american airlines

A new supersonic aircraft that could travel from New York to London in just three hours and 40 minutes is being developed by a firm called Boom Supersonic, and early tests seem positive

Supersonic air travel could be making a triumphant return to the skies, nearly two decades after the iconic Concorde was grounded.

A company is currently developing a new supersonic aircraft that could whisk passengers from New York to London in a mere three hours and 40 minutes, taking the mantle of the long-mothballed Concorde. By 2029, it’s suggested that travellers could once again experience supersonic journeys, with flight times significantly shorter than those offered by current commercial airlines.

Concorde’s last flight was 22 years ago, on November 26, 2023, when it departed London’s Heathrow Airport and landing in Bristol, England, greeted by a cheering crowd gathered behind fences near the runway. When at its best, the plane could fly at 1,354 mph. That is more than double the top speed of a Boeing 747, which peaks at a miserly 614mph.

There are numerous reasons why no one has filled the void left by Concorde over the past few decades. We looked into some of those reasons in depth last year.

OPINION

Milo Boyd

READ MORE: Aviation experts slam promises made by ‘new Concorde’ firm as ‘complete bulls**t’

A crucial development has now increased the odds of a supersonic company taking to the skies again, and making a business success of doing so. In June 2025, the United States passed a key piece of legislation lifting the longstanding ban on supersonic travel over land. That means the potential US market has increased hugely.

The new plane, dubbed the Overture by Boom Supersonic, is already undergoing testing. The Overture would fly at Mach 1.7 and twice as fast over water. Major airlines including United Airlines, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines have placed orders and preorders for the Overture to join their fleets, reports the Express.

The aircraft could accommodate between 60-80 passengers and would cruise at an altitude much higher than standard passenger jets, at 60,000 feet.

The original Concorde faced backlash due to its noise levels, but these updated models aim to tackle this issue with modern noise-reduction technology. By 2029, US airline United has announced plans to purchase 15 new supersonic airliners and “return supersonic speeds to aviation”.

The new Overture aircraft will be manufactured by a Denver-based company named Boom. According to Boom, the plane will operate on a minimum of 600 routes.

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Discussing supersonic flights, Nicholas Smith, holidays digital director at Thomas Cook and eSky online travel agency, told Express.co.uk: “While it’s thrilling to imagine this aviation icon back in the skies, it’s unlikely to appeal to the average holidaymaker from the UK jetting off to Benidorm for a week in the sun.

“We see the future of mainstream air travel heading towards larger, more efficient aircraft designed to carry more people, not fewer.

“That said, a modern relaunch focused on sustainability, digital innovation, and safety could carve out a niche for high-end, short-haul luxury routes – such as London to New York in under four hours. It’s not a mass-market solution, but for time-sensitive premium travellers, it could once again become the pinnacle of prestige flying.”

Travel times on routes such as London to New York or Los Angeles to Washington could be slashed to just two hours – a significant reduction from the current six to seven hours.

Passengers on one budget airline might be subjected to even more fees when it comes to their seat selection, but there is one particular way to try and get around it

A budget airline has introduced a new fee for passengers who want to be able to recline their seat on their journey – and some aviation experts are unimpressed with the introduction of the new cost.

When it comes to booking a flight, the original price you see listed is often for the most basic option – and for a lot of airlines, even booking a specific seat to be with your friends or family will mean your wallet takes a hit.

From baggage costs to seat selection, it can seem like almost everything you might need on a flight will end up costing you even more – which can be a serious pain when most people are operating on pretty tight budgets.

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One more budget airline has decided to join the ranks of the businesses determined to eke as much out of their customers as possible, and will now be charging their customers to have a seat that reclines, redesigning their cabins with rows of fixed seats on some of their planes to fit in an extra row.

To avoid the extra cost, you’ll need to book one of the fixed seats in the Economy cabin.

The major Canadian airline, WestJet, will not have the vast majority of its Economy seats fixed upright, with passengers given the opportunity instead to pay more for a seat in the Premium cabin. The 12 seats in Premium will be ergonomically designed, have four options to adjust the headrest, and will recline.

Behind Premium will be 36 ‘Extended Comfort’ seats, part of the Economy option, which don’t recline, but do offer a bit more legroom for passengers.

“The cabin has been thoughtfully designed to offer WestJet’s welcoming service at every budget,” the Executive Vice-President and Chief Experience Officer of WestJet – Samantha Taylor – said in a statement, per news.com.au.

