User:Beerzuki

BOB - Best on Board

BOB is a common term amongst airline crew, used in reference to a particularly attractive passenger, either male or female. It is generally understood as ‘best on board’, but ‘babe on board’ is another variant. Even though it uses the superlative ‘best’, it is possible for there to be many ‘BOB’s’ on one flight.

The letters BOB on an airsickness bag found in a toilet 90 minutes into United Airlines flight 840 on 27 July 2004 were interpreted by the crew as possibly meaning ‘Bomb on Board”. This resulted in a very costly decision to return the flight to Sydney, instead of continuing on to Los Angeles.

Subsequently, the absence of any indications of terror-related intent led to hypotheses that the letters may simply have been someone’s name or that they may have been related to the usage discussed here.

Needless to say, the hunt for BOB continues, both by ever alert security staff, and of course your ever attentive cabin crew!