Yes – GhettoIFE is joining on the action so you can win a seat on Star MegaDO 4!
We all know MegaDO 4 has been sold out… well since they announced the flight was for sale, but a certain Randy Petersen is offering up a two seats on the US Domestic portion of the MegaDO flight!
You’ll get:
- A seat next to Randy
- Hotel Accommodations thrown in US Domestic Cities
- And $250
Now, I can’t enter (and sadly, I’ve seen my diary and my next free weekend is… ooh… 22nd/23rd December), but YOU can enter!
There are 30 chances to win as all a lot of the blogs at BoardingArea.com are participating!
One winner from each of the blogs will be selected to go forward to win one of two seats on the MegaDO flight!
Oh, and the winner from the GhettoIFE section will get something from the Boeing Store when I head over to Chicago in a few weeks. What it will be – well.. that’s my little secret, but it will be something… different 😉 (or if you’re that desperate for a prize, I do have a few “Remove before Flight” key-rings arriving next week to celebrate GhettoIFE’s first year on Boarding Area)
There are official rules – please check them before you enter at http://boardingarea.com/seat_with_randy/index.html, and your deadline for entry is Friday October 7th at 11:59:59 pm MT on across all Boarding Area blogs.
But of course, at GhettoIFE, I never like to make things easy (all of you know this), to enter to draw my question is:
Tell me a quick story about your most amusing seatmate!
There. Not TOO hard I hope ;). Entries must be in the comments box below IN THIS POST ONLY.
Want another chance to win? There’s lots of them with other Boarding Area Bloggers! Click below and see what each blogger’s question is to increase your chances of winning!estic MegaDO flight! You can also enter at the other following blogs!
- AAdvantage Geek
- DealsWeLike
- Delta Points
- Flying With Fish
- Frequent Miler
- Ghetto IFE
- Hack My Trip
- Just Another Points Traveller
- Live From a Lounge
- Loyalty Traveler
- Marshal Jackson on Travel
- MilesQuest
- Miles From Blighty
- Mommy Points
- New Girl in the Air
- One Mile at a Time
- Pearls of Travel Wisdom
- Point Me to the Plane
- Points Miles & Martinis
- Rapid Travel Chai
- Road Warriorrette
- The Military Frequent Flyer
- The Sceptical Traveler
- Unroadwarrior
- View From The Wing
- Wandering Aramean
and Good Luck! 😀
When the plane was taking off he stood up and started to walk towards the lavatory and was sent back. He then stood up as soon as the plane landed and started to open the overhead bin to grab his carry-on bag and was requested to return to his seat once again.
on friday night flight to Vegas; girl was all dressed up in work clothes (slacks, blouse, etc). As we hit cruise, she went to bathroom and was there until almost we landed. But when she came out it, it was as if she was a totally different person. Make up/hair done, jewelry on, and also changed into one sexy little black dress.
First class Atl to Aruba, lady next to me in window seat proceeded to get drunk, got up to use the rest room and when she got back she didn’t wait for me to get up and let her in so she squeeze past me, her rather large butt right in my face and proceeded to knock the glass (in a glass glass)of wine she had sitting there off into her seat with her large rump. Being pretty well lit she did not realize she had done this and was well on her way to landing on the glass in her seat when I quickly reached over to grab it and prevent a rather embarrassing injury. She must have thought I was trying to grab her butt from the look I got. When she realized what happened she said “I didn’t know it was that big”, referring to her butt I just put on my headphones because she would NOT shut up. Drunks on planes!!!!!!!!!!
i once had a girl who sat in my seat, insisted it was her seat, and after she moved over two seats, stretched out her arm midflight and grabbed the headphones i wasn’t using from my seat back pocket.
My most amusing seatmate was a former world’s strongest man and was on the WWF (World Wrestling Federation) circuit. I was in a window seat in First and really glad I have camel properties because there was no way I could have climbed over him. Learned a lot about the life of WWF members (which are real frequent fliers)!