“It reflects our commitment to elevating every aspect of the travel experience and meeting guest demand for a broader range of product offerings,” the exec continued.

However, the experts are not necessarily impressed with the argument that the change is about creating more choice for consumers, or that by fitting in an extra row, prices will actually come down that much for passengers using the airline.

“The imagination of airline marketers never stops to astound me: the depths they will go through kind of gives people an impression that if I pay more, I get more,” John Gradek, an aviation lecturer at McGill University, fumed.

The airline passenger rights expert added: “Right now, it’s like you pay more to get what you had.”

WestJet is by no means the first airline to remove the option of reclining seats – Ryanair did so all the way back in 2004, and many other budget airlines operate similarly.

Even more premium airlines like British Airways, American Airlines, and Delta have reduced the number of reclining seats on offer, with BA removing them entirely on short-haul aircraft.

American Airlines has moved its bag sizers away from the boarding gate. Now, passengers are being encouraged to check whether their luggage is too big when checking in, rather than just before they enter the aircraft

American Airlines is moving its bag sizers from the boarding gate to the check-in area in a process shakeup.

The airline—the third biggest in the world by number of employees—charges passengers whose carry-on bags are too big to check in.

While the size limits will still apply, American Airlines has moved its bag sizers away from the boarding gate. Now, passengers are being encouraged to check whether their luggage is too big when checking in, rather than just before they enter the aircraft.

That should, in theory, give them more time to repack or remove items from their carry-on bags before they get to the boarding gate, when time and space can feel limited.

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In an internal memo, American Airlines team members have been directed to “use their judgment” and “err on the side of the customer” when passengers arrive at the boarding area from now on. If there is uncertainty over the size of items to be taken on board with passengers, only luggage that is “clearly oversized” should it be forcibly checked in, the new rules say.

“Team members will continue to monitor carry-on baggage in the lobby and at the gate, and oversized items will still be required to be checked in ahead of the flight,” the carrier said.

American insists that the changes are part of improvements to the boarding process that the carrier has been making since 2024. But some might argue that boarding with carry-on bags is about to become a more subjective process as a result of the rule change, making it harder for passengers to prove that their bag is within reasonable limits.

American Airlines allows passengers one “personal item” and one carry-on. The personal item should fit under the seat in front and be no bigger than 18 x 14 x 8 inches (45 cm x 35 cm x 20 cm). Meanwhile, the carry-on should be able to be placed under the seat in front or in an overhead compartment and cannot exceed 22 x 14 x 9 inches (56 cm x 36 cm x 23 cm).

It’s definitely not something you’d want to get wrong. The most expensive fee for an oversized bag with American is $200 (£150).

The news has been met with a mixed reaction by those who fly regularly.

“Honestly, I think this is an unnecessary and stupid change. The size restrictions haven’t changed, but now there’s no way to check them at the gate? And when the gate agent has to stop someone with an oversized bag, they don’t have proof to back them up?” one person wrote on the American Airlines subreddit.

“I’m sure they were used occasionally by overly-eager gate agents, but I personally have never seen the sizers used except by curious passengers sizing their own bags. There’s no reason for them not to exist; they should just (continue to) only be used when necessary.”

A defender on the new system said: “This is an awesome move. Those gate sizers were never accurate and just made people feel like rubbish.”

Ever wondered why there’s specific times during your air travel when you can’t use the toilet on-board? Now pilot Steve revealed the ‘dangerous’ reason behind it…

It can be frustrating to sit strapped to your seat on the plane then all of a sudden, nature calls. There are secret areas passengers aren’t allowed anywhere near, but the toilet, surely not?

But if you’re a regular air traveller, you kind of know the deal by now. The cabin crew talk you through the safety, then you’re asked to fasten your seatbelt. This might all be familiar to many, but occasionally what happens is, we need to use the loo. Now one pilot revealed the ‘dangerous’ reason this is not always allowed in a post which went viral on TikTok.

American Airlines captain Steve, who boasts 401,000 followers on the platform, has been doing a Q&A series with his many fans.

Recently one person asked: “Why can’t I pee while the plane is stationary on the ground?”

The pilot explained the reason and it’s mainly because if one person does it, everyone follows…

He said: “Well, LAX tie 23, because if you get up to go to the bathroom, then everybody else is going to get up and go to the bathroom.

“And we’re taxiing on an active runway or taxiway and one of the most dangerous times of flights is actually during taxiing, because if I have to hit the brakes and you’re standing up in the aisle, you’re going to fall.

