Wow, waaaay worse than I've ever experienced on a plane - it sure puts gas, feet and body odors in perspective.

What I want to know is, is this offense enough to land the guy on the federal no-fly list?

Worst...a large guy shoved in the middle who said atleast three times that he should have taken his Adderal that morning. In comparasion to the mentioned groping story, this guy was harmless. But it was a long flight to talk non-stop.

Best...I sat between two guys, and their wives, who were classmates at the Naval Academy. They continued to pick on each other, as friends do, across the aisle (I was an aisle seat). It was highly entertaining.

This goes way beyond my worse. But I'll share anyway...

I was on a flight between Narita and Minneapolis MN (Northwest flight) about 3 years ago. I was in the aisle seat; the middle seat was occupied by an older Asian woman, who spoke no English. I don't speak any Asian languages, and she did not respond to the smattering of French or Spanish that I tried. However, shortly after take off, she lifted the arm between our seats, snuggled down into her seat, flung her arm across my lap, put her head on my shoulder, and fell asleep! I was in shock, and didn't do anything right away. Then I slowly pushed her upright, and lowered the arm rest. A few minutes later, she woke, lifted the arm rest, arranged her Organic-Gal pillow to her liking again, and fell asleep on me AGAIN! This charade continued for about 6 hours of the flight. I'd push her up, put the arm rest down, she'd wake, put the arm rest back up, and curl up on me. Finally I just gave up. She WAS older, and may not have been able to communicate easily with others on the plane, who knows? Maybe I sort of reminded her of a favorite neice or something.

Frankly, I'm surprised that it was a United flight that took this action. I guess with a plane full of passengers to act as witnesses, United decided it would lose any lawsuit the woman filed and did the right thing.

Organic Gal, that's a great story. Maybe that's acceptable behavior wherever she's from - where the young exist to provide cushioning for the old.

This is not my worst experience but it is the saddest on an airplane. An elderly gentleman sitting across the aisle initiated a conversation with me on the 5 hour flight between Pago Pago and Honolulu. He was looking forward to visiting his grown children in the Mainland US. He took a nap and so did I. About 3 hours into the flight I woke up to a commotion across the aisle and the pilot asking over the PA system for a doctor or nurse. The gentleman had died in his sleep of an apparent heart failure.

Organic Gal "maybe that's acceptable behavior where she's from", and a host of its variations, is getting to be used a bit too much to rationalize all manner of odd behavior. The old lady was being a bit too pushy for my tastes and I would have told her with body language that what she was doing was unacceptable here. When in Rome . . .

I've seen it from a to z. There was a medical emergency on a flight coming back from Christmas this year - the flight continued to its destination, and there was a paramedic on board, thankfully, who helped stabilize the woman, who was in her 90's (and sitting the row ahead of us). She was taken off by paramedics before the rest of us deplaned, and I hope she was okay. We felt horribly helpless and hubby is now considering getting EMT training.

On the far other end of the spectrum, when I was 16 (in about 1990), I flew alone from CA to New York on a red-eye, and the passenger sitting next to me (a guy in his 20s or 30s who was absolutely aware of my age) kept trying unsuccessfully to kiss me and to put his blanket over both of our laps. About an hour into the flight, I asked a flight attendant to re-seat me, but was too embarrassed to tell her why. She rather crossly told me that it was a full flight with no available seats. Several hours later (about an hour from landing), while waiting in line for a lavatory and at wits end, I griped more fully to another passenger, a woman in her 30's or 40's, and she found the flight attendant and read her the riot act. The flight attendant still did not reseat me (to this day, I don't know why), but she kept a close eye on the creep and managed to make a few other passengers in the surrounding row or two aware of the situation. I'd like to think that a flight attendant would handle this situation better today - I still get very upset thinking back to this.

Flying from Los Angeles to Newark, I spent 3.5 hours on the tarmac (plus the interminable transcontinental flight that followed) in a middle seat between (a) an obese man who took up half of my seat and (b) a woman with a hyperactive 23 month old lap child. The child entertained himself by hitting me for about 6 straight hours while his indulgent mother refused to control him. I had bruises on my arm the next day.