Amusing …….maybe, the guy next to me started throwing up on take off, there was not an available seat to move me to…………..so I did learn that the flight attendants use coffee , unbrewed to try to absorb the smell, and it actually did help, but not quite enough
I sat down on a completely full in coach flight from San Juan, PR to Philly. He smelled God awful. I mentioned this to the flight attendant who said she’d try to find me another seat on the plane. All in coach were full. But there was only 4 taken in business on an A330. So I got upgraded up there. Told the story to the new person and said that she might start hiring smelly people to sit next to her.
Hilton Queenstown, NZ
had a great flight many years ago on a company business trip (working for UA at the time) and had a deadheading CA next to me and 12 years later, she is my best friend and partner!
Once on a Delta EWR-ATL flight, I was seated between Whitney Houston, their daughter Bobbi Brown, and her husband Bobby Brown. I had the aisle next to Whitney while Bobbi/Bobby had the other aisle/window seat. This was during the time their marriage was extra-tumultuous; definitely lead to some amusing banter on the plane.
My most amusing seatmate was a 60-something Icelandic woman on a flight from Reykjavik to BWI. She was knocking down the drinks with abandon and regaled me with all kinds of crazy stories about what it was like growing up in Iceland in the old days.
Every time i fly it’s an adventure…kind of like riding a big city bus or subway!
Had a flight with Louie Anderson…funny man…nicer guy in person.
I got locked in the bathroom for awhile…like thats not too embarrassing…ouch!!!! Everyone staring at me…i’m very shy to begin with!!!
On a flight from JFK to TPA former wrestling legend Jim Nighthart was next to me. I wouldn’t have known it was him, except he was paged up to the counter for an upgrade before we took off.
I flew from Mount Hagen Papua New Guinea to Port Morsby Papua New Guinea with a couple of men that looked like the real deal headhunters!!!
empty seat 🙂
All their jokes were funny and it didn’t bump me or disturb me during the flight.
-David
AKL to BNE on AirNZ. In the wake of last year’s QF grounding, I start grumbling to my seatmate. We chat hesitantly for a while, many miles later we realise we are both Flytertalkers and milepointers and that we’d met an chatted online several times before.
It’s a small world up there – especially in the South Pacific when you live in the UK.
My most amusing seat mate was a dog a woman once brought in her bag.
well, amusing can be interpreted in different ways. I sat next to a mother with the most adorable little girl in her lap. the little girl was sooo cute. It was quite “amusing” just staring at her cuteness.
Once sat next to an old guy who claimed to manufacture Ludacris’ Beats-esque branded headphones. Droned on for the entire flight about partying in Rio with him despite my obvious lack of interest.
On a flight from NYC to Milan, sat across a young Italian family with two young ones who were seated in the center bulkhead. In the process of unpacking and making the kids happy, and folded up dirty diaper was deposited on the floor in front of them (not messy, thankfully). The flight attendant came along and told them ‘You need to pick that up and get rid of it, especially since this in an emergency path exit!’. At that point the father asked if the FA could pick it up for them… The reaction and ‘I am not picking it up for you!’ was priceless!
I was 25 years old and had been miraculously upgraded on a busy 4th of July weekend to First Class on British Airways (only because coach was completely full). I sat next to a Lufthansa pilot who guided me through all the meal, cocktail, and other pampering selections on the menu. I’ll never forget the thrill!
Probably the Aussie knocking back drinks on a 8 am flight. or maybe the guy on the return who continued to sit in the middle seat when the window seat was open until I suggested he move over.
Guy fell asleep on my shoulder..even snuzzled his head in my shoulder..like we were partners! Yes, Really!
College kid somehow got several beer cans through security and proceeded to drink them warm on the flight, not that he needed them as he could barely talk when he sat down. FAs warned him a couple times. He tried to steal life preservers from under the seats which got him detained on landing.
Sat next to Alan Thicke on AA a few years back. The guy told me all these amazing stories of his days during the Growing Pains days, and then proceeded to knock out very quickly. He may or may not be a snorer
While waiting to fly home to NYC from Dubai there were lots of chatting around the plane. Many of the passengers were US military or contractors. (I am/ was not)
The guy sitting next to me was chatting a bit and mentioned how he worked at a concession on a base or something to that extent. Once the flight took off, I was hoping to relax and watch a movie or two before dozing off.
