What's Your Favorite Airport Story?

[kicker]

With security the way it is today, there must be some interesting airport stories out there. Anyone ever miss a flight or cruise because of security problems?

 

My favorite goes back to the 70's, a much easier time. I flew back and forth twice from NY to Kodiak, Alaska (beers were more regional then, and my NY friends have never tried AK beers, and my Alaskan friends missed their NY beers). On each flight I transported 2 six packs of beer in my carry-on (Like I said, things were different in the 70's). My only comments from screeners: Kodiak at the time used State Police officers for screeners; one just told me to make sure the caps stayed on on the plane. On my last airport trip through Anchorage (this was after probably 12 to 15 screeners with transfers and such overall), the woman in charge of screening at first refused to let me board with the beer. Only after arguing with her did she reluctantly agree to allow me to carry it, but with the warning, "This is the only time I'll allow it". I thought, "Sure Maam - chances are I'll never see you again anyways!". My beer supply made it back to my friends safe and sound.

[BBigfoot613]

Well we all know about peir runners right? We've only ever flown once. Flew into PHL and connected to EWR. Well as we were sitting and waiting for our boarding call I was people watching. I found it interesting that a lady didn't want to sit next to her hubby/bf LOL. Anyways they called for boarding for that plane. They all lined up with tickets in hand and made their way to the plane. After the last had gone thru they made a final boarding call and THEN the people across from us decided it was time to get up and board. They took their sweet ole time too and were able to board. The plane sat there a few minute and this woman comes running down the hallway screaming. Since they had closed the doors and raised the stairs to the plane the workers wouldn't let her go out. The plane just sat there and she went nuts. The workers made the mistake of telling her that if the pilot waved for her to board she could go. LOL the woman started screaming louder and BEATING on the glass. I was waiting for it to shatter. Finally he saw her and motioned for her to go thru. While this was happening all I could think of was the videos on you tube of pier runners...

[fbgd]

I almost had the airport police called on me once.

 

My wife and I arrived in BOS on an overnight flight from the west coast. We had to change terminals for our connecting flight and passed through security and noted the gate where our flight was departing from. It was around 30mins before scheduled departure time and I asked the GA about boarding. She said the plane hadn't arrived yet and to check the various monitors in the terminal. The wife and I went to the Red Carpet Club around the corner and were following the status of the flight. The flight was due to depart at 8.55am and was showing as being on time. At around 8.40am according to my watch the flight had disappeared off the monitors! I then noticed the clock on the monitor was 8.51am! When we were coming in to land in Boston I'd mistakenly not put my watch forward a full 3hrs, but only around 2hrs 50mins. We ran up to the gate and the display behind the podium where it had previously showed our flight destination was now a blank 'Thank You For Flying United Airlines'. I went into 'Oh s**t' mode at this point as the gate area was fairly empty. I asked someone if they were on our flight and he said he wasn't so I presumed it had already boarded or closed. There was no GA to be seen and the jetbridge door was open, the BP reader showed 'Boarding UAXXXX' as well. I ran down the jetway with boarding passes in hand thinking I was the very last to board. The CRJ was there with the door open and GA chatting with the FA. I held the boarding passes out to her and said we were here apologising for the delay. Then things went a little bad, the GA said the flight had only just arrived and boarding hadn't started, she shouted at me saying if I didn't return to the gate area she'd call the police. I tried to explain why I'd done what I did but she didn't want to know and again she'd call the cops if I didn't go back this second.

 

Rather embarassed I went back to the gate area and waited for other passengers to disembark. Boarding was called and once again I tried to explain my actions again but was told that I should never enter a jetbridge without permission. OK, but I've flown enough to know that everything presented to me gave the indication that the flight was closing. Do I just stand in the gate and watch my aircraft push back, which could quite easily have happened. Personally although I was in the wrong, if the jetbridge is such a hallowed area perhaps she should have shut and locked the door behind her when she went to attend to the arriving aircraft. :rolleyes:

 

Something of a Weekend At Bernie's moment. :o