People you meet on airplanes - Experiences?

[merika]

I was just reading through the 'fear of flying' thread and remembered all the times I had to get on planes - which I hated. And then the question of who sits next to you when travelling. This was the funniest thing that ever happened to me:

I was travelling back from Knoxville, TN where I had gone for a conference. I changed planes at Charlotte, NC and found myself sitting next to a sweet old lady. She asked me if she could change seats with me as she was claustrophobic and we started talking.

She asks me "So you've been to Tennesse"

Me: Yes ma'am, for a conference

She:How did you like it there?

Me: The food was wonderful, and we went to a concert which was nice

She: So you like country music?

Me: No. It was a rock band. I like lots of music but I really don't like country.

She: Have you heard of Naomi Judd? She sings country music?

Me: Yes. (well, everyone knows Naomi Judd)

She: Naomi Judd is my daughter!!

Me: (vainly try to take foot out of mouth)..err..sorry...I do like Naomi Judd...

After getting off the plane I thought it just might have been a batty old lady. So I went to the library and got Naomi Judd's autobiography and looked at the pictures. Sure enough, it was the same lady I had spoken to on the plane! Her name was Pauline, and she forgave me my faux pas. She was really sweet, but I wonder why she was travelling coach class..

 

[dlg]

^^^That's because she's from KY (near the town where I'm from)! Nice, down to earth people there.

I always travel with my husband and he's always beside me. I haven't met anyone on a plane. I'm a nervous flyer, though, so I don't think I could strike up a conversation with anyone. I'm too busy being sick at my stomach!

 

[TRAVIS2006]

WOW! thats so cool! Never have i talked to someone on an airplane. But i went on a cruise this summer to jamaica, made tons of friends. and this Lady from Hawaii named NaPua invited me and my family to stay with her sometime in Hawaii, she sells fruit and her husband does something i cant remember. maybe this summer i will come in contact with her and fly to Hawaii!

 

[hlfinn]

recently as i was going to las vegas i noticed a girl about to get on a plane. she was wearing a coat a friend of mine just got from my fave designer's sample sale. i asked if she got it there. turns out she works for the designer. she ended up sitting next to me. we chatted the whole way about the designer and other stuff. on the way home she was on my flight again but not with me though we did say hi.

i wish i gave her my card. i would LOVE to work for that designer or at least get a discount. LOL

the way back on the trip was a trip in itself. i was sick because someone who was with me got me sick. she sat in front of me on the way and then we hung out in vegas. by the next day we were both sick. the woman next to us was NOT HAPPY. i mean, i can't blame her but she stared at me the whole way if i even sniffled. 6 hours trying not to breathe so i don't cough- not fun.

when we got off we went to the bathroom. i was so relieved to be out in the open to cough and blow my nose. as i'm peeing and blowing my nose i hear "I KNOW WHO THAT IS" omg. what a witch.

 

[TRAVIS2006]

when we got off we went to the bathroom. i was so relieved to be out in the open to cough and blow my nose. as i'm peeing and blowing my nose i hear "I KNOW WHO THAT IS" omg. what a witch.

that is too funny.

 

[kallison]

the way back on the trip was a trip in itself. i was sick because someone who was with me got me sick. she sat in front of me on the way and then we hung out in vegas. by the next day we were both sick. the woman next to us was NOT HAPPY. i mean, i can't blame her but she stared at me the whole way if i even sniffled. 6 hours trying not to breathe so i don't cough- not fun.

oh, i totally sympathize. i felt SO bad for the guy next to me on my flight back from london. first off, it was business class- so i know he shelled out big bucks for that seat. and i was SO sick (and my cough medicine got confiscated). so it was, oh, 8 hours flying (plus teh 2 hour delay at gatwick...then 2.5 MORE hour delay at atlanta). all i could do was apologize to him!!! he was nice about it, but i know he was annoyed.