The guy next to me put on his over-sized headphones and put on a movie. Within 10 minutes or so I would hear ridiculously loud laughter coming from him every so often.
I couldn’t imagine what movie he was watching to not be able to control himself!
Not amusing, but my most interesting seat mate was a Medal of Honor recipient. Apparently AA gives them lifetime Executive Platinum status!
Like this woman who shared her complete family troubles and was asking me advice on where to invest her money and whether she was right in dealing the way she did with her spouse and children. I almost like I was a shrink and a financial advisor rolled into one.
The guy I sat next to on a recent DXB-DOH flight, who told me all the details of an impending company demerger….in my own industry….24 hours before the demerger was even announced…..;-)
MUC-PEK on LH. A Swedish dentist (of middle eastern extraction) moved up the plane because his AVOD wasn’t working. I thought myself very lucky and went to sleep, only to be woken by his shaking my knee wanting back into his old seat because his new seat-mate had halitosis. As a dentist he ‘knew the signs’ of a mouth infection. For the record, there were still a smattering of open seats with working AVOD. I guess he just liked me.
ps I can’t actually make use of the prize, just wanted to contribute.
Overweight young seatmate claimed to be an officer and pilot in the Air Force, gave inexpert commentary about what they were doing on the flight deck during taxi and take-off. The commentary came to a dead halt when I asked “do you have your military ID on you?” “No.” “Funny, I have mine right here.”
Not as good as noise canceling headphones, but much more satisfying.
I had a fellow AA EXP on a flight from JFK-SFO a while back. He also put down enough miles to make UA GS/LH SEN, so he had a number of stories to share.
Sat next to an AA Plat in an emergency exit row from SFO-ORD. He was in the middle and I had aisle. He talked about how he had accumulated hundreds of sticker upgrades because he does mostly intra-Europe flying with BA.
I don’t know if it’s more amusing or annoying. One time I was taking a transcon redeye flight. Sitting in economy window seat thought I could get some shut-eye. But the bloke in the middle seat fidgeted the entire five hour flight. What can one do?
My most interesting seat ate was an Olympic medalist.
Any southwest seatmate is usually interesting. Than those, I had an interesting and intelligent conversation with Ice-T on a PS flight a few years ago. Great guy.
On a ZRH-BKK flight in C the guy next to me was quite drunk before we even took off. Kept drinking throughout the flight till he was singing and flinging his headphone around. then he passed out and spilt everything on himself. (by that time I was asleep with a blanket barrier between us). He was out cold till we landed.
I had a large woman next to me who grabbed and held my hand during some very light chop. Didn’t ask, didn’t even look at me, just held my hand until it passed
The teenager who fell asleep on my shoulder SEA-ANC.
Arie Luyendyk on a flight from PHX-EWR on my way to CPH.
DFW TO ATL all these kids were asking my seat mate for a picture with him. I said who the hell are you? he responded Jamal Mashburn .. who the hell are you? LOLL
Kid Rock on a flight from DTW to LAX. Super nice guy!
Brent Jones (Former NFL 49er) from DTW – DEN
Getting to watch a grandfather, father and grandson share a row and observing just how far the apple falls from the tree as generations pass…
Five years is a long time. But, pessimisim aside, we are all going to keep finding ways to travel the world through incredible deals. Especially by communicating great finds instantly throughout our unique, if diverse and sometimes fragmented, community. Its always going to be too hard for the average traveller to follow this fastinating pursuit.
I had a woman fall asleep next to me, get into the fetal position, and then kick me throughout the flight. From Atlanta to San Francisco…..
I once flew seated next to Gerald Henderson of the Charlotte Hornets. We had a great time laughing and talking….even though I am NOT a fan of basketball.
My 2 y.o. son, who managed to injure himself (drawing blood!) with a toy A380 that we gave him for the flight. I think that toy might have been the most dangerous weapon on the plane–the wings tips were sharp!
