Former fighter pilot Ted Striker, a war veteran scarred by past trauma, now works as a taxi driver. His fear of flying, compounded by his peculiar "drinking problem"—a tendency to spill beverages everywhere except into his mouth—makes it impossible for him to maintain a stable and responsible career. Ted’s wartime girlfriend, Elaine Dickinson, who now works as a flight attendant, ends their relationship moments before boarding a flight from Los Angeles to Chicago. Determined to win her back, Ted abandons his taxi job and buys a ticket for the same flight. However, while onboard, Elaine continues to reject his attempts at reconciliation. Overwhelmed with sadness, Ted begins reflecting on his past, but his despair quickly irritates several passengers to the point where they resort to drastic measures to escape his stories.