Pics Or It Didn’t Happen: An Air China Passenger Has A Heart Attack For The Cameras

Airplane heart attack from Tori Cook
It started with an early-morning flight out of Shanghai. I was headed back to Beijing after a few days of work, and while the departure time of 7:30 am was excruciatingly early, I was comforted by the fact that I had scored an economy-priced first-class seat. Everything went smoothly at the start – more than smoothly, in fact, since I luxuriated in a huge seat while wearing slippers, sipped freshly brewed Americano from fine china, and snacked from a bowl of warm nuts, all before take-off. I settled in, ready to fully enjoy the two-hour journey. After we had reached altitude and the flight attendants brought me my breakfast, complete with a white tray-table cloth and freshly squeezed OJ, the captain got on the mic to make an announcement.

False Assumptions, Misunderstanding, And Forgiveness: An Airplane Story

A letter written to Hannah Lincoln on Chengdu plane
Boarding an airplane can put you through the rawest five minutes of judgement you'll ever face, especially if you're a foreigner. Like a slow, awkward fashion show, you amble down the aisle in fits and starts while everyone already seated simply stare. On my recent Guilin-bound Chengdu plane, I was generally spared of any finger-pointing or comments before I slid into my middle seat, wedged between A and C. But then the 20-year-old boys came.

Fireworks Bomber Injures Himself, No One Else, In Beijing Airport Explosion [UPDATE]

Beijing airport explosion 2
A man in a wheelchair detonated a homemade explosion this evening at Beijing Capital International Airport's Terminal 3. It happened in the international arrivals hall at 6:24 pm, according to Xinhua, with no one else getting injured. CCTV identified the man as Ji Zhongxing from Shandong province. The explosive was reportedly made using gunpowder from fireworks, and probably should be hashtagged "fail."

Confirmed: Beijing And Shanghai Airports Are World’s Worst For Delays

Beijing airport 1
The Wall Street Journal revealed on Friday that China's airports are the world's worst for flight delays. "According to FlightStats, which tracks airport statistics, Beijing’s airport ranks dead last among the world’s top 35, with fully 82% of flights failing to leave on time," WSJ reported. "Second worst was Shanghai, at 71%." Numbers, numbers. We could link to a string of posts from our archives with picture and video evidence, but none of it will feel as real as our memories -- after all, we've all experienced the particular nightmare of flying in China.

Tour Guide Flips Out At Airport, May Have To Pay For Damages

Nanchang airport fight Miss Yu featured image
Flight delays are frustrating, and if you, in the midst of a four-hour delay, have never allowed yourself to think barbarous, shamefully uncivilized and cruel thoughts, it doesn't make you a better person: you're just that smug asshole everyone always wants to punch. But no one actually does punch you, and have you ever wondered why?