10 Worst Travel Turkeys of 2012

Loose Seats

American Airlines is a travel turkey for failing to keep seats attached to the floor during takeoff—not once, but three times this year. The troubled airline has had union struggles and has declared bankruptcy, so we hope it'll fare better in 2013.

Needles in Food

No one is allowed to complain about airplane food any more, unless they've chomped down on a hidden needle. Sewing needles were found buried in turkey sandwiches served aboard Delta flights in July, and at least one passenger had to be put on antiretroviral drugs as a precaution.

Flying Low on Fuel

In this year's least surprising poll, Ryanair was voted the most hated airline in Europe. It's no wonder, since the carrier was investigated for having to make emergency landings after nearing minimum legal levels of fuel.

Alaska Airlines Uniforms

As if flight attendant uniforms didn't look uncomfortable enough—more than 400 Alaska Airlines crewmembers alleged that their mandatory outfits were causing health issues (including rashes, hives, hair loss, eye irritation, and asthma). The uniforms were tested and found to contain an allergenic dye, which must be fun to wear every day.

TSA Larceny Ring

A husband-and-wife team gave the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) an even worse reputation this year when the couple was busted for running a larceny ring out of Miami International Airport. The two admitted to spending the last three years using the husband's position as a TSA agent to steal valuables from flyers' luggage and then sell them on Craigslist.

Cleavage Chaos on Southwest

Better pack a few outfits in your carry-on in case Southwest doesn't like your ensemble. A passenger was kicked off a flight for wearing a low-cut dress underneath an open flannel shirt and a scarf. The airline later apologized to the passenger, but they've already earned quite a reputation for kicking flyers off at random, and thus win a spot on our travel turkeys list.

50 Percent of British Pilots Admit to Sleeping in Cockpit

We doubt that even 50 percent of cubicle dwellers have napped at jobs that aren't life-or-death, but the British Airlines Pilots Asssociation (BAPA)'s survey this year found that nearly half of pilots had—and those were just the ones who fessed up to it. Even worse? One-third of those pilots said that the other pilot was also asleep in the cockpit when they woke up, meaning that both pilots were literally asleep at the wheel.

Screaming Kid Kicked Off of Plane

We'll let you decide if the kid, the parents, or JetBlue is the travel turkey in this story. A two-year-old passenger on a JetBlue flight threw a massive temper tantrum and refused to sit down or buckle her seat belt for takeoff, so JetBlue kicked the family off the flight. The family was reportedly out more than $2,000 for a hotel room and new travel arrangements, but the other passengers probably saved thousands in beverage-cart charges. We don't know who to sympathize with here.

TSA Screens People Through Unplugged Metal Detector

One TSA agent had a rough day this year when he "screened" hundreds of passengers through a metal detector without realizing it was unplugged. The agent's mistake resulted in the evacuation of a busy JFK Terminal and long re-screening lines. Apparently, the TSA officer didn't think it was suspicious that none of the detector's lights were flashing as passengers came through.

TSA and Nursing Mom

The TSA wins for most travel-turkey awards by a single agency this year, so we'll wrap up our list with this TSA agent who humiliated a nursing mother. The passenger alleged that a TSA officer told her (incorrectly) that she could not bring empty pumping bottles aboard a plane, and so the flyer had to fill the bottles with breast milk before being allowed to board. Better luck next year, TSA!

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