Over the years, I’ve flown around five million miles, across a countless number of airlines. Obviously there’s some variance between flights, but for the most part, things go pretty smoothly, and not much catches me off guard.
Of course some flights are more memorable than others. I typically make lists with what I consider to be my best flight experiences, though in this post, I figure it’s fun to maybe share some of the worst flight experiences I’ve had over the years.
The focus with this list is on flights that were memorable in a negative way, rather than just being bad in line with expectations. In other words, the list won’t have flights where I flew economy on an ultra low cost carrier, and the legroom was limited.
Heck, I’m not even including most of the minor things I’ve experienced over time that may rattle the average traveler, from engine failures, to lightning strikes. I’m also not including things like Air India first class or Pakistan International Airlines business class, which are known to be subpar, so I came in with low expectations.
Longtime OMAAT readers may remember some or all of these. So here we go, in no particular order…
In this post:
My Royal Jordanian flight from hell
In March 2013, I flew Royal Jordanian’s A330 business class on what was supposed to be a routine fifth freedom flight from Bangkok (BKK) to Hong Kong (HKG), and it ended up being the scariest flight of my life.
Bad weather, lightning strikes, turbulence, etc., don’t generally scare me, but I’ve never experienced anything like this before. We spent around 30 minutes circling at a low altitude in what can only be described as the worst weather I’ve ever experienced.
If you’ve seen Air Crash Investigation, this part of the flight felt like something right out of the show. I can’t even describe the level of turbulence, hail was battering the fuselage, and the cabin was otherwise so eerily quiet, aside from people praying and crying. Some of the flight attendants were in the jump seats crying.
It’s hard to explain, but it’s the only time in my life where I thought I wasn’t going to survive a flight. When the plane finally touched down in Hong Kong, I was literally crying (as were most other passengers). One of the business class flight attendants was in the jump seat for the entire approach. In addition to her makeup being all over her face (as if she had been crying), she commented how the captain said that was going to be his last flight. I imagine that wasn’t actually serious, but it wasn’t a joke either…
Following that flight, I developed a fear of flying, whereby for most of the rest of the year, I was terrified every time that I stepped on a plane. Fortunately I eventually got over it, but I hope I never have a flight like that again.
TAAG Angola Airlines’ first class “service”
I love trying new airlines, and in March 2018, I was delighted to fly TAAG Angola Airlines’ 777 first class from Luanda to Sao Paulo. Unfortunately a short while after boarding, the purser became very concerned about my picture taking, to the point that he aggressively approached me and demanded I delete all my pictures. He even demanded to see both my camera roll and phone notepad, and even got the captain involved.
The whole situation was incredibly awkward, though even beyond that, service was quite lousy. For example, when I woke up in the morning, I wasn’t greeted with a smile and asked how my sleep was. Instead, I was scolded. “Why did you sleep so long? We only have 30 minutes, you need to eat fast. I give you 10 minutes.” I didn’t even ask to have breakfast!
Meanwhile the TAAG employees seated in first class received great service, for the record…
Lufthansa purser accuses me of recording crew
I’m an introvert who doesn’t enjoy conflict, and doesn’t want to make people feel uncomfortable. In January 2018, I flew Lufthansa’s A320 business class from Zurich to Frankfurt, and as the crew was performing their safety demonstration, they suddenly stopped, and exchanged a few words.
Hmmm, I found that odd, and wondered what was going on. Then the purser approached me, and accused me of videotaping the crew. That was simply false and baseless — like, I don’t take pictures of people. She argued with me a bit, and then I insisted on showing her my camera roll, so she could see I hadn’t done that.
Rather than apologizing for the misunderstanding, she simply walked off. I felt embarrassed and super uncomfortable. When she later came around to serve me, I politely told her that I didn’t appreciate the way she handled that situation, and that I felt embarrassed by the way she treated me. She then became defense, claiming she hadn’t “accused” me of anything, but instead, simply “asked.”
Disappointment in China Southern first class
In February 2014, I flew China Southern’s A380 first class from Los Angeles to Guangzhou, which I was looking forward to, as an A380 enthusiast. It was just a really bad experience, not at all in line with what you’d expect in first class.