“You’re going to hit your head on something. If you’re in the bathroom, good things are not going to happen in there.

“Have I had people get up and have to go use the bathroom? Yes, sometimes nature calls and you can’t hold it off anymore.”

He also explained how the pilot would usually have to stop until the traveller comes out of the bathroom and returns to their seat.

“It holds up the entire airport. It’s really a hassle when that happens,” he concluded.

Further on in the video, the pilot then began discussing safety briefings and making jokes with colleagues.

But since he shared the information on the toilet trouble, many people fled to the comments section as the post racked up nearly 2,900 likes.

One said: “Thank you for your wonderful, informative post!” Another added: “I’ll admit I’ve done that before… I was on a Southwest flight and we were holding before the runway and I had to pee…”

A third commented: “Take it from an FA. That’s so true.”

Speaking on This Morning, the money saving expert Martin Lewis turned his forensic hand to the topic of flight compensation and when you will and won’t be entitled to some cash

Martin Lewis has highlighted a little-known six-year rule that means you may be entitled to compensation without realising it.

Speaking on This Morning, the money saving expert turned his forensic hand to the topic of flight compensation. While many will know that, under EU law adopted by the UK following Brexit, passengers are often entitled to financial compensation following lengthy flight delays, they may not be aware of a useful bit of small print.

“Did anyone have a flight delay or cancellation this summer? Or actually, the law says you can go back six years, except in Scotland where it is five years. So if you’ve had this happen to you during this time, except in certain circumstances, you are entitled to a fixed amount of compensation. £520 per person, so a family of four is over a grand, depending on the length of flight and the length of the delay and some other things,” Martin told Cat Deely and Ben Shephard on Tuesday’s programme.

That means it is well worth looking back at flights you may have taken as long ago as 2019 to see if any of them were delayed enough for you to claim some compensation. Online tools such as AirHelp let you check if you’re owed cash for free.

Martin went on to explain that other criteria that can determine whether you’re owed compensation.

“First of all, it has to be a UK or EU-regulated flight. That is, any flight leaving the UK or European airport, that is pretty simple. Or any flight arriving to a UK or EU airport, but then it has to be a UK or EU airline. Easiest way to think of that, British Airways from New York to London is EU regulated, American Airlines from New York to London is not,” he said.

“Then for a delay to count you have to have arrived, not left, three hours late. So when they open the doors of the plane.

“Cancellation rules, they have to have cancelled less than 14 days before the flight. If it’s more, it’s deemed that you have more time to organise. If it’s less, then it depends on when the replacement flight would’ve landed, what you’re entitled to. You’ll need to look that up. There are free tools online that’ll do this for you, you do not need to pay.”

As many passengers have found out to their displeasure, there are certain situations in which airlines don’t have to pay out despite lengthy delays or cancellations.

“The final thing is it must be the airline’s fault, which is much broader than it may sound. If it is a weather issue, if it is air traffic control, if the airport shuts down, it’s not the airline’s fault. If it is staffing problems for the airlines, technical problems for the airlines, if it is a knock-on impact that means your flight is delayed, it is generally the airline’s fault,” Martin said.

When it comes to whether or not you should claim, Martin suggested the following rule of thumb.

“It’s a slight moral thing. If you were three hours and one minute late, sat in the airport bar, having a great time, I wouldn’t bother. We don’t want airlines to go bust. If you were 12 hours late, the kids were sleeping on the floor, it was an absolute disaster, go get your money,” he concluded.

A flight attendant immediately took action when she heard the rude passenger, and confronted the woman before kicking her off the flight, which was travelling to Dallas

A passenger has learnt the hard way what happens when you tell a flight attendant to “shut up”.

A traveller on American Airlines got into an argument with a flight attendant during a safety demonstration. In a video shared to social media, a woman could be heard telling the flight attendant “she should shut up” during the flight from Costa Rica to Dallas, Texas.

The flight attendant can be approaching the passenger and bluntly asking: “Do you want to get off the plane?” while directing her peers to turn off the address system. She continued: “Because I don’t feel comfortable with you if you’re not going to follow instructions.”

In response, the passenger tries to claim, “I can’t hear” – but the flight attendant shut her down by saying: “You’re not on my list as someone who can’t hear. So I’m going to ask the pilot to remove you because you’re not complying. You know what you did, right?”

