The Most Bizarre Passenger Behaviors And Requests, Per Flight Attendants

Flight attendants are often the unsung heroes of the skies. Sure, the captain flies the plane, but the cabin crew are on the front lines every day for hours at a time, dealing with all manner of different situations. Not only do they have to keep hundreds of people comfortable and happy throughout the duration of the journey, but sometimes bizarre situations arise that defy belief. No matter what comes their way, they have to deal with it in the confines of a plane, which is no easy feat. 

We may see the smiles and hospitality, but there's a lot more that goes on behind the scenes that most of us just aren't privy to. Thankfully, flight attendants aren't shy about their experiences and often take to the internet to share some of their strangest encounters. From an entire plane turning back because of an unsavory toilet situation to secret passenger hook-ups, a lot more goes on at 35,000 feet than you ever knew was possible. 

The dating game is tough and laborious. You can have all the apps in the world and still struggle to find your perfect match, but what about meeting someone the good old-fashioned way? We're not talking about hitting on someone in a bar, but making a connection while traveling. Most people might approach a potential date at a hotel, but one passenger simply couldn't wait until he got off the plane to shoot his shot. 

Flight attendant Lia Volpe told Explore that she played cupid when a man needed it. "I once helped a passenger with his love life as he explained to me that "there is the most beautiful girl" sitting in 8C." Volpe would have been well within her rights to refuse the man's request, but instead, the man scribbled down his contact details on a napkin, and she dutifully ensured it reached 8C. 

This is a bold and risky move, as sitting in a plane for hours on end knowing you've been rejected could be damaging to the ego. Thankfully for the besotted passenger, 8C took it well. "She starts giggling and starts to blush, looks back and winks," explained Volpe. Perhaps it was the start of an epic love story, but Volpe's involvement ended when she saw the pair disembark together, presumably to stroll off into the sunset. Isn't love grand? 

There are plenty of common in-flight safety mistakes passengers make without realizing, but is leaving your seat to talk to the cabin crew one of them? One former flight attendant and Redditor called RedLegend619 explained that one of the strangest incidents they encountered while working was a gentleman who kept coming into the galley to talk. While they were quick to point out that this isn't uncommon, the passenger wasn't just there to chat about the weather. 

According to RedLegend619, the passenger revealed, "He once was in charge of holding the nuclear codes for the U.S. military. His family owned Wyoming and sold it to the government. He hadn't been in the U.S. for 16 years because the CIA was after him, but he was returning because his father had died, but he had to be careful because his brother was out to get him." Though the man didn't pose any risk to fellow passengers or the crew, the exchange left RedLegend619 a little on edge. Whether the gentleman was speaking the truth is up for debate, but it left enough of a mark on the FA that they still recall it. 

Parents are always looking for tips for traveling with kids, but spoiler alert: You should not do what these passengers did. It's no secret that taking a baby on a plane is a pretty stressful experience. One parent's solution to having a relaxing flight? Storing the baby in the overhead locker. Yes, really. Author and flight attendant Heather Poole told Explore that a mother asked if she was able to put her baby in one for the duration of the journey. Of course, the cabin crew told her it wasn't possible, but it might surprise you to know that this isn't an isolated incident. 

On a different flight that attendant Lia Volpe was working, she located a crying baby in an overhead locker. "I immediately took the baby down from the overhead bin, where it was stuffed in between two pieces of luggage. [...] The mother claimed that [it] was her newborn infant [and] asked if she could keep her baby up in the overhead bin because it looked like a bassinet and thought that's where the baby was supposed to be during the entire flight." 

If you usually put your baby on your lap while taking a flight, you may want to reconsider that, too. It can be more dangerous than you think due to unexpected turbulence. Experts say it's far safer to bring a car seat and book a separate seat for your little one. 

The death of a loved one is heartbreaking and debilitating in any circumstance, but how would you react if you were traveling while it happened? According to a Redditor named modelgado, they were working a flight when they noticed a younger woman holding her mother's head in her lap. Concerned about the passenger's welfare, modelgado approached to see if the pair needed assistance. However, they got much more than they bargained for. 

