Worst Flight Late 1980s, New Dehli to London. Eight-hour delay, followed by a quick spin around the airport and landing with an escort — a small firetruck with a single hose. We were moved to a hotel, returned 12 hours later to the airport only to find ourselves stuck in an AC-frozen waiting room with no open food facilities; after another four-hour delay, the passengers rioted.
Worst Souvenir to Bring Home A pair of 6-foot-tall wooden dancing masks from Cameroon. Getting the package to the airline counter involved hundreds of dollars of bribes. Once there, it was overweight so we had to entrust delivery to a woman we’d just met. She did eventually get it to us!
Worst Airport The worst has to be in Doula, Cameroon. Aside from the bribes, there’s the complete lack of air conditioning, chairs, facilities and organization. Charles de Gaulle runs a tough second.
Worst Meal Any coach class flight across the U.S.
Worst Hotel A $2-per-night pit in Jayapura in the mid 1990s; walls didn’t go all the way to the ceiling, disgusting bathroom down the hall, bugs and very, very hot!