40+ People Are Sharing Their Worst Airplane Travel Stories, and We’re Stunned

No matter where the airport is located, at some point, there was wilderness there. This naturally means that there are animals that are floating around that could potentially find their way onto the tarmac.

So this is not an unusual occurrence though it must have been frightening when that plane hit the deer. We just wonder how the deer wasn’t able to see the plane coming and get out of the way.

Sometimes the cheapest way to fly overseas is to use the national airlines. The only downfall of this is that they tend to make announcements in their language. So if you are unfamiliar with it, you could have a few moments of worry.

This person who was flying on Thai airlines had a few legitimate concerns. When things started going a little crazy, he wasn’t sure what was going on. Good thing that the rest of the passengers had some idea so his fears were assuaged in the end.

It is never fun when you’re traveling on an airplane and someone is noticeably sick. But when it is a serious illness that not even a doctor onboard could help with, it can be even more terrifying.

We can’t imagine how the other passengers were feeling when this person became deathly ill. Everybody reacted calmly, and eventually, the scare was over. However, according to this poster, it sounds like everyone acted too calmy.

Just like with any career, having a lifetime of experience in the aviation industry is sure to give you tons of interesting stories. The only decision then is which one you choose to tell to everyone.

This gentleman had quite the experience with things that would make most of us reconsider our career choices. From something small like a bug flying out of the console to a lot more terrifying episodes like the cargo door dropping open.

Though there are plenty of terrifying stories to be told about experiences on large commercial planes, some of the most harrowing come from the smaller planes. This is because they are lighter in weight and easier affected by the elements.

We don’t know about you, but being in a situation like this person was and on Christmas nonetheless would scare us badly. But, at least they had good pilots and landed safely even with all the weather issues.

There are lots of rules put in place by the airlines so that the flying experience is great for everyone. This includes not allowing people on planes that are very drunk or may have hygiene issues.

So how this one passenger got on board in such a bad condition is beyond us. But, nevertheless, they did, which made for quite an unpleasant experience for many of the other passengers. Especially the one who happened to be seated next to her.

One thing is for sure if you are a frequent traveler, then you have experienced flying through a storm. This can be very scary as there is tons of turbulence and you can see and hear the lightning and thunder. And that is just the beginning…

This person must have been terrified when they looked out the window and saw lightning strike the wing. It’s no wonder everyone started to panic and pray. Luckily their prayers were answered!

Planes are not the only thing that flies through the air. So it’s not surprising that there are plenty of stories where airplanes have come into contact with birds flying in their airspace. Of course, when something that big meets something so small, it’s bound to be pretty bad.

It must be quite something to have to deal with the smell of burning feathers and see a gruesome sight when you exit the plane as this passenger did.

To get as many customers as possible onto the plane, many of them have very limited space when it comes to seating. So if you happen to be in the middle seat, you may wind up having to be a little too close for comfort to the other passengers in your row.

This is especially awkward when you have a long-haul flight and are stuck between two larger individuals. We feel bad for the poor passenger sandwiched in the middle!

It must be difficult to travel with a baby… And then to have to put up with all the glares and stares that come with it. But even though it’s difficult, you should probably try to contain any bodily fluids that your child decides to expel.

After doing a good deed, this passenger ended up paying for it by being covered in child throw-up. It’s one thing being covered in your child’s mess but when it’s a random kid, you’re less inclined to keep your cool.

It is inevitable at some point if you travel a lot that you will end up having a delayed flight or a canceled flight. Sometimes these are reported before you even get on the plane, which is always nice so that you can try to find an alternate route.

But when your travels have you sitting on a plane for hours before the pilot decides to announce that the flight is canceled, you may just consider this one of your worst travel situations ever.

It is not easy for kids to sit in one place for an extended amount of time. So on long haul flights, they will get a little restless, and sometimes that means that they will cause a fuss that tends to affect the other passengers on board.

In this case, the kid was a seat kicker which meant that the passenger in front of him suffered the most. On top of that, he also didn’t stop singing the same annoying tune for hours on end.

It must be challenging for tall people who love to travel by plane. Even for those that are of average height, the amount of space afforded to them when it comes to seating is almost unfair.

Of course, being stuck behind someone who wants to recline their chair back would be pretty annoying. Plus, if it interfered with our ability to eat our food, we would have gone ham. The nose-picking dude was just the cherry on top.

There are many people who already have a fear of flying, and often they worry about the worst scenarios possible. But we’re not sure there could be anything worse than having your pilot instruct you over the loudspeaker to pray for a safe landing.

We could see why this person would be terrified of traveling by plane after having such an experience. However, their prayers were answered, so thank goodness for that!

Perhaps one of the biggest fears most people have when booking a flight is that at some point, the plane is going to drop out of the sky. Of course, that very rarely happens. But apparently, a loss in altitude is something that can occasionally occur.

Having gone through this experience would definitely shake us a bit. But it might also make for a great story and once we had calmed down, perhaps even a funny one.

