Can I be honest? It’s hot. Really hot. Too hot. And, I am so very thankful that our office is like an icebox. It used to bother me, but not anymore.
I traveled this past weekend to the Twin Cities to see my little sister graduate high school. In my mind, I always think of her as 8 years old… so it was a little bittersweet to see her walk across the stage. OK… enough with the sentimental moment… I really wanted to tell you guys a funny story.
When my flight landed in Minneapolis, I went to the baggage claim to find my suitcase. My flight and a flight from Atlanta shared the same baggage claim area. I have to be honest… I was getting a little frantic because I couldn’t find my suitcase. (I always fear losing my luggage). After a minute or two of watching the belt circle around, I look across the room and who do I see? My buddies CHASEN. What a small world!! They were in town to play a couple of shows… and for the record, they had WAY more luggage that I did 
My bag finally appeared – it was buried under a HUGE ARMY bag and the Chasen boys and I went our separate ways BUT NOT before getting you guys some signed Chasen stickers and a few albums.
That’s right! You could win an autographed Chasen sticker and their latest album – That Was Then, This Is Now. (It’s really a good album. You NEED to win it.)
All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me about your funniest airport experience. Then, we’ll pick 10 winners and ship you your prizes!
I can’t wait to read what you guys have to say!
Happy Wednesday!
Rachel
(Contest Closed- Winners have been chosen)
My wife and I got off our small plane in Salt Lake City with our two little kids. We each had our carry-on luggage, the two kids had backpacks and I was carrying two car seats. Both the kids really wanted to be picked up, didn't want to wear their backpacks, and we had to make them walk. We had about a half-mile hike to get to our next gate, while carrying all our luggage and trying to persuade two cranky toddlers to keep moving. A courtesy golf cart finally pulled up and offered us a ride, but we could already see our gate at that time. Where could they have been when we first got off the plane?
I was flying to Nashville from Pennsylvania and you know how they check your ID when you go through security? Well, apparently my driver's license had expired the month before (clueless, yes I know). But apparently, this is some kind of high security risk, so I'm then given the 3rd degree, complete body scan, emptying of my laptop case, complete wipe down on the laptop and carry-ons looking for chemicals or explosives. And whole time I'm standing there being probed and prodded I'm wondering ... did my identity somehow change just because my driving privilege card expired? I mean, that's still me in the picture right? Isn't the purpose for looking at the license to verify that I am the same person who is listed on the ticket?
The coolest [so not as much funny] flight experience I had was when I had to spend some time in the Atlanta airport. There were troops constantly coming through constantly, and every time a group would walk through the atrium, everyone would start clapping. I thought it was really neat.
I was travelling overseas, and we were on the airplane. As soon as we landed, the lady next to me started screaming with glee, saying, "I would drive here if I could!" While that's not exactly strange in itself, I was next to more strange people on the way back to the U.S.
Visiting a friend in San Antonio and was really late due to delay in departing flight. Finally landed 2 hours later and had called my friend to let him know that I'd arrived. We're talking on the phone when I see him walking towards me. Too funny!
@Jesse - seriously?! They are never around when you need them... yet, they're ALWAYS around when you're already sitting at the gate... @Nate - Wow. Yeah... that's crazy. I am PRETTY sure that you're still you, though :) @Stephanie - I have flown through Atlanta when troops were coming home, too! It was AWESOME because people were clapping and walking up to thank them. That's a GREAT story!!
This one time, when I was traveling with my best friend and her family, we were stopped at the security check out place...because her dad was bringing mofongo (It's fired plantains with seasoning and stuff) and under the camera it looked like a bomb.
My family and I were at JFK waiting on line for our flight to Guatemala. And I noticed someone who looked like Morgan freeman. And so me being all excited that it was Morgan freeman..since I loved him in the movie Bruce almighty so I quoted the movie. And it turned out it wasnt him it was some random guy in a ball cap and sunglasses. I was so embarassed that everyone on line looked at me like I was crazy.
My story is just embarrassing... I was with my family waiting for boarding to begin, and I needed to use the restroom. The restrooms were just before all the shops and restaurants begin, with mens on one side of the hall, and womens on the other. I didn't realize this, saw the sign for the mens bathroom and assumed womens would be next it. At the same time I came up to it, 3 guys walked in and looked at me funny. Confident, I walked right past them and through a set of double doors (for some reason I thought womens might be through there.) As I walked back out, looking around and confused, a woman in one of the shops saw me and pointed me towards the correct direction. I don't want to think about how red my face must have been...
