When your seatmate has bad breath and won't take a mint from you?
Nov 9, 2007, 9:11 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Midwest
Programs: Hilton Diamond; Hertz PC
Posts: 8
When your seatmate has bad breath and won't take a mint from you?
I recently experienced this on my home from Texas and it was a nightmare!
I did everything I could to just avoid saying, dude, your breath is really bad, will you please take this mint. Sometimes I feel like I can still smell it.
I did everything I could to just avoid saying, dude, your breath is really bad, will you please take this mint. Sometimes I feel like I can still smell it.
Nov 9, 2007, 7:10 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2005
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Posts: 4,671
HTB.
Nov 9, 2007, 9:52 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Better yet, buy them a drink (as long as you're not in F). The alcohol kills that in a heartbeat.
Nov 10, 2007, 8:22 am
#7
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Atlanta, GA USA
Posts: 692
^ This is my defense for offensive odors. You don't necessarily need to wait until they aren't looking. You can usually find a way to point it such that it creates an air curtain without actually blowing on your seatmate... keeps their air in their space and your air in your space, just like those heavy-duty air curtains you see at gas station and grocery store entrances from time-to-time.
Nov 10, 2007, 9:13 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Roanoke, VA
Programs: UA Gold, MR Platinum
Posts: 103
This is what I do as well, not just with bad breath folks, but also those that obviously smoke and then don't bother to wash their hands. I also always try and get a window seat so I can then lean over and try and breathe in the air that sometimes comes down the wall vent.
Nov 10, 2007, 8:50 pm
#10
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Biloxi, MS (GPT)
Programs: AA Gold, DL FO, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,278
This is really simple: "Excuse me, no offense, but I suspect you've had a long day, and goodness knows I've been there myself: Please allow me to offer you a mint. Thank you." I've never had this declined and the recipient has always, inded, been grateful.
Nov 11, 2007, 6:03 am
#11
Join Date: Sep 2002
Programs: AA Plat, Fairmont Platinum, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 4,534
I would take out my listerine pocket pack, take one and ask them if they have tried these yet. I would tell them how much I like them and that they REALLY work well.
In defense of the bad breath guy, my breath is no picnic after flying for eight hours either. I just about OD on the breath mints though.
In defense of the bad breath guy, my breath is no picnic after flying for eight hours either. I just about OD on the breath mints though.
Nov 11, 2007, 7:25 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Midwest
Programs: Hilton Diamond; Hertz PC
Posts: 8
I'm certainly not carrying Vicks on the off chance I get a seatmate with bad breath who insists on breathing heavily in my direction. Bad breath is common in general, so get a strong beverage and hold it close to your mouth. You'll enjoy the flight after a couple, and possibly be a bit more loose-tongued after to tell them how bad they smell. By then, you won't care about how abrasive it sounds.
Better yet, buy them a drink (as long as you're not in F). The alcohol kills that in a heartbeat.
Better yet, buy them a drink (as long as you're not in F). The alcohol kills that in a heartbeat.
Nov 11, 2007, 7:24 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: ua mm, aa plat, starriott LTPP, ihg plat, hh gold.
Posts: 13,017
there's another way to handle this...offer mints to your seatmate and say "do you need a mint?"
when seatmate says 'no,' smile apologetically while keeping mints extended and say "actually, you do."
when seatmate says 'no,' smile apologetically while keeping mints extended and say "actually, you do."
Nov 14, 2007, 5:34 am
#15
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 34