Stinky situation: Odors can be more intense at 35,000 feet

After Bob Bond flew from New York to Los Angeles last week, he swore he would never board another commercial airliner. He said he would rather drive for three days than fly for three hours. But it wasn't because of bad service, a crowded plane or a delayed departure - although that was all true. It was because of a seat partner, who was hamming it up - literally.

According to Bob, before the aircraft was even airborne, the man pulled a honey-baked ham out of his carry-on bag and began gnawing on it Tom Jones style. Pieces of meat landed on the entire row, including Bob's lap. Bob managed to ignore it until the plane hit some major turbulence. That's when the man lost it and it wasn't just ham that landed on Bob. Bob said he smelled so bad when he landed in Los Angeles, people gave him a wide birth. He says he knows how a homeless person must feel.

Ever since the airlines eliminated food service, passengers have been brown-bagging it. Most snacks are odorless. A bag of trail mix, a bunch of grapes or a cheese sandwich on rye may make your seatmate's mouth water, but it won't affect his eyes. But when a passenger opens up a steaming platter of burritos next to a person who's feeling a little queasy, it may not be just the brown bag that's filled.

It's not just food odors that waft through an aircraft. Jean Cowden didn't have a seatmate who hammed it up, but her perfume brought tears to Jean's eyes. According to Jean, the perfume was so strong, shortly after the woman sat down, nearby passengers began to sneeze. And it got worse. When the seat-belt sign went off, the woman's shoes came off and the woman gave herself a pedicure. The odor of the nail polish was worse than the perfume.

Some passengers become so used to an unpleasant odor, they're totally unaware that it repulses other people. Recently, on a flight from Salt Lake City to Chicago, my daughter was seated downwind from a lap child in desperate need of a diaper change. Instead of taking the baby to the back of the plane and using the lavatory, the mother used the floor by her seat. The aircraft smelled like an outhouse for the duration of the flight.

The problem is aromas, foul or fair, increase in intensity at 35,000 feet. The odor from an open bottle of nail polish can permeate an entire aircraft, as can a greasy snack. But even an expensive bottle of French perfume can cause a severe reaction for some passengers.

When Pam Parsons flew home from London recently, her seat partner purchased a bottle of cologne from the duty-free cart. The woman opened the bottle and bathed herself in the aroma. The aroma also washed over Pam and several other nearby passengers. The odor was so strong, Pam had to hold a handkerchief over her nose for the duration of the flight.

Unfortunately, people are either unaware or simply don't care if their actions make other people uncomfortable. And there's no way the airline industry can police these kinds of activities. With crowded planes, additional fees for luggage and meal services and constantly changing airfares, today's passenger has to travel with all kinds of flying debris. And that's what really stinks.

• Gail Todd, a freelance writer, worked as a flight attendant for more than 30 years. She can be reached at gailtodd@aol.com.