapping. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for an entire group of people on a plane to have a valid reason for clapping.”
Applauding Audience
User reabard shared: “My mom and I were flying back to the States after visiting family in DR. But apparently there was some mixup and they somehow double booked my mom’s seat. We were there first, and the other lady who had the seat came by and demanded that my mom moved. She was traveling alone so you’d think, logically, the person with the small child should stay especially since we were there first and there weren’t any other seats right next to each other, but there were single seats, so it would be easier for her to relocate.
But no, she just kept screaming at my mother until eventually, my mom gave up and took me to try finding seats close enough together so that we wouldn’t be separated. Thankfully, someone else kindly moved to let us sit together.
Chosen Seating
User gerbilseverywhere shared: “Currently on an airplane, and saw a man berate the flight attendant because they let employees of the airline board before the customers. He was so angry because he ‘paid for business select! They didn’t pay so why are they boarding before me!?’ Flight attendant responded with it’s company policy, many are actually working and just need to get to the airport they’ll be leaving from.”
Well, you see, with just three people on this flight, it really makes you wonder why he was making such a big deal out of it, doesn’t it? Despite that, he kept on griping and moaning to the flight attendant for another good ten minutes or more. It seemed quite unnecessary, especially considering that there were only 140 seats available instead of the full 143.
Disarray in Seating Arrangement
A few years back, my wife and I were headed down to Mexico for a friend’s wedding. As we were waiting at the airport, I couldn’t help but notice this young lady at the ticket counter. She seemed quite agitated, insisting on getting a seat next to her husband. Fast forward to boarding time, and one of the attendants pulled my wife aside, informing her of a seat change. We shared a knowing look because we knew exactly what was going on. Despite the unexpected switch, we took it in stride, chuckling to ourselves. We’ve always been pretty easygoing and were just looking forward to the adventure ahead.
So, as I was getting comfortable in my seat, this adult child from earlier ends up sitting next to me. She starts chatting about how difficult it was for them to get seats together because of the airline. I just casually mentioned, “Yeah, I get it. My wife was actually supposed to be in your seat, but someone threw a fit about it.”
Drooling Slumber
As for the story about the old guy next to me, it was quite a ride. He nodded off pretty quickly and started snoring and, well, emitting other bodily sounds that weren’t exactly pleasant. I honestly couldn’t tell if he was asleep or, you know, no longer with us until we landed and he suddenly came back to life with a sharp inhale and some wheezing.
It was kind of amusing, in a strange way. He was wearing these big sunglasses, and the whole scene reminded me of ‘Weekend at Bernie’s.’
Close Quarters
“I hate to admit it, but I felt terrible because one of my close friends, who is larger in size, was seated next to me in the window seat. I had to press myself against the window to make room for her, but I know she must have been uncomfortable too.
The three-hour flight was really difficult for both of us.”