So, one time in Phoenix, my family and I were on our way to Florida for a family vacation, and we had to change planes. So, we got off the first plane to look for the gate we would leave from on the second plane. We looked at the flight screen and noticed it said gate C25. We headed for C. We wandered around the airport for a while before realizing we had left the C terminal back at our original gate - the plane we had gotten off when arriving in Phoenix. We had just enough time to run back to catch our next flight to Orlando. Needless to say, my family has no gift for direction. And it was pretty funny as we ran into our next plane. We had been clueless to where we had landed...
When I was little, I went to an amusement park in North Carolina called Ghost Town with my parents. They had all kinds of shows, one being a gun fight shooting blanks between Cowboys and Indians. After the show, the kids (me) could run out and pick up all the blanks. Well...long story short. One of the "blank bullets" ended up in my Mom's duffel bag. Well, the next time my Mom & Dad went to take a flight, they started interrogating my Dad accusing him if the bullet was his!
The funniest story I have is when my husband was traveling for business....his suitcase got lost on the way there , they returned it to him in the hotel the day before he was to come home THEN on the way home his bag got lost again! we got it back a week later...I think he needs a new bag!
My best airport experience was when I was boarding a plane early in the morning in Los Angeles to head back to college. There was an adorable three or four year old girl with her mom ahead of me in line, and she was really nervous. The pilot came out and asked her if she wanted to see the cockpit, but she just shook her head frantically as her mom thanked the pilot for asking. I was shuffling through next, and he then proceeded to ask me if I wanted to see the cockpit, to which I enthusiastically replied yes! I got o sit up there with the pilot and copilot talking about all sorts of things until everyone else had boarded and I had to take my seat. It was a great start to my day!
OK so its not the funniest but the best..my friend and i were on our way to the Dominican republic for a mission trip and we got to the new York airport at like one and so we went to dunking donuts the only place open when this guy that worked at the airport came by and asked us if were part of the flight that had been sent back because of the volcano...we were not we informed him and he asked where we were from and where we were going...well later we were in this quiet area since we had just decided to sleep in the airport and he and his friend come over and ask us why we are going to the Dominican and we got to share about Jesus and why we were going and so then his friend started quizzing me on all these Bible questions...okay so that was the end of that but then 15 days later we were going back through on our way home to Montana when my friend and i get separated so i went to a flight desk to ask them to page her and lo and behold its the guy that we met in dunking donuts and he even remembered me and asked how my trip to the Dominican was.. so its not really funny but i just think its crazy and kinda cool....
I was moving back home to pittsburgh and the final fligt was canceled so i had to stay in the airport fo 23 hours till i was finally able to get a flight home! I felt like tom hanks living at the airport! i can look back at it now and laugh!
I was traveling from Seattle to Florida for my Grandfather's funeral, both directions had a layover. On the way to Florida just after before take off from the layover my baby boy decided to fill his diaper. I was aniously watching the seatbelt sign all through take off waiting for the moment I could escape to the restroom as the odor began to permeate the cabin. Then I see the beverage cart start it's way down, no way I'm going to get trapped, so I make a quick exit with a diaper and wipes in hand. Wouldn't you know it right as I take the diaper off he decides to send a fountain shooting in the air...he has now soaked his clothes and the diaper bag is back at my seat. I peek my head out the door to try and get my mom's attention to bring me the diaper bag as the beverage cart is rapidly approaching our seats. I keep wave, I keep calling her (just short of yelling) while trying to keep my hand on th ebaby so it doesn't roll off the changing table, but she doesn't hear me and the cart is one row away...finally I have to wrap the baby in the slightly wet blanket and dash down the aisle for the diaper bag which I retieve just in time....whew! You would think that would be it...but then there is the return trip! Just before landing on the layover , again my baby decides to fill his diaper...but this one is a blowout. I have to wait through landing and deboarding in which time it has soaked through his clothes and is all over mine! I now have a souvenier Dallas tshirt to commemorate my most embarassing flight ever! Even more embarrasing then when my 2 yr old spilled his drink in my lap just before landing in Vegas for a 4hr layover in the middle of the night, when nothing was open!
