Can’t we all just get along? Apparently not, even in an era of empty airports and less-crowded flights. A nasty brawl on American Airlines exposes both old and new challenges onboard flights in the pandemic era.
Another Brawl, This Time On American Airlines
Video has emerged from an American Airlines flights from Las Vegas to Charlotte on Monday. We see two passengers absolutely going at each other, including wrestling, hair pulling, and throwing punches.
According to KABC, an ABC affiliate in Las Vegas, the fight was over a seat assignment. That seems speculatory to me.
According to onlookers, the woman in pink was eventually escorted off the flight by police before it took off.
American Airlines has not released a statement on the incident (I’ve asked).
The Era Of Difficulty
I notice the flight looks fairly full. Perhaps the incident is related to social distancing or lack of respect for the personal space of others. Maybe it was over overhead bin space.
But there’s no need to speculate about that, for I want to talk more generally for a moment.
Yes, travel is dramatically down, but there are still hundreds of thousands of people traveling each day. It seems to me that most people are unaware–until they arrive–that they really need to prepare for their travel like never before. Most airport concessions remained closed. Food is not available onboard on either a complimentary or for-purchase basis beyond small care packages which hardly account for a snack, let alone a meal.
Airlines and airports should do a better job of letting passengers know that they need to prepare for their flights by bringing snacks from home. That will lessen tensions.
CONCLUSION
I’m drawing a correlation that may not actually exist. But even with emptier airports, shorter security lines, and less crowded flights, being stuck–sometimes for hours–with no viable food or drink options is bound to ratchet up stress.
How do you prepare for your flight in an era with limited service onboard?
UPDATE
Per Fox News, the brawl was over face masks. Apparently the woman in pink refused to wear one…
Nothing like a morning Fight Club as tempers flared on @AmericanAir LAS-CLT flight today….So much for social distancing! #AAFightClub @thefatjack pic.twitter.com/NN9lj8enbf
— Caryn Ross (@SuperSassyMama) August 17, 2020
American Airlines has also weighed in:
“On Monday, a customer on American Airlines Flight 1665 with service from Las Vegas to Charlotte failed to comply with our mandatory face-covering policy after boarding the aircraft prior to departure. In accordance with our policy, the customer was subsequently asked to leave the aircraft and became disruptive, resulting in an altercation with other passengers.”
So much for my theory…
image: Tomás Del Coro / Wikimedia Commons
I could also speculate why but then I would be called names.
Racial
My sentiments exactly Frank
When you book a ticket, there is a notice to bring food with you and there is always vending machines available. Individuals need to take responsibility for themselves, and stop acting like children
I completely comprehend.
I can assume and agree with you. Respects gets respect.
If you took a poll. Guarentee you the far left liberals are behind the unrest.
This is the problem of making travel too cheap. Recently, a family friendly resort in Austin which normally has $300-400 a night summer rates have been dumping rooms at $130/nt on third party sites so the crowd there are the rowdy drunk partying crowd that throw up into the lazy river.
Is it Lost Pines? I will cancel my booking if it’s turned into a sh*tshow.
Matthew, you should know that KABC-7 is the ABC affiliate in Los Angeles – not Las Vegas.
so wait – was your theory, before American issued a message, that the passengers were hungry and that there were tensions because of that? And that escalated into a fight?
Right? I wondered the same, @Jason. Seems like a stretch to me! Even though I cannot be responsible for what I say or do when I’m hangry, I’d like to think that I won’t attack and physically strike people near me.
The tension in this country right now is palpable. We are close to a boiling point. Covid, racial tensions, a tragically faltering economy, and a leader that stokes it all further – instead of soothing it. What would we expect? And it’s only going to get worse.
Unfortunately, I believe you are 100% correct.
Not to be politically incorrect or label. The far left liberals are the one causing the unrest.
Very true!
@ UA, they do inform you that some airports have reduced the dining options.. So it’s up to the pax to be a little pro-active and look for that info themselves. Clearly, you can’t expect an airline to list what’s available or not at all the airports they serve… totally absurd.
Of course, some idiot has to throw Trump’s name in indicating it is his fault. These liberals need to look at themselves before accusing others.
I just knew some moron would blame an airplane fight on Trump. Thanks for not disappointing.
I just knew some moron here would be oblivious to the fact that the tension and hate in this country is directly related to its leadership and its actions.