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The footage, uploaded to Instagram with the caption “ever wonder what happens if you tell a flight attendant to shut up?”, also showed the passenger being called out for not switching her phone off. The clip then cuts out when the passenger agrees to comply with orders, but resumes to show the woman claiming she is being harassed by the airline employee.

The woman was escorted from the plane, according to the footage and her seatmate, who filmed and posted the video with the caption: “empty middle seat is a win for me”.

Jay Crenshaw, who had been sitting next to the woman and saw the ordeal unfold, told The New York Post: “She was having a bad morning and was obviously disturbed or irritated about something she was on the phone talking about.

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“The flight attendant might have caught a stray. I think the passenger knows she was wrong. She mentioned that she also lost her phone and had to borrow one.

He continued: “I’m definitely not excusing her behavior [but] we’ve all had bad days and have said bad things because of it, but we weren’t filmed. I hope people can remember this and give her a bit of grace.”

The Mirror has contacted American Airlines for comment.

It comes after a man revealed how a family attempted to lie to a flight attendant so that they could take his plane seat from him – until he scuppered their plans.

In a post on Reddit , the man explained he decided to book business class on a recent flight because he could bag himself a window seat while guaranteeing that the middle seat remained vacant, meaning he’d have a bit more room.

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After boarding his flight, he took his seat across from an older man sitting in the aisle seat on the other side of him. Moments later, however, the other man’s wife and son came in and asked if he would switch seats with them to allow the family to sit together.

But there was one problem – the wife and child were in economy class, so swapping seats would have meant a downgrade.

The man refused this unfavourable offer, and the family made a counteroffer in which the son would sit in the free middle seat with his dad while the mum went back to economy. It turned out they lied to flight attendants on board the plane to make this deal happen.

In his Reddit post, he wrote: “His wife and son came in, asking me to switch (business for economy) so they could all sit there. Then, [they] told me that if I didn’t switch with the wife, the son would sit in the middle at least. [The dad] reasoned that I didn’t need an empty seat next to me and claimed the stewardess allowed it.

“Turned out, [the flight attendant] said it was possible if the other passenger agreed, to which they replied that I was family, so I would 100% agree.”

The man refused to move and told the flight attendants the truth, and the family were eventually made to go back to the seats they had been assigned.

He added: “I didn’t budge. The son and wife had to stay in the economy, and his father spent almost four hours muttering passive-aggressive comments. Whenever I took off my headphones, he was still going…”

Saying this one phrase to airlines when your flight is cancelled can dramatically increase your chances of getting the help you need

Having a flight cancelled is an incredibly stressful experience. If you’re at the airport, bags packed and ready, everything booked and suddenly stranded, emotions can run high. However, it’s important to stay calm.

Anna Bielikova, Chief Operations Officer at Simply Contact, has shared her top tips for working your way through the chaos and getting the best customer service without losing your patience. She said there is one phrase you can say which will almost always ensure your case is addressed promptly, reports the Express.

Anna said: “Say ‘I need rebooking options, not a refund’ right away.

“This tells the system you’re looking for a quick resolution, not a lengthy refund process. Also try ‘I have onward connections’, even if you don’t. This gets you flagged as a complex case needing senior agent attention.”

She also recommends ditching the phone call for social media.

These platforms often have shorter queues than phone lines because fewer people think to use them.

Anna said: “We see response times on airline apps that are 60% faster than phone support during peak periods. Social media teams also have more flexibility to solve problems quickly, and they hate public complaints.”

Try Twitter DMs or Facebook Messenger first. These teams want to resolve issues fast before they become reputation disasters. If the airport is packed and the service desk for the airline you’re using has a huge queue, you can also try one of the other partner airlines.

A lot of airlines share booking systems and can help with rebookings.

“If you’re flying British Airways and their desk is packed, try checking with American Airlines or Qantas,” suggests Anna. “They’re all in the same alliance and can often help faster than waiting in your original queue.”

If you are going to call the airline, try to avoid peak times.

Anna said: “The biggest mistake people make is calling during peak hours, which are between 8am and 6pm when everyone else is calling.

“Try early morning or late evening instead, if it’s not urgent. And never rely solely on airport staff during major disruptions. They’re dealing with hundreds of people face-to-face while phone and digital teams might be less overwhelmed.”

It’s also crucial to stay calm and be polite, no matter how frustrated you may be. “Whatever you do, don’t shout or get aggressive,” said Anna.