I've only flown once (that I remember) so I don't really have a funny story to share. The one time I remember flying was several years ago. My mom is afraid to fly, so it was really hard for her. We had a layover in Ohio, and when we were getting ready to board the second plane, we discovered we needed to wait a little longer because they were preparing a new plane - there were mechanical issues with the first one. Totally freaked mom out! She ended up making it, though. :) On the way back a week or two later, we were on our final plane and mom took a picture of the three of us (Mom, Dad and me). My Mom looks all serene (she had taken Dramamine) and Dad and I look completely frazzled. Probably from "dealing" with her ;) We still joke about it
My Airport experience was actually last year. It was a little miscomunication problem. Well I had a friend Lydia that was coming back from France, and I thought that she told me she needed a ride home so my mom left me at the Portland, Oregon airport with the van because she was busy (I dont have my licence yet). When I met up with my friend it turned out that she was going home with her grandparent and they lived in the opposite direction. I thought about trying to drive the van home but then thought better of it. I went to find somebody that had a phone that I could use, I finally found a kind lady that had a phone and let me use it but I couldent get ahold of anybody that I called. It turned out that she was a christion and she offered to give me a ride home. I was hessitent at first but she seemed harmless enough. I got home safe. When my mom got home she had to find somebody that could give her a ride to the airport so she could bring the van home. It was about 5 hours before the van was back home.
This April I was in Chicago Midway meeting some friends for a convention. Three of us were there, but the fourth hadn't arrived yet, and I needed to recharge my laptop (I was in the middle of writing one of my final papers). We had already claimed our bags, passing the security exit, so we had nowhere to go except baggage claim and the ticketing counters. After wandering around for awhile we found a group of chairs next to an electrical outlet-- perfect! We sat down and I plugged in. Not a minute later a man came and asked if we were waiting for a wheelchair. Umm... no. He looked at us oddly and went away. Three minutes later, another man came and asked the same thing. Again the negative, and again the odd look. Turns out we had sat our three very young, very healthy selves in the seats designated for the elderly and handicapped to wait for their airport wheelchairs. It was definitely amusing once we figured it out. But hey! It was the only seat around that had an electrical outlet nearby!
This is more stupidity than hilarity, but it actually happened only two weeks ago. My husband and I had just finished our first cruise (to Alaska to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary with them). Any way, when we arrived at the airport to go home we had to wait in line to check our luggage. I had my driver's license in my hand so I would be ready when it was our turn. When it was my turn I could not find my license. I thought I dropped it while in line, but it was not to be found. I checked and rechecked the pockets on my cargo pants, but to no avail. Fortunately, I had my passport from the cruise which was acceptable, so we finally got our bags checked. On the way to the line for security, I put my hand in my pants pocket and what did I find...yup, my driver's license. Evidently, in my panic I had not checked my top pockets, only the cargo pockets. I was very relieved, but felt very stupid.
We were on our plane to England to visit our son and I sat by a lady from India. She was very nervous about flying and talked the whole time about it, all the time drinking cup after cup of tea. She spilled tea all over herself and me and my husband sitting on the other side of me - never said she was sorry, just kept talking about how nervous she was, and now we know why - she said she always spills her drinks on flights. We had quite the chuckle when we learned that she worked in D.C. - for the airline.
Well isn't that funny. I have NEVER been in a major airport. So I guess I don't have a funny airport story :( I am sure though that if I did it would be hilarious. Oh Well, maybe not having one is better than having one anyway
Traveling to CA from Nashville, the plane had not yet started to move after about 30-50 mins of waiting in the plane! The pilot finally spoke over the load speaker announcing that the baggage men, were having trouble getting a dog, in its kennel, under the plane. :) He said it was "giving them a hard time." lol It was funny, yet we had to wait quite a long time.
OK...I have to admit...I've NEVER been on a plane. Yep thats correctamundo! No plane rides ever thats because I've never really had the money to ever go anywhere. My family has always been poor and has struggled alot so thats why I've never had that oppertunity. But hey, someday I will. I guess I will have to now just to see not only a friend who now lives in England, but just to see how bad it really is at the airports and all the other experiences that I could possibly have while going through the process. Anyways, I really like Chasen alot and if I had the chance to win their new CD that would be awsome. Another story? Well this is quick...I am a Christian DJ who is trying to get it together so that I can minister to all of the people in my area with the Gospel through music. See quick and painless. Pray for me you all! Thanx & God Bless!
