Let me preface this post by saying that perhaps you had to be there to experience the true humor in the situation.
Saturday night I flew home from New York to Burbank on JetBlue. While I normally will choose United for all domestic travel, I just did not feel like transiting from Kennedy to Newark after my Qatar Airways flight.
I boarded the flight and sat down in my seat, thankful that I fully charged my devices since my A320 did not feature any power ports.
All of a sudden an older couple boarded…bickering with one another.
The old man had a tweed coat, ascot hat, and narrow spectacles on. He was carrying a small folding chair along with his luggage. The lady had on blue jeans and a sweater and was carrying a purse about half the size of her body.
Both looked to be in their 80s.
First they fought over their seat (and how he was an idiot for reserving a middle and aisle instead of two aisles across from each other). Next, they fought over who would put the carry-on bag up in the overhead bin (“What do I look like, your servant?”). Finally, they fought over would actually get the aisle seat (he lost).
They were seated right in front of me and during the flight they fought over 1.) whether to purchase buy-on-board food 2.) whether he needed any more liquor and 3.) what TV show to watch (of course they each had their own TV).
It was pathetic. But it was cute. They must have been doing something right because it looked like they had been married for several decades.
But Wait, There’s More!
Meanwhile, another older couple sat next to me. They were quite the team. When the FA arrived with the complimentary snack basket, the lady distracted her while the man took about 10 items. The FA noticed and violently jerked back the snack basket, shaking her head and returning to the galley to restock it.
I was laughing.
Then they ordered drinks. She wanted a cranberry juice, Coca-Cola, coffee and water. He asked for water, Coke, and red wine, which he decided against when the FA told him he had to pay for it.
JetBlue–where senior citizens go to have fun.
I always find it weirdly refreshing to watch the pax flying B6 after so many years flying UA.
Try flying JFK to PBI on JetBlue. It is truly a miracle flight. Dozens of wheelchairs lined up at the departure gate and when the flight lands in West Palm Beach they stampede off the plane. Don’t get me started on Gate Lice during the boarding process.
I came into JFK on Singapore Airlines A380 which boarded in less time than the JetBlue flight to West Palm Beach. Everything that happened on your flight plays out many times over.
All in all it is a very amusing spectacle to see. When stateside I reside in the greater West Palm Beach area. The cabin crew needs an award for working this flight. Then again maybe you get assigned that route as punishment. ☺️
Take notes because that will be you and your wife someday. I know you think it won’t, but trust me it will.
Which one? The hoarders or the bickering couple?
Both. The scene will play out like this. You’ll raid the snack basket, and Heidi will swat you over the head with a pocket umbrella when she sees you. At which point, you’ll start arguing that you’re only raiding the basket because she booked you at the Hilton in West Palm instead of the Hyatt, and so you need the snacks because you’re not getting your free breakfast and Globalist suite upgrade. 🙂
LOL
Yeah, um, no – it won’t. Whiny awful young people turn into that when they age. Normal reasonable people don’t suddenly turn into jerks after a few birthdays. Nice try at projecting, though …
Thanks. I agree!
Ha! You managed to sit next to my parents in both scenarios! (not really but on any given day, they could have morphed into either couple)
typo :
“Her asked for water, Coke, and red wine, which he decided against when the FA told him he had to pay for it.”
Thanks, fixed it!
My parents were married for 62 years. This article could have been written about them if they were still alive.
Funny. I was on a United Express flight from Toronto to Chicago last Friday in FC. The flight attendant brought the snack basket over and when I grabbed 2 items, he just stood there looking at me like “Thats IT!” only after I took pictures of the snack basket and I grabbed one of each item in the basket was he satisfied and went to the next passenger.
You know, the FAs always encourage my son to take how much he wants from the snack basket but I always tell him only one. And if he is still hungry after everyone is served he can ask for another. Imagine what sort of piglet him would grow up to be if I let him help himself to all they encourage him to take.
As someone who paid for 3 people including myself in First Class on 4 segments and 3 of those segments were refreshment only for the amount of money I paid, I have no issues being a piglet when the FA encourages me. Also the other 2 who were flying with me did not partake at all so as far as I was concerned, I was grabbing what was my parents snacks.
How do you know they’re married? Sounds like a typical day at work. Perhaps upset the Yankees didn’t make the World Series. 🙂