My most amusing seatmate was Engelbert Humperdinck. I had no idea who he was, but we got talking because I made a joke about someone boarding with a banjo (“What’s the best sound a banjo ever made?” “The twang as it hit the side of the dumpster”), and he objected because the banjo player was his son – but he also disliked banjos. After the short SFO-LAS flight, I was waiting for another passenger in the terminal, and one of the flight attendants rushed up to me and said “So, you know Engelbert Humperdinck”
On a F flight on AA I sat next to SoCals dried mango magnate – very interesting guy, he was super healthy and into eat right for your blood type etc it must be working for him as he looked like he was 40 and he was in his mid-50’s!
In short: we were both, at earlier times, ghost speech writes for politicians of differing parties. 1st time I could ever spill to someone about the well-hidden skill and he’d actually quoted a speech while opposing it. Incredibly surreal to run into another ghost.
Sat next to Jerry Lewis, who, like myself, was from NJ.
I used to get pretty sick on planes and so when I was younger (21 or so) I was on a flight home from Las Vegas. My friends were all sitting next to each other but somehow, I ended up a few rows behind them, by myself. Luckily, the seat next to me was empty. Everyone is seated, and I’m thanking my lucky stars that I’ll have a nice, comfortable flight since no one is next to me.
Just as the doors are about to close, a 350 pound Larry the Cable Guy lookalike comes busting through the door, hollering about this and that. Of course, his carry on is the size of a small bear, and as he tries to shove it in the storage bin thats of course full, I get a faceful of beer gut! As he sits down, he says “Howdy partner” and when I answer “hi” that was the last thing I could get in edgewise for the rest of the 4 hour flight.
If anyone would like to know about the mating patterns of swine in northern Alabama, I know more than I ever wanted to know! Ask away!
My favorite seatmate was a 7 year old girl flying alone who never stopped talking for even a second and wanted to hold my hand for the entire flight.She was happy and funny and sweet but I badly needed a break by the end!
Sitting in the window seat of the exit row one time on a TransPac flight, and another guy sits in the middle seat. Boarding finishes off but we haven’t pushed back yet and the aisle seat is empty. No movement. Taxi and takeoff and get to 10,000 feet. No movement. Finally about 5 minutes after the seatbelt sign comes off at cruise altitude, I ask him if he wouldn’t mind moving to the aisle seat so that we could have the empty seat between us.
A very heavy snorer!
My most amusing seat mate was that a very friendly snorer!
Besides my girlfriend I haven’t had any special seatmates.. The story about Melissa Stetten that tweeted about the alleged inflight flirtation of her seatmate caught my attention 🙂
Small children (old enough to marvel at the novelty of the experience) make great middle seat seatmates. Free entertainment!
I am an x B727 pilot , and would love to fly the B787 and take a look at the cockpit to see how much things changed.
My most amusing seatmate was the stranger who, while asleep, kept letting is head fall on my shoulder.
The Polish grandmothers I sat next to on a LH flight. They were *very* friendly- they even did things like help me put on a jacket; turned my reading light on and off; wanted to help me with the tin pan food came in- and all without me asking. It was a little odd, but I’d take an overly friendly passenger over an overly mean one any day of the week.
Not very amusing, but once had a seatmate who kept farting, VERY LOUDLY, throughout the duration of the flight!
I sat next to an 11 year old boy whose parents were somewhere else on the plane and was very surprised by his candid stories of his family life. Now that I’m a mom, I make sure my son sits next to me on all flights so he’s not telling our family secrets tp strangers!
This is an easy one. My most amusing seat mate would have to be my 5 year old, Cole. He always keeps me smiling when we fly together and I never quite know what he is going to do next.
my son loving every minute of the flight and constantly straining to look at everything around him
Learned about murderball from a US olympian on a connection through Denver.
I once sat next to a 7 year old who was reciting Pi to about the 40th digit! 3.14159265359…………………… He kept at it for the whole flight. 4 hours or so.
Sat next to a flight attendant in the jump seat for a five-hour flight from PHL to LAX. And she was smokin’ hot (think Bar Rafaeli (VS and SI swimsuit model), whom she resembled) and really nice too. Sadly, my girlfriend at the time was seated on the other side of me, which prevented me from laying some rap w/ the FA. Boooo!
I love upgrades! and it should be a lot of Fun!