"[I] Asked if the mom was okay, and the woman was just like "Oh no, she's passed on." While modelgado noted that the daughter "was totally fine about it," grief can present itself in many different ways that may not necessarily be interpreted correctly. "Probably something like shock or something," read a comment underneath the post. 

The Redditor didn't elaborate on the situation any further, probably because it would be up to medical professionals on the ground to determine what happened. Either way, it's understandable that modelgado was a little rocked by the situation. Flight attendant Jay Roberts told the BBC in 2025 that it's a situation they're trained to deal with."We go from service to lifesaving to mortician, dealing with dead bodies and then doing crowd control," he explained. "We're having to calculate: 'Okay, we still need to serve 300 people breakfast or dinner, and we have to deal with this.'" While the crew will move the deceased passenger to an empty seat away from others if there is room, if the flight is full, they may have to stay in their seat until landing. 

There's nothing like being young, in love, and newly married. Even people who have never tied the knot can appreciate the glow of a couple embarking on a honeymoon. One couple was so excited about their just-married status that they couldn't wait to make memories. Instead of waiting to get to their hotel room to get intimate, they decided to join the Mile High Club. 

Some lovers might try to do this discreetly, but flight attendant Lia Volpe had two very amorous people to contend with on one of her trips. "There was obviously a honeymoon couple on our flight who couldn't keep their hands off each other," she told Explore. "They were making out and hugging for everyone to see. As I was passing by, they had stopped me and asked if they could join the Mile High Club." 

Some FAs might be aghast at the very suggestion, but Volpe didn't see an issue with it. She hatched a plan with the couple, telling them that she would create a 15-minute window by serving beverages at the other end of the plane so they could sneak to the bathroom. "I gave them advice that they would need to go one by one. They left very happy and thanked me on their way out," she continued. Interestingly, a survey conducted in 2018 by Saucy Dates discovered that only 5% of 11,000 people asked had hooked up on a plane, but 78% wanted to. 

Most travelers should know the basic rules of flying, like the things you should never wear on a plane or that you shouldn't obstruct the aisle. Considering that smoking has been banned on all U.S. flights since 2000 (and isn't allowed on any planes across the world, for that matter), you would think that passengers would know that this is a massive no-no. A lot of planes still have no smoking signs to remind travelers that it won't be tolerated. Despite all of this, one man still tried to beg flight attendant Heather Poole to allow him to light up.

Poole explained the situation to Explore. "A passenger once asked if he could smoke a cigarette in the lavatory since it was a five-hour flight and he hadn't had one all day." Instead of heeding the warnings, Poole later noticed smoke coming from the plane's toilet. "He thought it was okay to smoke as he saw the ashtray on the door." Little did he know that the ashtrays are there for when passengers get caught in the act and need somewhere to extinguish it. If you're a smoker and think you can get away with vaping on a plane instead, think again. That's also illegal, so it's not worth testing the limits.

There are several reasons a plane might get redirected, from unexpected severe weather to medical emergencies or problems that require immediate attention. The cabin crew and pilots are well trained for these scenarios, but in 2015, a British Airways flight on its way from London's Heathrow to Dubai was forced to turn back because a passenger had clogged the toilet. Passenger Abhishek Sachdeb explained the situation in cringe-worthy detail to the Daily Mirror. "The pilot made an announcement requesting senior cabin crew, and we knew something was a bit odd," he said. The captain went on to explain that there was an awful smell coming from the toilet. "He said it was liquid faecal excrement, those are the words he used. He said it's not a technical fault with the plane, and he was very adamant about that." 

The awful situation occurred early on in the flight. Thankfully for them, the passenger responsible wasn't publicly named. But why was this dookie such a problem that the plane had to be turned around? Flight attendant Sarah told BBC Radio 1 that it was down to an air quality issue. "Only 50% of the air is being recycled and cleaned," she explained via BBC News, detailing that it became a health and safety problem that needed to be dealt with. It came at a price for BA, which had to foot the bill for overnight accommodation for all passengers on board, presumably including the passenger at fault. 