My friends Chad and Cory and I were traveling back from Idaho to Indiana after a bible quiz competition. They had some pretty big carry-on bags, but I didn't say anything to them about it. When we got to the security checkpoint, the guards searched their bags and pulled out huge bottles of shampoo, body wash, and hairspray while Chad and Cory stood awkwardly nearby, looking quite clueless. The guards explained that "no liquids, gels, or aerosols of more than 3.1 ounces can be taken on the planes," and then threw all of the 20+ ounce bottles in the trash can. Needless to say, Chad and Cory borrowed my toiletries that night. :)
My husband and I were on our way to Arizona for a combined business/leisure trip. Much to my surprise, I look over to see Richard Simmons (exercise guru) holding court with a bunch of ladies. They were talking, hugging, laughing, etc. Much to our surprise, he boarded the same plane we were going on (with his pillow in tow) At one point in the flight, he walked the aisles, talking to people and taking pictures with them. He even sent a bottle of champagne to a couple on their honeymoon! Unfortunately, we were in the very back of the plane and he never quite made it to us.
On the way to Colorado for a mission trip, our group of 14 had a six hour layover in Milwaukee. This involved us rearranging the benches to allow our group to sit face to face, setting up extension cords to create a laptop charging station in the middle, playing chess and bananagrams on the floor in between, and a full-group game of hacky sack in the atrium that included other travelers, some as young as 6. The best were the ones playing with their briefcases.
My uncle was headed out of town for the weekend on a business trip. First of all, please imagine this man. He was in a rush and packed last minute. He grabbed a small carry on size bag, threw his stuff in, and left. When he was going through security a woman came up to him and said, "Uh, sir is there anything sharp in your bag?" He had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, so he replied, "No, there shouldn't be." Surprise!! "Sir, did you know there is a knife and 19 rounds of ammunition in your bag?" Uhhh what?!! Yes, my uncle is huge into hunting and had forgotten to check one of the pockets when he was packing. He hadn't opened that pocket when he was packing and had just been on a hunting trip not long before this trip. Needless to say, he got the full search, gave up his knife and ammunition, and paid Homeland Security a nice fee before he could fly.
Well it was my first "airport experience" and with all the things I'd heard on the news about how painful the security could be I didn't know what to expect. But in-order for the rest of the high school band and I to get to New York, we kinda had to take the plane or sit through the very very very long bus ride from Texas all the way to New York. Anyway, the security and plane ride up was 'ok', we didn't hit any turbulence and security was not bad at all. However on the return trip things were not as pleasant, for we now had souvenirs... Long story short a few of us including myself were almost taken to a room and questioned for the crystals that were internally engraved and other items that we had left in our gear... But luckily the security realized that we were a bunch of high school kids on a band trip and they let us go and had a good laugh about our expressions when they approached asking questions.
The first time I ever went on a plane was this past summer. Me and 10 others were going to Puerto Rico on a mission trip. Our first flight was from Chicago to Atlanta. When we boarded the plane, I realized that I was near the middle, and that I wasn't sitting next to anyone else I knew. One of the other girls, Emily, was going, she was a few years younger than me and sat in the seat in front of me, so we talked a couple times during the flight. I decided to read so I didn't talk to her much until the plan landed. We talked for a few minutes until she had to get off the plane and I was left waiting. Then the woman who had been sitting next to me turned and said "Your sister is so pretty." I didn't want to correct so I just said "Thank you." Then when I met back with my group, I told "my sister" the story. :)
Leaving Ft. Wayne, IN to go to Chicago, IL (that well-deserved break from Bible College): tiniest plane I have ever seen. My buddy goes in first, and the first thing I see is her bending in half. Hmm... This doesn't look good. Where is MacGyver when I need him most? But I digress... Next I bend in two, looking at the floor the whole time, making sure I don't step on anybody's toes. The whole flight was bumpy, nauseating, just downright ridiculous. THEN, after we arrive in the Chicago Airport, the same friend leads me on a wild goose chase. You see, this was in the early 80s, when typewriters with removable cartridges were all the rage. She assures me she knows which way to go, and well, after that plane ride, I might believe anybody. After the first time around, I start recognizing landmarks. So lovingly I ask her if maybe we should take another route. Nope, she says, she has it all in control. So, around and around and around we go, me lugging this heavy case with the now antique typewriter in tow. After 7 times, I am less than humored, but not wanting to offend my buddy, I try to make a joke. Is this the 7th day? Has God told you to have us go around 7 times to make the airport fall down so the way is clear? She is not humored, but takes it with a grain of salt. Long story short: we eventually get back to Phoenix, AZ. All is well that ends well. I still chat with this wonderful sister. I'm laughing and smiling even remembering the memory. Thanks, Chasen, for a great trip down memory lane. And especially on a day where I had a local cashier keep my $10 change and the mega-store won't refund it. It's all about perspective. God bless your families and ministry. Keep up the great work!!! Sandy
My mom and I were flying home from Kansas City Internatinal Airport. We don't fly very often at all and we had never been to that airport. If you've ever been there, you know that for every few gates, there's a separate security check. So we were like an hour early for our flight and when we walked over to our gate we saw that that's where security was. Well, there was a door that separated us from security. Well the door wad closed but that didn't stop my mom. She didn't realize that a closed door meant that security hadn't opened yet. So she opened it, a loud buzzer went off and a large, intimidating yet friendly security guard immediately stopped us and informed us that security would be opened in a few minutes. As I turned around to go wait for security to open, I saw a few random people who were staring at us, also waiting for security to open, and I felt sooo embarrassed! I got over it pretty quick, but it was still kind of awkward! Now I know to wait for the door to be opened by security before I go through it!
