Viral: 5 Of The Most Bizarre Airline Passenger Complaints On The Internet

Taking a flight is one of the most expensive modes of travel, but it is also one of the most convenient ways to cover large distances within a few hours. While safety is of utmost importance, many flyers also share bizarre incidents and complaints during air travel. One look at popular social media platforms, and you will see all kinds of unusual flying experiences across the globe. Here are some of the most recent bizarre, funny, or shocking air travel experiences that went viral on the internet.

5 Surprising Airline Passenger Complaints That Went Viral:

1. "Where Is The Window?"

In a hilarious post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on 7 February 2025, an IndiGo passenger shared that he had paid for a window seat but was shocked to find that there was no window, and he was left facing the aircraft's wall instead.

IndiGo responded to the tweet, requesting the flyer to share flight details via direct message for further assistance regarding the issue.

See the amusing post here:

Dei @IndiGo6E I paid for a window seat da.. where is the window #TravelParithabangal pic.twitter.com/Uk4qKXpQRk

— Pradeep Muthu (@muthupradeep) February 6, 2025

2. Bathroom Water Leaking 30,000 Feet Above Ground

Passengers on a December 2024 American Airlines flight from Dallas to Minneapolis were left in shock when water started leaking from a rear restroom, flooding the cabin mid-flight. The sudden leak caused chaos among flyers, many of whom panicked, fearing they might "drown" 30,000 feet above the ground.

"It was utter disbelief and a little panic realising they can't shut off the water," a passenger told Storyful. Flyers scrambled to pick up their belongings, attempting to avoid stepping into the "disgusting" pool of water forming on the floor of the cabin.

American Airlines has yet to comment on the incident.

Read more here.

3. Passenger's First-Class Seat Given To A Dog

A Reddit post from December 2024 went viral after a Delta Airlines passenger was unexpectedly downgraded from first class to accommodate a service dog.

The flyer explained that he had been upgraded to first class, only to be told just 15 minutes later that he would need to move to a "worse seat" than the one he had originally booked. While the last-minute change was disappointing, he was "livid" upon realising that his first-class seat had been reassigned-to a service dog.

Delta Airlines responded to the controversy in a statement to People magazine, saying:

"Delta teams are aware of the customer complaint and are researching the details of what may have occurred," before adding that they "invite the customer to contact us directly."

They also clarified that "service animals are routinely accommodated on Delta without impacting customer seat assignments."

Click here for the full story.

4. NRI Passenger Criticises Indian Co-Passengers' Behaviour

An NRI (Non-Resident Indian) living in Krakow, Poland took to Reddit in November 2024 to share their disappointment over the behaviour of fellow Indian passengers on a flight.

In a post titled "From an Indian to an Indian," the user described their experience flying from Munich to Delhi. Sharing details of their time at the airport, they wrote that "loud Indians" were "shouting their throats out" while the other side of the airport was relatively calm.

Further, "People were blasting their Instagram reels on full volume." The user also pointed out that many of these co-passengers "were breaking queues while others waited for hours just to be behind a guy who doesn't have basic human etiquette."

The Redditor said that they were embarrassed by the behaviour and that it was frustrating to see such disregard for social etiquette, especially in a public space.

Read the full story here.

5. Passenger Finds Cockroach In In-Flight Meal

While travelling from Delhi to New York with her two-year-old son in September 2024, an Air India passenger was left horrified after finding a cockroach in the omelette served to her as part of the in-flight meal.

She shared photos of the contaminated meal on social media platform X, which quickly sparked outrage among internet users.

"Found a cockroach in the omelette served to me on the Air India flight from Delhi to New York. My two-year-old finished more than half of it with me when we found this. Suffered from food poisoning as a result," the flyer wrote.

In response to the complaint, Air India shared a statement, a part of which read:

"We are concerned about the experience of the customer in the said instance and have taken it up with our catering service provider to investigate it further. We will take necessary actions to prevent any recurrence of such instances in future."

Read the full story here.

Have you ever had a bizarre experience while flying? Have you come across something unusual or surprising during air travel? Share your experience with us in the comments section.