This is unbelievable, and it makes me think about all of the children / teens / young adults flying alone who might not feel comfortable screaming or "causing a scene". I certainly hope this creep ends up on the "no fly" list!

My weirdest experience was when the woman next to me changed her baby's poop-y diaper on her seat tray. Of course, as small and close as our 2 seats were, it was like "we" changed the diaper. That experience took my germ-o-phobia to new levels, and now I avoid touching those trays if at all possible. And, I carry lots of those Purell wipes :) It had just never occurred to me that poop-y diapers would be in contact with those trays. That said, if I had a baby, I honestly don't think I would want to try to change its' diaper in those tiny bathrooms. I think the airlines need to assign one of their tiny seats per life form. There is just not enough room for a a person and a baby, toddler, or animal. But I have no idea how the airlines could fairly and respectfully individuals who are too obese to fit into a seat, but I wish they could figure that out. I personally have each hip against my armrests and my knees smashed into the seat in front of me. So, I just don't have any extra seat space to share with someone who is overflowing their seat into mine. Any ideas???

Arlington, you had EVERY RIGHT to tell that obnoxious little boxing toddler "No! Stop hitting me!" He would've understood. If the lazy mom actually had the guts to be offended by your words, you could've read her the riot act for allowing her little bully to physically attack you.

I've been on several flights where my seat mate has enjoyed looking at pornographic magazines. Don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to such reading material, but I think there is a time and a place for everything. Imagine if there was a child flying alone sitting next to this person!

Forced intimacy and lack of room made for my worst flight ever.

On a fully-loaded '80's business flight, I was wedged between the arms and shoulders of two very big and tall men.
The biggest was drenched in sweat when he boarded and was still dripping when we landed four hours later. But a bad situation was made worse by his attire or lack of same. Thanks to his nylon short shorts, flipflops and revealing oversized tank top, I spent that time pressed against and trying not to look at an unbelievable amount of most bare skin and body hair.

Can I just say, on behalf of everyone reading this blog: Ewwwwwwwww.

Beth, FYI, UA has the highest emergency training standard in the airline industry. Unlike other carriers, UA has a constantly updated handbook that flight attendants must have on them at all times and requires flight attendants to score a full 100% on a rigorous exam and training session each year. Anybody who doesn't meet either requirement is indefinitely suspended. I suggest you do not make generalizations.

I was on the last leg returning from Sydney to DC, LAX-IAD. Middle of the night for me, so definitely ready to sleep. Morbidly obese woman was my row mate. Thankfully, there was a seat in between. Her thighs ballooned out 1/2way across the middle seat. She wanted a buddy. I slept. I read. Nothing would make her stop staring at me plaintively and trying to have a conversation. "My BOYFRIEND is in first class. He has the Mint Milanos!" and off she went to capture them. She returned and that's when the farting started. I was close to passing out. It just would not stop. To her credit, when she saw me covering my face with the pillow, she said a meek "sorry" and headed to the toilet for 40 minutes.

Definitely not as bad as the groper, but close...on a Sydney to LA long-haul flight, my row mate was a Peruvian man. We were chatting. Not flirting, in my view, but apparently in his. I got up to use the bathroom. As I stepped in, he was right behind me, pushing in, offering to "join" me. He seemed surprised when I pushed him out of the way and slammed the door. Caught a shocked and concerned look from a flight attendant as I did so. I moved seats.

Sil Spring, that is awful.

Maybe To Catch a Predator needs to do a segment on airborne molesters.

Does anyone else remember when airline travel was actually enjoyable? United made a brief resurgence in the '90s, but Delta hit a low with its "gets you there" campaign around the same time. Southwest, to its credit, calls it like it is (and broadcasts it nationally on tv).

For those willing to pay for quality, does any airline today actually appeal for customers on the basis of better customer service? These stories are depressing, and the situation won't improve until Americans stop insisting on paying city bus prices for airline travel.

"any woman who goes anywhere is subject to unwelcome advances by creeps and leches"

Women are also often open to advances by gents and smart guys.

Moreover, I have yet to meet a woman who, in an emergency, would not retreat into the role of helpless female that must be protected. Okay, maybe one or two, but they truly are the exception.

I guess the airline will pay for her ticket to appear to testify but won't pay the travel cost of the person who is innocent until proven guilty!

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