2 years ago while on a mission trip to Haiti we were at the airport to fly back home. this was the year american airlines had cancelled a lot of flights. So we were supposed to go from haiti to ft. lauderdale then to chicago. That couldn't happen since the flight from ft. lauderdale to chicago was cancelled. At this point we told them just get us to florida and we will take it from there. so the workers at the airport in haiti for american airlines said ok here is what we will do. There was like 12 of us in our group, we all flew into miami but then it went crazy from there. 3 of us myself included were supposed to go to miami, then to the bahamas then home to chicago. some of our group went to miami, then north carolina then home, while the rest went from miami to pennsylvannia then chicago. I know your head is spinning right. well the story doesn't end here. The 3 of us that were going to miami, bahamas then chicago got to miami, and went to our gate after going through customes and seeing our luggage go off to check in. Umm yeah they didn't have us on that flight to the bahammas but our luggage was sure on it. So long story short we ended up going to boston then home to chicago. So a day that started at 4 in the morning, ended the next day at 6 in the morning when I finally arrived home after getting to chicago then driving another 3 hours home to michigan. But a week in Haiti was so worth it.
My funny and or embarrassing story started like this. I was heading to new york from ft. lauderdale only a couple of months after 9/11 because I wanted to see my family. Well as you know security was really high and they did lots of things to prevent another event like this. So when I take my two bags to the counter they rudely told me to go to this area where they literally search your bags out in the open. So the two security officers begin to go crazy in my baggage literally holding my undergarments int there hands out in the open for all to see. They begin to search within the compartments for any weapons and yea there were some cute girls that were next to me lol. I was only sixteen at the time so I did have some cartoon boxers and to my embarrassment the girls that were there were also in my flight. This is what they said when they saw me. Hey your the one with the Garfield boxers! I was so embarrassed but just laughed it off.
You ever had one of those days? I had a flight out of San Diego one time where the person who was supposed to pick us up didn't show. A friend and I had to get a taxi. We arrived at the airport and I had less than 30 minutes to get to the plane. I jump out of the taxi, dash into the airport only to see an long line to check in. I'm thinking "no way". I am standing in line, ticket and suitcase in hand and I am sweating bullets. A man from the airline notices me and asks me if there was a problem. I explain that I need to get to the plane about to depart. He takes my bag and says head for the gate. It's at the other end of the airport. I go dashing through, jumping over things like some maniac. I arrive at the gate just as they are about to close the door. I show my ticket, get on the plane, and take a deep breath. I still wondered if my luggage would make it. I arrived home, wanted to kiss the ground. I explained everything to my wife and just prayed I would see my luggage. I have to say it arrived too. For me at the time, I was beside myself, but as I look at all the particulars, I can imagine this could be funny to someone else. I couldn't have written a better script for a short film. I will say I am thankful for the man from the airline, doing his job and actually wanting to help.