It’s not that the crew wasn’t friendly, but rather, it’s that there was clearly a lack of training and investment in the product. For example, China Southern’s first class champagne on its flagship route was Duc de Paris, which retailed for $5 per bottle at the time.
The review ended up going much more viral than I was expecting, and to save face, management took action. The company apparently issued an internal memo about it, and even reportedly demoted and punished the crew, which I feel horribly about. Like I said, any shortcomings in service were due to a lack of training, rather than due to a lack of effort on the part of the crew.
Awkwardness in Oman Air business class
In January 2024, I flew Oman Air’s A330 business class from Muscat to Frankfurt. I’m a huge fan of Oman Air, and on a good day, the airline is exceptional. However, this wasn’t a good day, and the flight attendant working my section of business class was really… not good, or happy to be there.
OMAAT readers often tell me I’m too passive when things go wrong, so I thought “okay, let me try to embrace that feedback.” So at the end of the flight, I shared my feedback with the cabin manager… and it instantly got awkward.
He got a little defensive, but then walked off. Moments later, the flight attendant who had provided the bad service approached me, and basically confronted me about my feedback. It was beyond awkward, because she was basically gaslighting me into thinking that I was wrong, and that her service was actually great. This interaction reminded me of why I’m an introvert, and avoid escalating situations.
Bottom line
Obviously not all flights are created equal, but the above are some of my most memorable flights over the years, and they stand out for a variety of reasons, ranging from safety to bad service. The Royal Jordanian and TAAG flights definitely stand out to me the most.
What are the worst flights that you’ve taken, and why?
I also had a flight that was extremely scary and caused me to develop a fear of flying, despite wanting to not be afraid given that I love it so much.
The flight was in August 2012, on Southwest between Dallas (DAL) and Tampa. We were on approach into Tampa late at night when the pilot announced there were strong thunderstorms over the airport, so we would have to circle around for a bit....
I also had a flight that was extremely scary and caused me to develop a fear of flying, despite wanting to not be afraid given that I love it so much.
The flight was in August 2012, on Southwest between Dallas (DAL) and Tampa. We were on approach into Tampa late at night when the pilot announced there were strong thunderstorms over the airport, so we would have to circle around for a bit. After 45 minutes, the captain came on the PA and told us that we were running low on fuel and that we may have to divert if it doesn't clear up. Then, he came back on the PA a couple minutes later saying that he found a window for us to get in, and he took it. He flew us through the storm. In the minutes that followed, the plane was shaking like crazy, we kept pitching up and down (often abruptly), and we were not maintaining a stable descent. I remember the plane suddenly sinking a number of times times, to the point that there were screams in the cabin. Then we would pitch up and climb for a few seconds. We kept making arcs due to the wind pushing us up and down, left and right. People began crying and praying. You could see how bad the conditions were outside. A part of me did think we were going to crash that night.
Thankfully, we made it. We had a hard landing, but the captain got us home in one piece. Everyone clapped when we landed, and everyone was thanking the pilots on our way out of the aircraft.
Unfortunately, I did develop a fear of flying after that. I would feel like throwing up from the moment I stepped onboard a plane. I wasn't flying as often then (only a few times per year), and this fear and feeling stayed for the next three years or so. Thankfully it ultimately went away. But there were numerous times I threw up in a plane. I couldn't look at my phone or ipad either because they would make me nauseous. During takeoff and landing, I could only think about the possibilities of how the plane would crash. Interestingly, part of my self-created therapy in getting over these feelings was watching Air Crash Investigation episodes.
Not really a flight, but what about the "pajama incident" in the, I think, HKG terminal?
Though not the worse, one flight that I instantly remember was a Frankfurt-JFK flight where we circled and circled then landed in Newark for fuel. The plane parked at the gate, jetway attached but the door was only opened a crack so passengers would not exit. There, we sat for about 4 hours then flew EWR-JFK. So close but so far away, I thought at EWR.
On another flight, I saw the wreckage of another...