“I’ve seen our systems flag difficult customers, and once you’re marked as problematic, every future interaction becomes harder.

“Stay calm, be specific about what you need, and always have your booking reference ready. The agents want to help you, so make their job easier and they’ll make yours easier too.”

Travellers could face issues and delays on their trips after further strike action was announced which will take place on set days and times

Holidaymakers going to Spain are facing a fresh blow as new strikes have been announced affecting major airports and airlines across parts of the country. The UGT union previously stated there will be a series of strikes affecting Ryanair’s baggage handling department.

These are set to start on August 15. However there is now increased potential for delays and flight cancellations after 1,500 workers with a second firm, Menzies, said it would hold its own industrial action, which will also start in August.

Menzies services a number of major airlines including British Airways, easyJet, Wizz Air, American Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Emirates and Norwegian. The UGT union said the strike by ground staff of the Menzies group will affect five Spanish airports, including Barcelona-El Prat, Alicante, Palma, Malaga and Tenerife South, on August 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31.

In a statement the union explained it is objecting to what it says are “serious and repeated breaches of labour agreements and the conditions established by agreement” by Menzies. Amongst these “violations”, UGT highlights “salary breaches, violation of subrogation rights, disorganisation in working hours and schedules.”

The union also claims there have been “constant errors in the management of personnel and payroll”, reports the Express. It also argues that there is a shortage of staff to handle the workload and an “arbitrary imposition of holidays.”

It claims Menzies is in breach of the sectoral handling agreement, the company’s own agreement, and the sectoral agreement ratified by the Interconfederal Mediation and Arbitration Service (SIMA) in December 2024, which led to the cancellation of a previous strike. The union has already called for multiple strikes in Ryanair’s handling department.

These are set for the peak holiday season when Spain is brimming with tourists. This strike, which involves more than 3,000 workers who load and unload luggage, will be held this week – on Friday, August 15, Saturday, August 16, and Sunday, August 17 and then every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The Ryanair strikes could continue until next January unless an agreement can be reached. However legally, the workers must provide a “minimum service” which is yet to be determined, but the action will still significantly affect travellers.

The union says those protests are “against the sanctions imposed on workers and the abuse of hours.” Ryanair’s bases are situated in Valencia, Alicite, Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, Ibiza, Palma, Girona, Tenerife South, Lanzarote and Santiago.

The strike at Azul Handling (Ryanair’s handling subsidiary) is set for August 15, 16 and 17 and will continue every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until at least December 31, as confirmed by the UGT in a statement. The actions could potentially extend into January.

The strike will take place between 5am and 9am, noon and 3pm and 9pm to 11.59pm. The FeSMC-UGT airline sector is requesting mediation before the Interconfederal Mediation and Arbitration Service (SIMA).

The union has said the reasons for the strike call. It says these are:

• Lack of stable job creation and consolidation of working hours for permanent part-time staff
• Imposition and coercion in the performance of complementary hours, both ordinary and voluntary, apply in some cases, with disproportionate sanctions
• Repeated failure to comply with the opinions of the Joint Committee of the Sectoral Agreement on guarantees and bonuses
• Illegal restrictions on reinstatement after medical discharge and on the adaptation of working hours to exercise the right to family conciliation

It says: “UGT regrets having to go to these extremes and all the damages that may occur, for which the direct responsibility will be solely and exclusively the company and its reckless action with the workforce.”

Jose Manuel Perez Grande, Federal Secretary of the FeSMC-UGT Air Union, has accused Azul Handling of maintaining “a strategy of precariousness and pressure on the workforce that violates basic labour rights and systematically ignores union demands.”

The FeSMC-UGT Air Sector is calling for the company to withdraw the sanctions, stick to the recommendations of the Joint Commission, and start a real negotiation process aimed at enhancing the working conditions for over 3,000 employees across the country.

From low-slung jeans to loud singing and even 10kg boobs, passengers have been kicked off flights for the most bizarre reasons. Here are some of the wildest stories from the skies

Flying can test everyone’s patience, but sometimes the reasons people get booted off flights just don’t make sense. One particular flying tale probably takes the cake.

A model claimed that her 10kg breasts got her kicked off a flight. Mary Magdalene, 25, says she was removed from a plane because of her “explicit” look wearing leggings and a sports bra, but the airline claimed it was because she hadn’t listened to instructions while wearing headphones.