First of all, I'm an immigrant, so I'm not a U.S. citizen - yet. So, when I travel even in the U.S. I have to have my green card & my driver's permit as proof of residency, especially when going to museums, etc. Well, this was on my HS Senior trip to D.C. & we were going to visit museums & the pentagon, etc, so I *had* to have my papers. Added to that, it was the first time for me to go on an airplane without my parents, so it was a little freaky. We were in the Charlotte airport & after going through security we wait by the gate. We had a while before we would board the plane. For some reason, it took me a while to realize that I had lost my permit. It was probably some 15-30 minutes before the plane was to board!! I freaked out! I looked everywhere... but couldn't find it!!! So, I went with a friend to the security people & asked if they saw a driver's permit, but they didn't. I didn't know what to do, cuz I'd looked everywhere. I just went back to the gate, hoping that I won't end up needing my permit in D.C. & hopefully no biggie... but I was still worried & I prayed about it. Long story short, 5 minutes before the plane was boarding, the ppl at the security called asking for me. So, a friend and I went *running* over there (no, I didn't have running shoes on - ouch!). Anyway, thankfully they'd found my permit. We ran back to the gate & got there just in time to board the plane. It was definitely a scary experience, but thank God it went alright... & I can laugh about it now! :)
I had gone to KY to meet up with my sister to go to CA for our Grandpa's funeral. I was now back in LEX on my way back home to Charlotte. As I was going through security (which I was an expert at by now) They stopped the x-ray machine and looked at my stuff for a very long time. Then they handed my my shoes and carry on and put my purse back through the x-ray again! Now you have to know my purse had gone through 3 airports that day without any problems. Thankfully the air port was almost empty and I had plenty of time before my flight left! Anyway, they looked at it for a long time! Then they brought it over and said they were going to have to look threw it. So they opened my purse and swabbed it for explosives!(yes. I asked) then sloooowly started taking out my brush, my keys, book, camera. Then put it through the x-ray again! Talked about it forever!( I was trying very hard to be a good girl and not get myself into trouble and kept my mouth shut! ) Finally they brought it over carefully took out my Grandfathers watch band.... they thought it was a box cutter! Now, if it had been a box cutter you would have thought they would have pulled it out without all the drama and asked my what I thought I was up too. :-) Oh well, I made my flight and gave all my family members a good laugh!
A few weeks before I was supposed to stand up in my best friends wedding out in Maine, I blew out my knee playing basketball. Well, on the return trip, my wife and I were at the airport trying to get through security. Here I am, on crutches with a big brace on my knee, and they want me to put my crutches through the x-ray machine and hop through the metal detector. Of course, my knee brace sets off the alarm (as I knew it would and kindly tried to explain to them beforehand) and they want me to go through like 3 more times hopping on one leg! So finally, they let me through to use a hand held wand to check me, and wouldn't you know it, it goes off right by my knee again! So they gave me two options, try to pull my pants up over the brace so they could check it, or go behind the curtains and pull my pants all the way down! Needless to say, with my wife's help, I was just barely able to pull my pants leg up!
We were at SLC Airport. And were with an older couple and their son. And while we were waiting an old lady walked up to the older guy we were with (she did not know he was marrried) and said he was good looking and if he was single. (he is a pastor) he was like nooo, I am married and I have a son. But it was really funny because we rode in the same bus as that lady and stayed at the same hotel as her afterwards. and she was doing a lot of talking about everywhere she had been, and things of the such. (she was really wealthy). So to sum things up, A 65+ year old married man was asked by a 70+ year old lady if he was single at the airport! =)
I flew to Germany as a chaperon with my Dad's high school group. I was a German minor in college, but not very confident about my language skills. We were between flights at the airport & my Dad asked me to ask the airport worker if we were supposed to pick up our bags between flights, or if we just pick them up at the end of our journey. I figured out how to ask it & worked up the confidence to go speak with her. She answered me very politely in German & I was so proud of myself. Then she turned to my Dad & in perfect English said, "Sir, can you have your students move over here to wait?" My jaw dropped to the ground & I just said, "You speak English?" Oh geez!