It often happens when you are flying on a long trip that you find yourself engaged in conversation with other passengers. This could be intentional, or it could just be that you were sitting next to a chatty Cathy.

But sometimes, you have to know when to draw the line and when that person delves into explaining their theories on why certain minorities cause problems, it sounds like the perfect time to interject.

The truth is there are a lot of things that are out of the airline’s control. So, when a natural disaster occurs such as a volcano eruption, any flight that was scheduled to fly near that danger zone would be canceled.

With that being said, having a volcano erupt in Iceland and then all flights being canceled from Europe to America seems a little drastic. Along with that, the restructuring of your flight itinerary could also cost a pretty penny. We definitely feel for this traveler!

It is not a requirement, but often some bigger framed individuals will buy two tickets so that they don’t bother anybody. Plus, it allows them to have enough space to feel comfortable throughout the duration of the flight.

But sometimes people don’t understand this, and so that good deed that you thought you were doing goes right out the window. In our opinion, the man was totally entitled to the seats he paid for and the woman was in the wrong.

There are many things that can cause a plane to have to circle continually before landing. Unfortunately, when this happens, those on board are stuck and have no place to go.

Also, this typically means that your plane will land late, and you may miss your connecting flight. Or it could just mean a four-hour trip is extended to six hours, and that could make for an uncomfortable and a pretty bad flight experience.

When you’re 42,000 feet in the air and begin to feel sick, it must be a terrifying feeling. Sometimes, you have no control over these things, which leads to a terrifying experience for you and those on the flight with you.

The only good thing about this terrible medical emergency is that the passenger only began to experience this attack right before landing which means he was probably able to get medical attention on land pretty quickly.

Having your flight plan change at the last minute is always stressful but if you are able to come up with a viable solution then it shouldn’t affect you too badly. However, when your backup plan goes haywire then all bets are off.

It looks as if in the end after a lot of driving to different airports and dealing with flight changes, this person was able to fly. Though, truthfully, we don’t know if we’d be patient enough to endure all those complications.

No matter how long the flight is or how comfortable you are on a plane, there is always going to be that little thought in the back of your head about what could go wrong. Unfortunately, this person’s worst fear came true when all of a sudden the plane went down.

Truth be told, we don’t know if we’d ever be able to fly again if we went through such an experience. We don’t care if it was just for eight seconds, it would probably be the longest seconds of our life!

If you like to travel, you will inevitably wind up having to go on a plane ride or two. Unfortunately, some people are either afraid or find themselves riddled with anxiety about that prospect.

That must have been what this person thought when they looked over and saw their fellow passenger already with the airsickness bag ready to go. If only that were all that was wrong with this passenger.

When you travel in a plane, you are locked in close quarters with any number of people who you have no idea about. This sometimes can lead to awkward situations, especially when the plane is stuck on the tarmac and the air conditioning is not working.

This poor passenger just happened to get to experience a potent array of aromas that radiated from his fellow passengers. We would have thrown a total fit!

When you are flying on a long flight, one of the highlights is probably meal time. But even this can give you a travel story that, when told later, may be funny, but when in the situation was not nearly as hilarious.

That, of course, is what happened to this person when all of a sudden the plane hit some turbulence. That could be quite traumatic, and we think we would be highly annoyed with the woman yelling from the back about her meal.

The last thing you want to do is look out of your window on a plane and see smoke or flames. Since most of us have no working knowledge of what could potentially be causing this issue, it might cause a little hysteria.

It would be even more frightening if it happened midflight as it did for this person. So it is no wonder that this is one of those horror stories that they tell time and time again about their travel experiences.

Experiencing a brake check when driving a car is one thing but when you’re on a plane that’s about to take off and it occurs, it’s a whole different story of scary.

However, after careful consideration of the plane’s issues, the pilot and airline decided that it was safe to take off in the end. Luckily, they made the right call and all was well but if we were on board, we’d probably be stressed the entire time.

There is a lot of bureaucratic tape when it comes to flying with extra items. Sometimes it seems like there is a disconnect between the airlines, the airport, and the security checkpoint, which is what seemed to be the case here.

Because of the fuss about this miscommunication, this person ended up missing their flight. We hope that the airline compensated them and that this unlucky flyer eventually found their way to their final destination.

We can only imagine how taxing it can be to have to fly with an infant. Not only do you have to worry about them crying, but you also have to worry about making sure that they keep a clean diaper and are fed.

Of course, some parents have no shame in their game and decide to take care of their baby’s business right in their seats. For this other passenger and bride-to-be, though, that meant being drenched in the baby’s pee. Is that bad luck?

It seems from the very beginning, this flight was bound to have a few issues spring up. Also, we don’t know how common it is for an airport not to be able to find the flight crew, but that just seems like the wrong way to start a flight.

It turns out that this flight to Pittsburg was made up of a series of unfortunate events to the point that the flight didn’t even take off.

Just like on the runways, airplanes have to share the space with other commuters. The most common of these, of course, being certain two-winged individuals. Coming into contact with these feathery animals in the sky is unfortunately not unheard of.

