From the embarrassing to the touching, have you experienced these memorable flight moments?
The holiday begins the minute you board the plane, and no matter how many air miles you clock, it’s always an experience.
Splitting my time between my adopted country Switzerland and my home country Malta means I’ve clocked up a fair bit of air miles to-ing and fro-ing over the past few years. Most of those times, I travelled alone with my two young children, which means that I’ve endured more than my fair share of inflight experiences, for better or worse!
For me, flying home is always a special treat, and my holiday begins the minute I buy my first packet of Twistees on board. I know they cost a bit more on the plane, but having waited so long to replenish my depleted stocks of this childhood favourite snack from my previous visit, I simply cannot wait another two hours until I land and can get to the nearest supermarket. If I have been feeling particularly homesick or am in a special celebratory mood, I’ll buy a can of our local soft drink Kinnie too. First holiday goals completed.
Surprise in-flight shower
There’s never a dull moment when you’re flying with children. One of my most embarrassing moments was when I sprayed two entire rows of passengers with water as I attempted to open my child’s bottle which had become somewhat pressurised during the flight. It didn’t help that these unfortunate passengers were in business suits. Thankfully, they were all parents themselves with equally embarrassing parenting experiences of their own, and quickly forgave me for the surprise in-flight shower.
Cabin crew see it all and then some. From groups of friends getting a little over-excited about their holiday, to tired businessmen snoring their way back home, couples celebrating their anniversaries or perhaps getting a bit too romantic. They also have to deal with less pleasant situations such as passengers being sick. I shall forever be grateful to the air hostess who patiently looked after my baby son for a few precious minutes so that I could go to the toilet in peace.
Christmas Day cruising
Flying on Christmas Day has got to be the most special flight ever for me: an empty airport led to an empty flight (clearly, it’s not a popular day to travel) which meant that we could quite literally pick any seat or even any row we wanted. It was the nearest I would ever get to having my own private jet, at the cost of a regular commercial flight ticket.
The unexpected hitch-hiker
Your fellow passengers invariably make the flight, (or not), as the case may be. We have all experienced all kinds of passengers, from the considerate to the downright selfish. But none was more surprising than the cockroach that hitched a free flight from Malta to London and chose to position itself on the empty seat next to my sister. Unfortunately, the cockroach never made it to the intended destination. Let’s just say its flight was cut short!
Applause, applause!
Of all the quirky moments that may happen on a flight, nothing beats the uniquely Maltese burst of spontaneous applause upon touchdown. I confess I never quite understood if people clapped out of sheer relief that the ordeal was over and they were back on terra firma or out of surprise that they actually made it, or simply in gratitude for the pilot and crew who delivered them safely to their destination. Whatever the reason behind that applause, I confess that I find it touching that some passengers feel they should express their appreciation for something that many others take for granted. So here’s my applause to all cabin crew and pilots for their dedication and expert care of all their passengers, and their quirky behaviour on board.