My best friend went to visit some family in Colorado. I really missed her a lot but I got the opportunity to pick her up from the airport so i was excited! Her older sister is so funny and crazy so we decided to start dancing and running around when we saw people coming off the plane. So we did it, people were giving us the funniest looks, but we didn't care what people thought :) Finally my best friend saw us and she started laughing! It was funny, I am glad she had a great trip and the first thing she saw when she got home was her two favorite people dancing :)
My wife and I were flying from NY to CO to visit my sister a couple of years ago. Our flight was supposed to leave from JFK around 5pm, so we took the train in with our luggage and arrived an hour early. when we got there and checked in, we were told that our flight did not exist. of course, we had the documentation that we had booked the flight for that time and day, but they told us it only flew during the week, not during the weekend. The next flight out was at 6am the next morning, but at LaGuardia (only a few miles away on Long Island, but usually 30-45 minutes away due to traffic). The airline was courteous enough to put us up in a hotel for the night and paid for a taxi to bring us the next morning. When we got up the next day to leave, the taxi driver literally drove about 90 miles an hour, weaving in and out of traffic. He noticed my wife and I were a little nervous, so he tried to comfort us with these words: "don't worry. slow or fast...you can die either way." We got to LaGuardia in record time, and were even able to get on a flight that was leaving 1 hour earlier. Thank goodness for that earlier flight, b/c when we got to CO, there was a major blizzard that caused the airport to be shut down. We were the last flight in and the rest of the jets were re-routed to Missouri. When we finally touched down, we had to wait on the tarmac for an hour b/c someone had plowed all the snow in front of our gate. We call this our worst trip ever, b/c a couple of hours after my sister picked us up from the airport, she wrecked her car!
my funniest airport experience happened when we were flying back from Monterey California with a school group after a marine biology trip there. there were only three juniors on the trip, one of which was me, and the rest were Seniors. When we got to the airport somehow the Seniors did not know where to go. Well long story short the juniors ended up leading them around the airport!
The first thing that you must know is that I am blind and use a Seeing Eye dog. One of my first traveling experiences with my dog was pretty funny. He had spent most of the flight at my feet laying there quietly. Little did I know that at one point, he had managed to turn around, crawl completely under the seat in front of me, and stick his head out from under that person's seat while they were eating. He didn't get anything, but he sure surprised them and gave us both a good laugh!
After a rough flight when we flew through a real bad storm, people actually were throwing up, once we landed, a lady ran off the plane, kissed the ground and vowed never to fly again.
My husband and I were traveling from Kansas to Virginia with our two dogs. (My husband had just gotten out of the army) The dogs had to be drugged so we could put them on the plane. We had a connecting flight, so we had to get the two dogs of the plane and onto the next one. My husband took one dog and I took the other. My dog, still pretty drugged, decided that it couldn't hold it any longer. It pooped right in front of the ticket counter. I start yelling for my husband, who chivalrously waves and starts to run away. As a large group of Japanese tourists starts chattering away and pointing. I have to ask the ticket girl if she has paper towels, because my dog just "went" in her customer service line. But of course, why would a mere ticket girl have paper towels? She radios a janitor, and i here over the loudspeakers of this international airport that there is an "Incident" at the ticket counter, and paper-towels and bleach is needed immediately. By this time, I am afraid I will miss my flight, so when the janitor arrives, i unceremoniously grab the paper-towels, grab the poo, and run towards my gate, where i meet my roaring husband with the dog that didn't have to go.
In February 2002, we flew from Louisiana to Las Vegas and my daughter who had just turned 2 was just getting over the chicken pox. Fortunately, it was a mild case, but I still had to be sure to have doctor's releases that she was not contagious (thankfully she was and we were able to go on our family trip). When we got to the airport, she had a sippy cup and due to the new flight regulations we were told either she had to take a sip of it or myself or my Mom did. She took a small sip, and away we went!
We were moving from Ohio to Alaska in June of "08". We were taking our dog and had never flown with a pet. It's pretty funny. We had a connecting flight in Chicago, so when they were loading our luggage, we could see our dog being loaded as well under the cargo section. The valium the vet gave us to help him sleep didn't work! We could hear him under our seats barking his head off! The flight attendant gives you a little tag telling you your pet is on board and safe. We're like, "we know." Then we flew to Ancorage and there we had to collect our pet, take him potty and pay to board him again. (Different airlines.) Anyway, same thing happened. We board the plane and low and behold, we see our dog Riley in his little kennel but we actually heard him first. Barking his head off going underneath our seats and had to listen to him bark until the sound of the engines drowned him out. When we arrived to our new home in Yakutat, Alaska, the airport was so tiny. The baggage claim area was a circular, ramp that goes downhill! Yes, they pushed the kennel down this ramp. It was hilarious! I have to tell you as a foot note what happened when we tried to leave Yakutat a year and a half later. There was no vet in Yakutat so we couldn't get the needed health certificate to fly our dog out to Rapid City, S. Dakota.( our new home.) Anyway about 6 weeks later, we had him flown to Juneau, Alaska where a vet picked him up at the airport, kept him overnight to examine him, issue the health certificate, put him back on the plane the next day. We then had to drive to Billings, Montana.(6 hours away) to get him because we never could connect with Delta/Northwest airlines to fly him here. You won't believe me, but our dog now barks at and chases, jets, airplanes and helicopters in the back yard when they fly overhead!