The model, who’s had over £120,000 worth of cosmetic surgery, including breast enhancements, hit back on Instagram, saying: “I was kicked off the flight for how I look… Obviously, [my outfit] is why she kicked me off because I look too explicit. But that’s not legal, so she had to say it’s because I was sleeping and wouldn’t hear her.”

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Mary added that smaller-chested women wouldn’t face the same treatment, calling the incident “discrimination,” adding: “It’s not right to pick and choose who the rules apply to based on appearance/body type.”

From giant boobs to baggy jeans, and mid-air singalongs to notes in Arabic, here are some of the most ridiculous stories of travellers getting kicked off planes.

Billie Joe Armstrong kicked off for wearing low trousers

Not even rock stars are safe. Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong was banned from a Southwest Airlines flight in 2011 for wearing his trousers too low. When told to pull them up, the singer reportedly quipped, “Don’t you have better things to do?” He was promptly escorted off and later tweeted, “Just got kicked off a Southwest flight because my pants sagged too low!” The airline later apologised and offered a new booking.

Alec Baldwin ejected for playing Words With Friends

Actor Alec Baldwin was famously removed from an American Airlines flight after refusing to stop playing the smartphone game Words With Friends during take-off preparations.

Baldwin vented on Twitter: “Flight attendant on American [Airlines] reamed me out 4 playing WORDS W FRIENDS while we sat at the gate, not moving.” His spokesperson added: “He loves WWF so much that he was willing to leave the plane for it.”

Maybe he should have switched his phone off, but regardless, it’s ridiculous all around.

Passenger steals megaphone mid-flight

During a WestJet flight from Toronto to Saskatoon, police were called after a cabin megaphone mysteriously disappeared. It turned out passenger Jake Michael Piasentini, 29, had stolen it, reportedly influenced by alcohol. The theft delayed the flight, and Jake faced a CAD $5,000 fine.

‘Queen of the aeroplane’ comment gets mum removed

American traveller Nicki Gazley was removed from a Frontier Airlines flight after sarcastically calling a flight attendant “the Queen of this aeroplane” during a disagreement over her baby carrier.

Despite complying with requests to remove her son from an Ergo Baby Carrier, the flight attendant took offence and booted Nicki. Frontier Airlines stated that the FAA does not approve Ergo carriers for takeoff or landing.

Tweet about ‘drunk pilot’ leads to ban

Lisa Carter Knight was banned from a JetBlue flight after tweeting photos and comments suggesting the pilot was undergoing a sobriety test following a passenger’s ill-judged joke about a “drunk pilot.”

Though the pilot passed the test, Lisa says she was still not allowed to board. JetBlue denied it was due to the tweets, explaining that passengers exhibiting disruptive behaviour can be removed.

Whitney Houston fan forces emergency landing

A passenger belting out Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You aboard a Los Angeles to New York flight was so disruptive that the pilot diverted to Kansas City to remove her mid-performance.

Man kicked off flight for bad body odour

A 27-year-old French passenger flying from Paris to Dallas was removed after the crew complained about his smell. Despite dousing himself in Dior perfume, the crew said his stench was too much.

Police were called, and the passenger filed a complaint. American Airlines denied the odour claims, citing an issue with his US visa.

‘Merry Christmas?’ Not for this passenger

A man travelling from Dallas to New York on American Airlines went into a rage after being wished “Merry Christmas” at the gate and again on board.

After reprimanding staff for the greeting, he reportedly caused a scene and was removed, much to the relief and cheers of fellow passengers.

Confused economist mistaken for a threat

Most recently, Guido Menzio boarded a flight from Philadelphia to Syracuse only to be asked to leave after a passenger reported him for writing notes in what she thought was Arabic and found “threatening.”

Police kept the flight grounded for two hours before realising Guido was an Ivy League economist jotting down math equations for a talk.

Teen removed after coughing fit delays flight

On a Continental Airlines flight from Newark to Honolulu, a 16-year-old on a school trip was asked to leave after waking up with a coughing fit before takeoff. Although given water and cleared by the onboard doctor, the pilot refused to allow her and her teacher to fly. They had to find overnight accommodation and buy clothes and toiletries.

Flying can be a rollercoaster ride, and it’s always best to follow instructions and safety guidelines too. But as these wild tales show, sometimes even that’s not enough to keep you in your seat. Whether it’s baggy jeans or belting out a power ballad, you never quite know what might get you grounded.

So, next time you board a flight, maybe leave the megaphone at home and smile extra brightly at the flight attendants.