Easy: Gerhard Schroeder, the former chancellor of Germany, sat next to me on my flight from TXL to VIE. Good guy, and pretty funny. Pity about the bodyguards, though.
I sat next to a Singaporean on my first flight in SQ C. She took a picture of me and was tolerant of me being the typical FTer (taking snaps of the meal, etc.). She mentioned that VX was the only American airline like SQ…
I’ve sat next to the Secret Police on one flight and on another flight, a woman once hunted by the Secret Police. I kept both people confidences.
I was sitting next to a guy who was deep in sleep. All of the sudden he woke up, reared back, pressing himself against the fuselage, and nearly screamed. He was looking at me, terrified, as if I was trying to kill him. Must have had a bad dream. Scared the crap out of me too.
most interesting have been on any flight to/from LAS
My most amusing seatmate is my girlfriend’s plucky, inquisitive five year old daughter.
I sat next to a nun during a TATL flight. She spent the whole time talking to the man on the other side of her, while I happily watched movies and slept. At the end of the flight she apologized for not talking to me – I didn’t have the heart to tell her I wasn’t interested.
She started clipping her fingernails during the flight!
Met a very chatty Catholic priest in F on DL ATL-LGA last month. Turns out he’s visited my home country and my home town, and he’s up on technology. He tweets! Who knew?
The most *interesting* seatmate I ever had was a Samoan on his way back home. He turned out to be a traditional tattoo artist that traveled around the world doing or completing the tattoos for Samoans abroad. The amusing part was when he stood up and dropped trou so he could show me all the the tattoo work on his body. :-0
Was randomly assigned a window seat next to my high school teacher coming from London to IAD, this was 10 years after I had graduated.
A person would not give up the middle seat for a better seat because she wanted to be in the middle of the plane for balance.
Sat next to someone who was on one of the many “Survivor”s once…
Older people are always the most amusing – young(ish) people are too serious!
Most amusing seatmate was one who was literally throwing up the whole flight – I determined it was not airsickness, but whatever the guy had before he entered….all I did was (1) keep hoping none of “it” got on me (2) there was little or no turbulence and (3) there were many extra barfbags ready for use…..!
Most amusing seatmate was actually in the seat in front of me about 10 years ago. He was one of the most husky, muscular men I have ever seen, somewhere around 6’8″ and build like a football player. He reclined back and put his gigantic arms up and behind him so they encroached on my space in a big way. It wasn’t funny at the time, but now my traveling companions joke about it today still, calling him “the lumberjack”.
Most amusing seatmate was my 6 yr old son when we got upgraded to first class. He was so excited to get to watch movies and get blankets and pillows and sit in the big wide seat. He always wants to know when we will get to sit in “class one” again!
Older woman who told me how her psychologist couldn’t decide whether to encourage her to stay with her husband and that she was a prison guard who had to cover up in-prison murders.
The off-duty pilot (whose employer must remain nameless) who regaled me with stories of crazy flight crews, all the way from Knoxville to … a city that may or may not have been a hub for his employer 🙂
My most amusing seatmate was this college kid named Gord. He was pretty funny most of the flight but the moment that cracked me up, and that I remember to this day, was when the plane started banking and he bolted upright, saying in a pitch-perfect Harrison Ford impression, “We’re turning around! We’re going back to Berlin!”
I recently switched from the first row of EC on Delta to the back of economy for the last 10 minutes of a flight to Johannesburg to help out a guy with a tight connection. I am glad I volunteered because I got to meet the sweetest old lady. She was telling me how she was born in Joburg, and had always wanted to leave, but lived all 80+ years of her life there! She had to go to the lav when we landed to do her hair and makeup.
I can’t remember any – usually fall asleep pretty quickly. I am a nice quite person to fly with!
I was flying BOS-LHR red eye for a job interview and the lady sitting next to me was on her first airplane ride. She was extremely nervous, which i dont blame her, after dinner she asked me to help with her creamer for her coffee as she was giving it to me she knocked over her coffee on me, then got even more nervous and started throwing up on the trey table/ seat.
Not a good way to start off the interview.
