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Home » Spirit » No Tearaney, You Cannot Fight Your Way Onboard A Spirit Airlines Flight…
Spirit

No Tearaney, You Cannot Fight Your Way Onboard A Spirit Airlines Flight…

Matthew Klint Posted onJune 5, 2023November 13, 2023 27 Comments

a person with a shirt on

A passenger tried to fight her way onboard a Spirit Airlines flight in Atlanta after she was denied boarding for suspected intoxication. That’s not the way thing work…

No, You Cannot Fight You Way Onboard An Aircraft After Being Denied Boarding…

Last month, Tearaney Burroughs was stopped by a Spirit Airlines gate agent in Atlanta (ATL) before boarding her flight. She appeared intoxicated and on that basis, she was denied boarding.

Rather than just accept her fate or politely try to argue she was not, in fact, intoxicated, Burroughs attacked the gate agent, slapping her in the face and then trying to push her way through onto the jet bridge.

Police were called and body cam footage shows that Burroughs had to be restrained. Witnesses came forward to corroborate the story of the gate agent. The Spirit Airlines agent also indicated she wanted to press charges against her.

a woman in a grey tank top being held by a police officer
images: Atlanta PD

Although the incident occurred on May 11, 2023 at 9:40 pm, it was only picked up by local media in Atlanta over the weekend.

So why write about this? Why pile on Ms. Burroughs? Beyond the broad interest that these type of stories seem to attract on Live And Let’s Fly, it strikes me as total insanity that anyone would think, in desperation or not, that they could muscle their way onboard an aircraft after being denied boarding.

I hope that she was so drunk that she simply did not know what she was doing. That won’t make her any less guilty, but will make her less…well, the opposite of clever.

CONCLUSION

Folks, you cannot muscle you way onto a plane. Even on Spirit Airlines (and I don’t mean to pick on Spirit Airlines, which denies boarding to passengers just like any other airline), this simply won’t work.

Maybe try bribing instead?

I jest.

Burroughs was charged with assault and released. It is not clear if or when she will face trial for her actions.

But again the real bottom line is clear: carefully monitor your alcohol consumption when you fly (and indeed, always).

(H/T: View From The Wing)

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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27 Comments

  1. Malik on Wall Street Reply
    June 5, 2023 at 7:27 am

    It’s like some people don’t realize that too much alcohol and/or violence leads to trouble. Especially at an airport or on an airplane.

  2. Those Without A Seat Assignment Reply
    June 5, 2023 at 7:44 am

    Hung around the airport bar too long which is a huge profit center for the airport commission. A departure board in the bar would cut down on some of these altercations. Wonder if the bartender even tried to curtail her consumption. Probably not!!

  3. Lars Reply
    June 5, 2023 at 8:53 am

    Yeah @Those Without a Seat Assignment, it definitely can’t be anything to do with the arrestee’s lack of personal responsibility as a grown woman. It’s totally the fault of capitalism, the airport commission, the bar, the bartender, the cops…pretty much anything and anyone else. Right?

    • Jan Reply
      June 5, 2023 at 9:07 am

      You left out racism

  4. Santastico Reply
    June 5, 2023 at 8:59 am

    “…they could muscle their way onboard an aircraft” She actually has some good muscles. LOL!!

  5. Joe Chivas Reply
    June 5, 2023 at 9:15 am

    Just reading about this racial persecution and injustice is making my Long Covid flare up.

    • Brandon Reply
      June 5, 2023 at 12:50 pm

      Ok, I did laugh at this one.

    • Jan Reply
      June 5, 2023 at 1:04 pm

      The 5th booster shot would have saved you

  6. Mrlasssen Reply
    June 5, 2023 at 10:46 am

    A flight on Spirit to catch a cruise on Carnival, that that would be an experience you would never forget.

  7. yiannis93117 Reply
    June 5, 2023 at 11:26 am

    Once again, Spirit flight/black passenger, as always seems to be the place. Its’ like they book these flights just to cause trouble. Charged with assault BUT released?! Are you kidding me? And there’s the problem right there—-if we locked her up for a few months—no questions asked, some of this rubbish might stop

    • Aaron Reply
      June 5, 2023 at 12:49 pm

      Well, yeah, if most of your data points come from this site…

    • Brandon Reply
      June 5, 2023 at 12:49 pm

      Don’t you understand how this works now? If they locked her up then it would be more “systemic racism”, duh. This is what happens when you tell people their whole life they are entitled to this level of insanity because of a lack of “privilege”, or some non-sense.

      • Aaron Reply
        June 5, 2023 at 2:05 pm

        Spoken like someone who really has no idea what systematic racism lol

        • Aaron Reply
          June 5, 2023 at 2:06 pm

          Sorry, systemic racism.

          • Brandon
            June 5, 2023 at 3:06 pm

            The irony of you claiming I don’t know something while simultaneously misspelling the topic of discussion. Let’s just assume you are wrong about everything and move on……. (Really no need to assume, we have evidence of this in your previous posts)

          • Aaron
            June 5, 2023 at 6:35 pm

            Your assumptions are just as accurate as your opinions…which are basically just plain wrong.

        • Koggerj Reply
          June 5, 2023 at 4:32 pm

          It’s a myth and an excuse.

          • Aaron
            June 5, 2023 at 6:36 pm

            If only it was just a myth.

    • Billy Bob Reply
      June 5, 2023 at 10:17 pm

      She probably thought it was January 6 and she was at the capital.

  8. Publius Maximus Reply
    June 5, 2023 at 12:18 pm

    Her name is ‘Tearaney’?

    How do you pronounce that? That’s a name for the ages. Especially now.

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      June 5, 2023 at 3:12 pm

      It’s just tyranny!

      • Brandon Reply
        June 5, 2023 at 3:18 pm

        I actually had to double check that after I first read it. I didn’t know if you were being sarcastic or if that was her name.

  9. UAL JETSET Reply
    June 5, 2023 at 2:36 pm

    Racism shouldn’t have anything to do with this,,,,just good old fashioned common sense,,you ant get drunk and fight your way on a plane,,black white green or what ever.,.,come on people, stop trying to blame society for your problems, wake up and don’t be woke,,,,,and please try, for once,,to accept some PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for YOUR stupid actions,,,

  10. Eric Reply
    June 5, 2023 at 11:42 pm

    So isn’t the real story here about how a person appearing guilty of violent assault arrested and then released? Why wasn’t she jailed pending bond payment? That’s the real story here; the miscarriage of justice.

    • Brandon Reply
      June 6, 2023 at 10:46 am

      Because it is Atlanta. They are giving LA/SF a run for their money in terms of who can make the dumbest decisions.

  11. Steve Harris Reply
    June 6, 2023 at 1:51 pm

    Aggressively and aberrant behavior should always result in consequences. Why is such nonsense being tolerated by so many Airlines? However you pronounce this woman’s name-she should have to have @ least 30 days in the “cooler”, to ponder her actions.
    This is not racism, it is the law in the State of Georgia concerning assault.

  12. Robb Reply
    June 6, 2023 at 10:02 pm

    Good on the Gate Agent for wanting to press charges. Maybe if more airline personnel pressed charges when being assaulted the flying public would think twice before acting all cray cray

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