 

[BagLuver]

A few years ago when I was on a flight from Chicago to Atlanta, I was sitting across the aisle from Emanuel Lewis. Anyone remember him? He was the main character in that show "Webster"! He was flying coach, too! Someone asked him if he was Webster, and he said, "Yes, but I bet you can't remember my real name." And I said, "Emanuel Lewis!" He was very nice and friendly.

 

[Christine]

I flew back from Copenhagen with the entire First Class cabin to myself. I had two Flight Attentdants at my bidding. This has *NEVER* happened to me before but it rocked!!!

 

[redney]

years and years ago I was on a flight from Philadelphia to LAX -- seated in Coach with all of the Los Angeles Kings (professional hockey team), including Wayne Gretzky!!!!

He was seated across the aisle from me (and slept most of the flight). My bag was in the overhead over HIS head...when I pulled it out as we were deplaning, my shampoo bottle fell out and hit him on the shoulder. ush:

...in the Kings' very next game, I noticed he didn't score any goals. To this day, I'm convinced maybe it was due to a teeny injury from my shampoo bottle

 

[annemerrick]

Maybe I am the nightmare passenger no one wants to sit next too, because I ALWAYS meet people in planes. One of my favorite was when I was seated next to a monk on a trip to Hong Kong, and I was in my then normal state of panic about flying, and he chatted to me the whole time and really calmed me down. He was so spiritual that I felt very safe...certainly someone so wonderful would not be in a plane crash, which meant by default...neither would I!!! Wacky thinking maybe...but it got me throught the flight!!!

 

[hlfinn]

i have another sick flying story. this is worse. my friend and i went to paris, then london. i got REALLY sick in london. long story but funny. anyway on the way home all i wanted was to have an aisle to myself to sleep. i find an aisle. i'm waiting til we're up in the air to lay down. some guy sits in the final seat but i think he's going to the bathroom and just waiting. i'm getting more and more annoyed that he is not moving. there is an open 2 seater across from him. i was praying he would go there. no go. finally i say "just so you know i'm planning to lay down here' listen, i never do that but i was sick and miserable. he says "too bad, so am i." listen buddy i was here WAY before you. Neither of us would budge and someone else took the two seater. so we BOTH lay down and end up spending the flight playing footsie and essentially kicking each other. i still remember his face. grrr.... seriously i was crying i was so unhappy. i know i can't expect an open row but man, i was there first.

the other thing about my recent flight was the woman next to me noticed that my friend was taking theraflu. then she noticed that the guy across from her was too and told us. so my friend had her tap the guy so they could commiserate. she thought it was funny. i said "um, this isn't funny to her. she's thinking oh crap now i'm going to get sick." and because of my foot in mouth disease i said "yeah, she got me sick on the way here" so truly i can't blame her for being mad.

the comment in the bathroom however...

 

[kallison]

on a flight to ohio, i was stuck next to a preacher and i was SERIOUSLY about to kill him by the time we landed. the ENTIRE flight was him preaching and telling me that i was going to hell and making some horrible assumptions about me and my life (had a dooney at the time, therefore i was materialistic. had a shirt that showed some cleavage, so i was a whore...and on and on...)

 

[TRAVIS2006]

on a flight to ohio, i was stuck next to a preacher and i was SERIOUSLY about to kill him by the time we landed. the ENTIRE flight was him preaching and telling me that i was going to hell and making some horrible assumptions about me and my life (had a dooney at the time, therefore i was materialistic. had a shirt that showed some cleavage, so i was a whore...and on and on...)

OMG!! thats sexual harassment isnt it?

 

[LouisLady]

I prefer NOT to talk to anyone when flying. I just want to fly in peace. lol But then I have talked to people before & usually I would let them approach me first. Dont wanna be a bug a boo to anyone!

 

[kallison]

OMG!! thats sexual harassment isnt it?

ah, yes. but he was a "man of god". apparently they are allowed to look at the cleavage of girls (at the time, i was only 17). you would have thought the guy never saw boobs before.