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Friday, May 04, 2007

Flights of Discomfort

Normally I go all lengths to get reclinable window seats so that I can lean towards the windows comfortably and sleep off. Also I hate being disturbed by loo goers who knock my knees while sqeezing past me if I am in the middle or the aisle. Not to forget the air hostesses who insist on hitting you while stomping up and down.
I recall here my uncomfortable flights.
1. Jet Airways- The middle seat that I got did help in adding its bit to the discomfort. But primarily the reasons for my discomfort were-
- Men on both sides- each one occupying both the hand rests and reading their newspaper. As it is, the flight seats are designed to make you feel cramped and the two fat elbows and the knees knocking me from both sides without remorse made me feel really threatened. I dreaded falling asleep on either of them. Moreover the guy in the front was almost sleeping in my lap reclining really comfortably. My good nature did not allow me to lean back completely for fear of discomforting the passanger at the back.
2. Indian (Airlines)- Chennai- Singapore
-Aisle Seat next to a guy who should have fit well in 2 seats. He insisted on leaning on me heavily while sleeping and he was drunk. Until a hard glare made him turn towards his window and sleep
-aisle seat with a lady and a young child at the back. She decided that the open tray table was a good way of restraining the child. And therefore I should not recline at all throughout the 4 hour flight. Not to forget that we were stranded on Chennai Airport, inside the flight for 4 hours due to technical snag.
3. Indian Airlines- Aisle seat. The airhostess dropped coffee on me while serving, stamped my foot and nudged me every time she walked past. This made me shy of aisle seats till date.
4. Singapore Airlines- Wndow seat- this was one uncomfortable window-
They insisted on serving during the entire flight. At first they serve the drink. So you need to keep your tray table open. They hand you the menu. After what seems as forever, they ask you your choice (if you haven't already indicated while bookinbg your ticket). After another forever, they bring your food. Another long gap and the tea/ coffee is served. Post that they take your trays away. By this time you are already nearing your destination and in effect, your entire flight is spend sitting upright, tied to your seat and the middle seat passanger leaning heavily on you for don't know what reason. I have never boarded another SQ flight ever.
5. Indian Airline- Singapore to Chennai-
Seated on window but next to a casual labourer who insisted to picking up the sugar/ sauce pouches etc from my tray... Infact he proved to be quite entertaining otherwise. They were a group of 4 and he requested a girl in his group to pick up a beer can. She did and the air hostess screamed at her because she knew that the guy was asking her to pick up a beer on his behalf. While he was drinking whiskey. The airhostess would have given the beer but for the fact that they did not want him to mix his drinks. When tea was being served, he requested for whiskey again! And while the craft was preparing for landing, he stood up on his seat to pick his luggage from overhead. The airhostess actually came and slapped him on his bum!
6. Seated next to a software guy- he considered himself to be a reporter of sorts perhaps or Karan Johar in the rapid fire round-
he fired questions like- who is your favourite actor (along with 4 choices- all the khans predictibly), favourite actress, favourite movie, favourite city..... all the time unaware of the fact that I was trying to hold my breath and pinch my nose as his mouth was stinking...he infact shook me from my (fake) sleep to show th city when we were landing

14 comments:

How do we know said...

wow!! maes me want to do my own list of uncomfy flights!

Sree said...

that sure must have been entertaining and irritating at the same time

Cee Kay said...

Know what this post makes me think? Methinks you are WAAAAAAAY too nice! It actually frustrated me to read some of the accounts and made me want to GO TO that scene and complain/ scream on your behalf :P

Smi said...

Would saying "Nice list" sound apt?!:-p
The uncomfiest flight that I can think of is the one I took to the US..Man! Way too much travel!:(
And the Air India hostesses have the best track record of waking u up, just when u've drifted off to sound-sleep land!:)

Anusha said...

ugh! tell me about it! the only relief must have been that all your flights were short (short, compared to trans-atlantic ones!)

Cyberkitty said...

Interesting experiences, i recently went on my first flight - sat in the window seat !

Krishnapriya said...

hauuuu gawf...hauff (thats the good morning laugh I had reading your blog!!!) My last flight was when I was bringing my two 3 month old boys from Chennai to Bangalore...need you ask..was terrible, with a vomitting baby while take off and another one while landing!

p.s...I have a confusion, could you read my latest blog and advise???

Coffee said...

Hahaha.... thats some experience I must say!!!

Thankfully I have never experience all through the thre yrs that I have travelled from bbay to singapore..... Jet and SQ most of the times!!!!!! Only once did I have a family with a kid next to me and the whole night poor kid was crying!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

hehehehe, My experiences are mostly good and I prefer Singapore Airlines compared to others log distance flights that fly us to India - I thought their customer service was the best specially when I was travelling when my kids were toddlers.

Within India, my experiences with Indian Airlines as well as Jet Airways has been pleasant too :-)

Fuzzylogic said...

That was quite a list of uncomfy flights. I had a similar nudging and shoving air hostess on Air India during my first flight back home to India. I almost had an urge to extend my leg and trip her over. She was even rude to one elderly lady who was seated with me.Aisle seats in that way could be cumbersome.
I am leaving to India tomorrow and this time I hope Air france gives me a better experience.To add to the toddler in tow I am keeping my fingers crossed:)

Isha said...

lol behold the *luxury* of having to fly so often....

i will hate flights till the day i own my own cessna .. or something of sorts...

and the m&m's look delicious and adorable :)

Sunita said...

The 5th one was very entertaining

"And while the craft was preparing for landing, he stood up on his seat to pick his luggage from overhead. The airhostess actually came and slapped him on his bum!"

ROTFL.

Anonymous said...

lmao...... rotfl.....
sorry for laughing out so much!! but i dare sya your experiences are quite... hilarious.. in retrospect i must add!!

Anonymous said...

Yikes, the S/W guy incident sounds so gross.

I was once flying from US to India, an 8 hr flight to my first halt and was sitting on the last row, window seat next to an African guy who was loudly insisting and elaborating how bad US and its policies are and how nice Gandhi was! I don't mind conversation with fellow passengers... but this was very loud and the guy started drinking soon after. I was freaking out, always get freaked out by unknown men who drink!

I pretended to fall asleep soon after the meal was served that i barely ate!