A guy I met on a flight from IAD to SFO. After flying around on Singapore Air business class he was confused by domestic first and asked me how come his seat didn’t recline fully, why the flight attendants didn’t smile, and where his second meal was.
A very famous poet who I won’t identify. It wasn’t amusing at first and I was honored to be sitting next to her. However as the flight progressed she got increasingly snockered. I later found out she admitted a problem with alcohol. I was glad to hear she addressed her problem and did something about it.
Most amusing is Steadman (Oprah’s partner) on a flight LAX-SAN… I first thought he was Eric Holder (Head of the DOJ), glad I didn’t open my mouth.
Worst would be 2 smokers from LHR-SFO non-stop Virgin Atlantic who hacked up and coughed for 10 hrs in Economy. No IFE in the world can make you feel comfortable in that situation.
The most amazing/amusing seat-mate I got was an empty seat 😉 Nothing beats that.
It was a little toddler. I tried to strike up a conversation by saying I was confused and couldn’t remember what a dog said. Anyway, she wouldn’t stop going through animals. It was pretty cute
The kid flying next to me who kept hitting my flight attendant call button so the would get mad at me.
A really fat woman that could barely fit in between the armrests.
She also took pride in her size and refer to it as “nice and big”. LOL
sat with mr t. he went to sleep.
An Orthodox priest with an assistant in the bulkhead row on Air Astana ALA-FRU flight. They had main priest’s hat in some kind of case on the floor and it was quite amusing watching them have it taken away [after short discussion] by the FA to put it in the overhead bin.
My most amusing seatmate happened to be Randy Peterson on the OWMD in January! I’m past due for another experience. Thanks for the contest.
Mr. Zumba – exercised in his seat and aisle as if he were in an aerobics class. Made it difficult to watch the movie.
My first flight to Paris was on short notice with little advance planning, and I had learned as much French as I could during just 2 weeks. I had intended to sleep during my redeye flight, but ended up chatting nearly the entire way with my seatmate — a lovely Parisian who taught English in the U.S.
I once had a seat mate who wanted to talk for hours and hours when I wanted to sleep!
Closest thing you get to a seatmate on LH F is the pax in front, behind, or across the aisle. Last year, Owen Wilson was behind me. I got a kick out of seeing him walk back and forth to the lav in his jammies.
I sat next to Henry Winkler in the first row on a Virgin flight from Chicago to LA last September. Nothing cooler than telling your friends you were just on a flight with The Fonz!
AAAYYYYYYYY!!
I sat next to an interesting couple from Las Vegas to San Diego who are entertainers in the Circus de Solei at Bellagio
Amusing might be a stretch, but I was ecstatic to sit next to an expert in Celiac Disease / Gluten sensitivity soon after finding out I had it, and she was truly thrilled to share her knowledge with me!
The stranger who sat down next to me that I married two years later.
The doctor next to me on the way to Hawaii. Kept me talking and listening on an 11 hour flight.
having a teenager after nectxt to me and getting me reallyt annoyerd
I’m a pretty big guy, and I was on a long flight in coach. I boarded first, and eventually my two other seatmates showed up. We were by far the biggest people on the airline, and I joked afterward that we probably weighed the plane down toward one side! Two of us needed seat belt extenders. It was a LONG flight to Miami!
when i saw the young college kid with the tattoos in line for business class it was interesting to make up a story – was he a musician, actor or other famous person. he ended up as my seatmate and was so interesting especially when we found out we follow a few of the same travel sites/bloggers, are points addicted and love independent/foreign films. my flight home from Lima was enjoyable and we ended up racing each other through the terminal at JFK using our Global Entry – he won!
A huge person next to me in a RJ was half way in my seat,my hole body was twisted because I could not sit straight. The flight attendant felt sorry for me and bumped me up to the front of the plane.I have recovered since.
I was surrounded by Japanese tourists who spoke no English. They initially wanted me to give up my window seat for a middle seat, but it was a 5 hour flight so I politely declined. I spent the flight communicating in sign language as there was severe turbulance and they kept getting out of thier seats and wandering in the galley. There were numerous drink mishaps etc. It was an interesting flight.