My wife and I had to go from Charlotte, to Atlanta, to Miami, to the Bahamas for our honeymoon. Well we had to rush from one gate to the other when we got to Miami. And for starters, this is the first time we had ever flown. So we are rushing through the airport when my wife just stops. And I'm like come on we got to hurry. She's like, I can’t move. She had pulled a muscle in her back with all the bags we were carrying and pulling. So we are in a place we had never been before, doing something we he had never done before, trying to make a flight that we just had enough time to go from one gate all the way to the other. And my wife is waddling through the airport like she is 90 years old. Then to make things WORSE, we make it and she starts panicking when she looks out to see that the plan we are to ride on is a tiny little plane. And to top it off .... We were sitting in the rear of this tiny little sardine can of a plan and she had to sit between me (I am a big dude) and another guy that was bigger than me. Then we were delayed for about 30 minutes just sitting in this tiny plan with my Closter phobic wife and warm air blowing in our face from the vents.
Adventure abroad is an understatement when my 8 yr old daughter & I took a trip to Okinawa. After being cooked by the heat, dropping my camera in the ocean & crispy sunburned, we were on our way home. We purhased tickets for the bullet train on the main land to take us from one airport to another and of course the Disney Freaks that we are, we had to stop by Disney Tokyo. Little time & money only allowed us to do some shopping outside the gates. Lets just say, despite my extensive planning, there was still quite a language barrier..... Moving along with the story...I failed to understand we had to change trains a few times before we each destination, if you could imagine what tourists we looked like carrying these huge suitcases & backpacks everywhere. To top that off on the last ride into the airport with just 30 minutes before the plane left I realized my ticket was for the first Airport stop, not the second..(did I mention a language barrier?)...Anyway it was like a scene from a movie, running frantically then riding a cart, flying through the airport to get to the ticket counter only to be told that if we had only been there 10 minutes early we would have made it in time to catch the last flight back to the states. (meaning if we would have stayed on the bullet train till the 2nd stop..argh) Then the bomb is dropped, not only is there not another flight out, but all the english speaking hotels are booked and so we had to stay the night in the airport. Did I mention I had to beg her Dad to let her go? A million thoughts & emotions running through my head, I nearly had a meltdown, but then looked at my daughter & straightened up. So we spent the night huddled in a small gated area like pets with about 20 other stranded weary travlers. Not much sleep was had that night but memories were made that will always bring a smile to our face & chuckle to our belly.
My first experience in an airplane was on the way to Sydney, Australia for World Youth Day 2008. After getting stuck in a small plane on the runway of an airport somewhere in South Carolina, we finally made it to LAX, but a little too late. We ran throughout the airport, trying to keep all 79 members of the group together, only to be told that our seats had been given away and the plane had just left. We “slept” that night on the floor of the terminal…some people even tried out the door mats with little success. The announcement telling all travelers to keep their personal belongings with them, seemed to come over the loudspeakers every 10 minutes. The next day was spent on the floors and tables/chairs in the airport. We got countless looks from other passengers who were trying to find somewhere peaceful to eat their breakfast or lunch. That night the airline gave us a hotel and a free tour of LA the next day. When we finally got seats on a plane, other groups on their way to Sydney kept referring to us as “that group from Philly who got stuck in the airport.” We missed part of our trip but gained closer friends and a good story to tell everyone back home.
Well, this is short and sweet. After a red-eye from OK to OH I desperately had to find the "facilities." In my haste, I paid no attention to the gender signs. While washing my hands, and much to my chagrin, I noticed I was the only male in sight. Some laughed as my face turned TWA red, while there were a few not so happy with my mistake. Needless to say, you need to pay attention before you're in:)
My story is short and sweet, too. So when I was young I noticed an airport sign with a gun on it and a red line crossing it out. The purpose of the sign was to tell you that guns were not allowed in the airport. However, since I was only about 5 years old, I felt the need to inform my father that "you're not allowed to shoot here."
Lol,I admire Miami Heat! They are the best team in basketball! We will never see another 3 headed monsterteam like this again! Go D Wade!