However, striking 100 geese would be quite different than just hitting a few birds. After hearing about how three engines were lost and all were on fire. Even though this scary incident took place 22 years ago, you’ll never forget an experience like that.

Part of the fun of traveling is trying new foods and experiencing different cultures. However, sometimes that different food can wreak vengeance on an individual in the form of food poisoning.

With this illness, you never know when it’s going to strike, and on this flight, unfortunately for this passenger, it was right before the plane was going to take off. This person’s reaction was so bad that the plane detoured back to the terminal.

It’s a rule of thumb when it comes to flying that you don’t really need to panic until the pilot says so. While that didn’t exactly happen here, seeing him in such a frantic state would have definitely freaked out the cabin crew.

After the pilot headed back to the cockpit, it took him half an hour to let everyone know what had happened and that everything was fine. We get that he was probably busy but it’s not fair to leave people with no answers in such a scenario.

When you’re traveling long-distance over many hours, you have to plan your itinerary very carefully so that you make sure you have enough time to make your connections. Sometimes things are out of your hands and when a plane arrives late, the rest of your travels are affected.

Unfortunately, this person experienced that and then some, and had to deal with the airline when they tried to get their money back for the inconvenience. In the end, this poster’s social media rant is what did the trick.

PDA is uncomfortable in any situation for many people. But when it goes on while on a plane which is a confined space, you don’t really expect to witness it. Unfortunately for this poster, he was in the line of fire with these two odd love birds.

It’s one thing to hug or kiss your significant other but licking or kissing unexpected body parts while in public is just not okay. In fact, if we were the flight attendant, we would have separated the culprits.

Because of the closeness of the chairs, sometimes, when people fall asleep, there may be a little head-leaning action. This can be awkward for the person that is being used as a pillow, but it could be even more awkward if the bodily contact is purposeful.

It would be strange at any age for you to wake up and find that a stranger is stroking your head like you were a dog. So this kid was totally within their rights to request to move seats.

There is a certain level of etiquette one should adopt when one is flying. Because passengers are kept together for hours in a limited space, everyone needs to be respectful of each other. So, personal hygiene is a big concern in these situations.

With that in mind, hearing what this passenger was doing while onboard the plane is just unacceptable. If we saw this going on, we’d either call a flight attendant to sort it out or we’d barf before we had the chance to.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again ―excessive PDA while onboard a flight is just not okay. You have to consider the other passengers and witnessing such over-the-top displays of affection is uncomfortable for others to have to bear witness to.

What makes this such a troubling and strange situation is that even once they were asked if they wanted to switch, they refused. Yet they continued to swap spit in between another passenger.

For a lot of us who like to travel, we tend to try to use the time on the plane to get in a quick nap so that when we get to our final destination, we are fully rested and ready to hit the ground running. But that could also be dangerous!

How would you like to be this person who fell asleep, had sweet dreams of his upcoming vacation, and then woke up to find himself covered in vomit? If this was us we’d be too embarrassed to repeat this nightmare of a story!

All it takes is one traumatic experience for a traveler to be put off from traveling again for a long time. Such was the case for this person who was so affected by what they witnessed that they didn’t travel internationally for five years.

You’re probably wondering, what was so bad that made this person an anti-traveler? Well, picture a mother and young kid with a loaded diaper in a seat row onboard a plane…

If you’re a woman, you know that one of the most uncomfortable and suffocating things when it comes to garments worn is the bra. That is why often you hear women talk about getting home and immediately taking their bra off.

So, we can totally understand why women would be apprehensive about wearing a restricting bra on a long flight. With that being said, there are bathrooms onboard for a reason!

One of the ways a lot of people kill time on long-haul flights is to have a few good movies downloaded onto their devices. Most planes even offer inflight entertainment so that their passengers can enjoy their time onboard.

Of course, we’re sure that they were not expecting any person to mistake dialogue from a film for an actual emergency. It’s a good thing that everyone could have a good laugh about this gentleman’s misunderstanding in the end.

When it comes to what you can carry on an airplane, there are many rules that one must abide by. Due to many terrifying occurrences, having a weapon on the plane is not permitted. So how this person got through security with one is beyond us.

We can understand why everyone automatically thought about the worst-case scenario because we do hear about such stories in the news. Luckily after those daunting two minutes, all was well again.

There are times in everybody’s life where congestion will require you to blow your nose. That is not an issue, however, you should try to ensure that the clean-up is as hygienic as possible.

So, blowing your boogers into your hand and then transferring it to the airsickness bag located in the seat pocket is just not acceptable. If we had to watch such a gross act take place, we too would remember this as a horrible travel story.

It must be terrifying to send your children on an airplane without you. This happens quite frequently, and there are many guidelines that must be met to let your unaccompanied minors fly the friendly skies.

But when one of those unaccompanied minors is a little bit of a rebel and wants to carry the pocket knife that his dad gave him, things can get a little messy. Turns out this kid was able to outsmart security and all we want to know is how?