Me in the aisle, his seat the window, but he decided to sit in the middle for “fun.” He started out asking if he could have some of the chips I was eating, leaned over during the movie I was watching and asked if I would mind unplugging my headphones so he could listen also and then proceeded to try and sleep on me. And yes, a complete stranger.
I saw next to an American woman on a flight from CDG to IAD once. I spoke a tiny bit of French to the flight crew and she assumed I was French (it was AF metal). When she addressed me for the first time she said very slowly and loudly: EXCUSE ME, DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH? I HAVE TO GET UP TO USE THE BATHROOM. (She was in the middle seat.) I politely said yes, let her go do her thing, and we sat back down. She then proceeded to talk like this to me for the remainder of the flight. When she saw me watching “Bridesmaids”: THIS MOVIE WAS SOOO POPULAR IN AMERICA. WAS IT POPULAR IN FRAAANCE? After finally conversing with her a bit she said, YOUR ENGLISH IS SOOOO GOOD. WHERE DID YOU LEARN IT? Upon me telling her that I was, in fact, American and a native English speaker, she proceeded to say OH MY GOSH, ME TOO. Seriously left me a bit sadder that she was overseas representing our country…
As a teenager, I checked in for a flight at the elite line and was given a glare by a fellow passenger who later drooped his head sheepishly as he passed me seated in J on his way back to Y.
Sat next to a young mother and a baby, the baby found it amusing it crawl on the floor between all 3 seats during the entire trip
sat next to a young travel writer. throughout the CDG to LAX flight, she told interesting stories about her adventure travels in Bolivia, Antartica , Galapogos Islands and the Amazon. Was very amused especially about the adventure in the Amazon and how she befriended a tribesman. She is now engaged to him!!!!
Had people speaking about me in a language they thought I didnt understand. That made for a nice surprise toward the end of the flight when I revealed that I understood them.
Just back from a recent flight to HNL. My seatmate at the front of the plane appeared to be attracting a lot of attention. People walking by, smiling etc. It just seemed odd but I couldn’t put my finger on it. He was pleasant, polite and generally quite for the whole flight. When we got off the plane and through the terminal — people started to line up for pictures with him; including people from economy. So apparently something had spread through the plane. I waited for one of the girls to finish and asked who it was. It was Taio Cruz. I even like some of his music, but had no idea it was him the whole time. Had to google image it, and sure enough, sat beside Taio Cruz for a 6h flight and had no idea.
Air Tran FNT to MIA after Northwest flight out of TVC was cancelled due to weather. We drove through a blizzard to get to Flint from Traverse City to save our cruise having booked flights independently we were sunk (literally) if we missed the ship. We were seated in the last row across from a young couple who were new to air travel and the young woman was obviously frightened. The flight was turbulent due to the storm, she began to vomit and her companion looked ready to join her. Being a therapist and a mom I offered to switch seats with the companion seating him next to my husband figuring he could sort him out. With the help of a wonderful stewardess the young woman calmed and got the hang of Belly Breathing. South of the storms the air was smooth and the cabin atmosphere relaxed. That wonderful stewardess moved my husband and I up front to business class and bought our cocktails for the rest of the flight.
I shared tips on spending miles with a stranger last flight last week. We have become friends and found out that we have something in common in term of research/work!
sitting in fc on a flight from SFO to ORD with the ex-wife of a famous comedian. Thestories were funnier than the comedian.
I got a seat next to some real pretty actress from Phoenix to COS. She was so pretty and can carry real conversation. She told me all about the in’s and out’s of being an actress in this cut-throat business. Our flight got delayed for 4 hours, but I never got tired of looking at her face while she talked.
a big 250 pounder wanted my priority seat that I paid for.