Though not the worse, one flight that I instantly remember was a Frankfurt-JFK flight where we circled and circled then landed in Newark for fuel. The plane parked at the gate, jetway attached but the door was only opened a crack so passengers would not exit. There, we sat for about 4 hours then flew EWR-JFK. So close but so far away, I thought at EWR.
On another flight, I saw the wreckage of another plane that had crashed a day or two earlier. That was not frightening, though.
Was that the Asiana plane at SFO? We landed there when the wreckage was still on the runway and dang that was eerie.
Hilarious that I remember just about all of these... It was also interesting to click on your "fear of flying" blog and right at the top you note that you had 3 million miles flown (back in 2013), and here, 10 years later, you mention 5 million. That goes to show how much flying you were doing back in those days!!
The pilot or crew who has never been scared either during or after a difficult flight, are either a liars or very dangerous individuals indeed. Military operations and SAR missions can be conducted in all weather conditions. With and without the additional hazards associated with ‘incoming’.
In the cold light of day, many a rotary wing pilot has almost evacuated their bowels upon returning to site of a night-time foul weather rescue scene. My...
The pilot or crew who has never been scared either during or after a difficult flight, are either a liars or very dangerous individuals indeed. Military operations and SAR missions can be conducted in all weather conditions. With and without the additional hazards associated with ‘incoming’.
In the cold light of day, many a rotary wing pilot has almost evacuated their bowels upon returning to site of a night-time foul weather rescue scene. My own crewmen have become emotionally overwhelmed. Some have required medical assistance, while those who believe in the supernatural express their thanks to their Gods.
Ben, there is nothing unusual in your reaction to the Royal Jordanian flight experience. You have overcome your reticence to fly again and all credit to you. Even now I tell myself that every flight/landing which I walk away from …. was a good flight.
These few examples make me glad that by and large most flight experiences are with a well-trained operation. You're putting your life, safety, and comfort entirely in the hands of complete strangers for sometimes up to 16 hours at a time. The amount of stress that you'd be under if you get a bad crew at the beginning of one of those flights is extreme.
For my own example: Does a hostile and aggressive First...
These few examples make me glad that by and large most flight experiences are with a well-trained operation. You're putting your life, safety, and comfort entirely in the hands of complete strangers for sometimes up to 16 hours at a time. The amount of stress that you'd be under if you get a bad crew at the beginning of one of those flights is extreme.
For my own example: Does a hostile and aggressive First Class FA on AA count as "bad in line with expectations"? My seat mate even commented how the FA seemed to hate me for absolutely no reason when she all but threw my meal at me, despite me interacting with her in the exact same way as everyone else.
Trip down memory lane. I’ve been following your blog since around 2018 and by now also ticked off some must do avgeek flights (EK F, EY F, NH F, LX F incl LH FCT, UA island hopper).
One thing I noticed about your blog is, that old reviews get buried quiet deeply and are hard to find. Especially since you do a little less review trips nowadays and for the sake of comparing now and...
Trip down memory lane. I’ve been following your blog since around 2018 and by now also ticked off some must do avgeek flights (EK F, EY F, NH F, LX F incl LH FCT, UA island hopper).
One thing I noticed about your blog is, that old reviews get buried quiet deeply and are hard to find. Especially since you do a little less review trips nowadays and for the sake of comparing now and then, it might be interesting to highlight some reviews á la „today X years ago I flew XY“. Maybe not as a blog post but highlight
If you know the specific review you're looking for then use Google with "site:" appended to the search (e.g. SYD-LAX Qantas First site:onemileatatime.com)
I also remember you the noticing the smell of cigarettes and someone smoking on an Air China flight years ago I think it was and you were met at the gate upon landing by management. Would that be included in one of your worst flights?
@ Mike O. -- Hah, yep, that was China Eastern:
https://onemileatatime.com/china-eastern-flight-smoke/
I was thinking of including that, and it would've probably been number six on the list. You have good memory!
Of course, I've been on here on a daily basis for more than a 15 years heh ;)
I just read those articles a couple weeks ago. I've been on a bit of an OMAAT archive quest lately :)
You should add your best flight ever too, that must be memorable.
@ Paul -- Great idea for another post!