When you're flying in a plane with hundreds of other passengers, you're going to experience some unpleasant things from time to time. From stinky baby diapers to drunken travelers, nearly all of us have had some sort of sour journey, but how far would you take a complaint? A flight attendant told Business Insider that she's had some very strange announcement requests in the past. "One gentleman was angry, and he asked me if I could make an announcement over the PA. When I asked him what he wanted me to announce, he said, "Somebody in this vicinity is passing gas, and I need them to stop,"" explained the anonymous source. 

While it's pretty unusual for someone to get so heated about this natural bodily function, there's a scientific reason behind all of the gas. Dr. Zac Turner, an expert who writes a column for News.com.au, explained in 2025 that there's a reason why so many people get windy on planes. It's all down to cabin pressure. 

"The lower air pressure at high altitudes means any gas trapped in your digestive system gets more room to spread out," Turner divulged. "That means you're more likely to feel bloated and need to let one rip more often." According to Turner, the best thing we can do to prepare ourselves pre-flight is to avoid high fiber and high-sugar foods. However, some of us are simply more gassy than others, so it's not an exact science. 

Some of us know how to pack just one carry-on for a week-long vacation, and we've got it down to a fine art. Packing light usually takes some practice, but it's worth it to skip the stress of baggage claim. However, some passengers have been known to sway heavily in the opposite direction, bringing as much as they possibly can on their journey. In the case of one particular traveler, it wasn't just an extra suitcase full of shoes, but an entire home appliance.

Adrian Browning, a former lead flight attendant, revealed his peculiar experience on Quora. "I was at the boarding door of the 747, greeting our packed aircraft. Almost everyone was onboard, and we were waiting for the last dozen or so passengers. In the jetway, I could hear a trolley, which is unusual as passengers don't generally bring them to the aircraft door. I had to do a double-take when they were wheeling a full-sized washing machine!" 

Browning was so shocked by what he saw that he had to double-check he wasn't dreaming. He went on to explain that he still doesn't know how the passenger managed to get through security and the rest of the airport without being stopped. It's a mystery for the ages! 

Bizarre passenger behavior isn't necessarily just confined to the cabin. While dealing with a blocked toilet or an unruly person can be tricky enough, one flight attendant experienced something altogether more unsettling. Marcia McDonald, who has over 30 years of experience as a flight attendant for a major airline, was taxying down the runway and preparing for takeoff on one journey when she got a call from the pilot. "To my disbelieving ear, I heard the captain state, 'The tower just informed me that I have a man on the right wing,'" McDondals explained via Quora. After quickly jumping out of her seat to assess the situation, McDonald saw that the pilot wasn't pulling a prank.

"[I saw] a passenger with his briefcase crouched down on the wing, trying to desperately remain there as the plane continued to slowly taxi," she continued. As it turned out, the passenger had been on the plane when he saw a common occurrence called torching (where the plane burns off extra fuel while taxying, which can look like flickering flames) and, in a state of panic, disembarked the aircraft through the emergency exit. "After stopping and carefully getting my passenger back into the plane, he continued on with us to his destination! I had my professionalism tested each time I passed him to keep from laughing." 

Some people like visiting the best destinations in the world for a stress-free vacation, where they can read their book by the pool and come home feeling rejuvenated and rested. Other people like to party their way through their break, bringing the celebrations onto the plane with them. Debbi Fuller, a former flight attendant for Pan Am, took to Quora to discuss one of the most memorable flights she had during her career, and it was all down to a bunch of Club Med travelers. Though FAs are used to dealing with rowdy groups, the situation got a little wilder than most. 

"They were drinking a lot before they even boarded. Once we reached cruising altitude, the women started taking off their tops and waltzing up and down the aisles, boobies bobbing," Fuller recalled. Needless to say, other passengers, especially those traveling with young children, weren't impressed in the slightest. The cabin crew tried to calm the situation, but the Club Med partygoers weren't about to settle down. Thankfully, the staff came up with an ingenious solution. "We went up and explained the situation to the Captain. He turned off the heat! Problem solved in about 10 minutes. It's very cold at 35,000 ft!"