Is your nose ever taken out of Trumps behind?
No one will say why, but we all know
This has nothing to do with anything other than person or persons who are bullies, person or persons who are unable to take a slight real or imagined. And finally who think so little of themselves they don’t personal integrity as valuable. In the good times or bad times this is how some persons will behave and actually think this is defendable even down right cute
Completely not surprised by this.
A friend of mine is an assistant station manager at one of American’s hubs. He’s told me, repeatedly, that the bargain-basement Basic Economy fares the airline has been releasing to desperately try and fill flights are drawing a MUCH different profile of traveler, even on non-leisure routes. In his words, flights are “full of thugs” and “ghetto trash,” the “terminal reeks of weed all the time”, “there’s at least one physical brawl a day” and “it’s only a matter time before we have gunfire outside security at one of our airports.”
This isn’t about people acting out because they’re hungry. The socio-economic background of today’s traveler is not what it was six months ago.
lol! This comment smh. Say what you really mean.
Greg
Todd S., you are a complete moron! Get out of your Mom’s basement for awhile, and stop blaming one fight and equating it to a whole lot of your stereotypical view of a so called , Ghetto Trash”. You are “White Trash”, I’ll-logical, unreasonable,staff shirted, blow hard. Grow up.
This is what happens when primates are allowed to fly.
This is disgusting. I’m leaving it here for all to see and condemn.
Hope an IP ban is in order Matthew
Is your mother’s name, Karen?
Wow really James…you melanin deficient, knuckle dragging, neanderthalic European barbarian.. there are plenty of videos on YouTube of your fellow cave dwellers fighting on planes, having meltdowns, and more uniquely under the influence (meth, barbiturates, alcohol, coke, etc). Exhibit A) https://youtu.be/3w_yXJKEXLU.
The cause is a simple one: too many people are just complete a-holes, and are perfectly happy being one. No more complicated than that.
Too correct for some people to comprehend.
The airlines are too cheap to have Air Marshalls on every flight, to break up these kinds of violent brawls. When these disturbances occur during a flight, the pilots cannot just pull over and dial 911. The flying public should be warned that when they board any flight, in addition to the potential for terrorism, they may face violent, smelly, drunk, loud, and mentally disturbed passengers, during the flight. The latter doesn’t include having to put up with flight attendants and gate and ticket agents, who would be more suited to be employed as prison guards.
Air Marshals are assigned to flights by a government agency. The airlines don’t pay for this service. There are not enough Air Marshals for every potentially disruptive flight.
Just look at the two brawlers if that tells u anything. Probably make statues for both of them and free lunch at Wendy’s
@Matthew – be more Twitter, less Facebook. I get the principle that “sunlight is the best disinfectant” and all that, you want to leave these comments up, but while it works with public figures (Steve Bannon, see ya in jail!), all it does on your site is just leave a trail of racist comments that will only increase over the next 74 days.
Todd –
That is very accurate and your friend is right in point. I am an Employee of American. What I’m Used to is business travelers, frequent flyers and of course the occasional summer/spring break travelers. Since this pandemic has begun the flying rates have been incredibly low. Ever since March, we have seen it all and it’s not getting any better. And yes, the social economic background of today’s traveler is definitely not what it was 6 months ago! We have had nothing But what was described above. People coming on wreaking of marijuana, people getting into brawls while boarding and people that are literally wearing next to nothing. They have been nothing but combative, non compliant and downright crazy. I recently worked a flight Chicago to Las Vegas. That flight was one of the worst flights I’ve ever experienced. As a Caucasian female, I had horrible racial slurs hurled at me and I had people downright aggressive for no apparent reason. We now have flight attendants Requesting 1-2 year leaves in droves because they no longer can handle these type crowds. They are waiting until flying can get back to what the crowd used to be.
This article is silly..This has nothing to do with airport food it has to do with the super cheap fare crowd whose used to flying spirit or has never flown before.
Julie I wonder if your so judgemental of the half naked white co-eds that boarded your planes for spring break pre Covid, the “high on ecstasy” tech industry folks, or the “coked out” financial industry guys that have to be hauled off the plane? I fly SW and UA exclusively and have never seen that behavior by people of color, but people that look like you. Maybe your Judge Judy tone is due to you working for American which is just a smidge up from Spirit IMO.
Love watching hoochies get it on!