My most amazing seat mate was not a good one. He was drunk, I went into the lav after him and the entire place was cocered in pee. He got it everywhere but the celing
Amazing seatmates are behind me nudging in my back.
flying alone in Business class on AA from Buenos Aires to Los Angeles. I sat next to a million miler business man also flying to LAX. I was sleeping when we landed at IAD for our layover to LAX. We had to get our bags and go through customs. I did not hear the instructions on where to go to get our luggage if you had a connection. He said, don’t worry, just follow me, I’m also flying to LAX. I followed him. Turns out he went to the wrong baggage claim. He went to the one for people ending their trip at IAD. This cost me 2 hours and I missed my flight.
in 1980 at 18 years old I was taking my first trans-con JFK-SFO. For some reason I scored an Op up to F. My seat mate was a 60ish woman who had had few too many cocktails. After dinner she started groping my private regions while inviting me to her hotel in SFO. Polietly declined the offer. Not long afer she past out cold.
she told me her life story before we even took off!
Last weekend I was on a mileage from COS-IAH-SFO-PHX both ways. Right after the first flight, when the guy sitting next to me started speed walking off the plane and down the terminal, I figured he was probably headed to the SFO bound flight, which was supposed to depart from terminal E just 15 minutes after we got out of the plane at terminal B. Turns out he (and two others in the back) were doing an identical mileage run. Needless to say, that was far more interesting than the identical mileage run I did a week earlier.
None that were too funny in the normal sense, but I have had several seatmates talk to me the entire time (I’m guessing to calm their nerves). I’ve played along, but have laughed to myself as usually I have a book in hand and am trying to read it and find I’ve made no progress by the end of the flight. I do hope they at least feel better!
On my way to a final job interview a kid next to me took his hand an went “swoosh” and with his hand knocked his cup of OJ unto the lap of my dark blue business suit. His Mother said, “Isn’t he cute?”.
I can’t print my reply here.
Sat next to Tim Berners-Lee on an intra Europe KLM flight a few years ago. one of the more substantial airline conversations I’ve ever had.
My husband which he always do his best to find the best seat for me.
was sat next to a guy who had come back from gator fishin’ Sent me photos and invited me to join him in a future year.
Sat next to GIANT stuffed bear once that this guy brought for his son:)
FC LGA-MSP, seatmate told me about his messed up life. Already a few drinks in told me his reason for going to MSP was for rehab. His stories of hookers, alcohol and drugs definitely made my flight go much quicker.
I sat next to a woman who did not turn off her phone after a crew member directly instructed her to do so which resulted in her phone being confiscated and a threat of arrest if another word of profanity was used. Awkward…..
I’m afraid I don’t have any great seatmate stories, so I’ll tell you one I heard from Anne McCaffery, the science fiction writer. She was flying from Melbourne to Sydney when she noticed the man in the aisle seat next to her was reading one of her books. She asked him, in a skeptical way , if the book was any good and he told her yes, and that he enjoyed all the author’s books. “That’s nice” she said, “I’m Anne McCaffery”.
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They fell to talking and the other passenger asked what was taking her to Sydney. She remarked that she hoped to see the Opera company there which she had heard was doing great things under the new director, David Ogilvy. “That’s nice” her seat mate replied, “I’m David Ogilvy.”
Most amusing seat mates are my kids every time
Very old story but once, as a child, swapped seats with my father half way through a flight and he was sitting beside an elderly nun – when the plane took off she turned off her hearing aid, once I sat beside her and started asking questions (as only children can) she turned it on again and we talked for three hours! Amazing life she had.
My most amusing/interesting seat mate was a nun from the Missionaries of Charity founded by the Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. (Kolkata)
My most amusing/interesting seat mate is a Guru liles bloggers in BoardingARea
I was on a mileage run to Hawaii and sat next to a great lady who was doing a mileage run to LAX…we are still in touch.
it’s amazing how many people i’ve met on an airplane who started a new age healing center in some far away country that ultimately failed due to a terrible partner.
Sat next to Henry Kissinger on a flight from JFK to FRA. Felt like the old economist commercial.
I once sat in front of Danny Glover on a flight out of Iowa during caucus campaign season. He, of course, attracted a lot of attention during the boarding process but once he found his seat he proceeded to make a phone call. He very loudly began having a very personal phone call with someone until the flight attendant reminded him to turn his phone off. Now, Danny is a tall man and the DSM airport has puddle jumpers, so for the entire flight his knees were buried into the back of my seat. To this day when I see him in movies I yell “screw you Danny Glover!” and friends have joined in on the jeering! (although I do like a few of his roles)