Eight female pilots and flight attendants are suing Frontier Airlines, claiming the budget carrier discriminates against pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding. Take Randi Freyer. She’s a Frontier Airlines pilot and a mother of two. Two months before...
Emirates Interrogates + Denies Boarding To Woman Allergic To Apples
A woman who alerted Emirates that she was allergic to apples was instead interrogated by Emirates employees upon check-in and ultimately denied boarding. The incident took place last year, but was discussed in the New York Times’ “Tripped Up”...
Woman Forced To Remove “Hail Satan” Shirt On American Airlines
A woman was forced to remove her “Hail Satan” t-shirt on an American Airlines flight from Miami to Las Vegas. Was this appropriate or another case of a flight attendant going too far in policing wardrobes? Swati Runi Goyal...
Genius: Hoping For Upgrade, Woman Fakes Medical Emergency On Single-Cabin Aircraft
A woman was arrested after admitting to faking an emergency onboard in hopes of securing an upgrade. Small problem, though: the aircraft had no premium cabin. The incident took place on American Airlines flight 3508 from Pensacola to Miami last...
Emirates Wants To Add More Fifth Freedom Flights To USA
Emirates is walking a fine line between targeting commercially lucrative routes and trying to keep protective U.S. carriers quiet. Even so, it is exploring options to add new Fifth Freedom routes between the USA and Europe. Fifth Freedom routes...
Man Impersonates Lufthansa Pilot For Free First Class Upgrades
Catch me if you can? The man has been caught…and wait till you hear his defense. Man Arrested For Impersonating Lufthansa Pilot Rajan Mahbubani is a self-identified frequent flyer. The 48-year-old acquired a Lufthansa’s pilot uniform and fake ID...
Qantas Will Bankroll Defamation Lawsuit After American Rapper Accuses Flight Attendant of Racism
Qantas is standing firmly behind its flight attendant against a charge of racism by American rapper William Adams, popularly known as will.i.am. Adams, of the Black Eyed Peas group, was on a flight from Brisbane to Sydney and alleges...
How A Cockpit Photo Outraged China
A pilot lets his girlfriend sit in the cockpit. She posts it on social media. A blogger notices and complains on Weibo. Outrage grows. Many are punished. The pilot is banned for life. But was the reaction a bit...
When Does An Airline “Joke” Impermissibly Cross The Line?
When does a joke cross from crass to simply inappropriate? When does it becomes grounds for a lawsuit. Those are the leading questions emerging from a flight attendant lawsuit against Southwest Airlines. For Renee Steinaker, a Southwest flight attendant...
Southwest Comes Out Swinging Against Flight Attendant Who Alleged Voyeurism
Southwest Airlines has vowed to “vigorously defend” against a flight attendant lawsuit which alleges two pilots placed a hidden video camera in an aircraft lavatory on a flight to Phoenix. After initially failing to directly address the matter, Southwest...
Southwest Flight Attendant Catches Pilots Live Streaming…The Lavatory
Southwest Airlines flight attendant Renee Steinaker is suing Southwest, claiming retaliation for reporting two pilots who allegedly placed a hidden camera in an onboard lavatory. This is a really bizarre story. It begins onboard a Southwest flight from Baltimore...
Nervous American Airlines Flight Attendant Leads To Money Laundering Bust
Some people are horrible liars. Like the American Airlines flight attendant who got a little nervous when questioned by customs officials in Miami. The result was four flight attendants arrested for money laundering. After arriving from Santiago (SCL), immigration...
U.S. Tightens The Screws On Cuban Tourism
The United States is targeting tourism in Cuba with new sanctions on leased aircraft from the USA. Citing its repression of its own people and support for the “illegitimate” Maduro regime in Venezuela, the U.S. Bureau of Industry and...
How A JetBlue Gate Agent Truly Gamed The System
A former JetBlue gate agent faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for an elaborate yet simply-executed fraud scheme. Tiffany Jenkins was an enterprising gate agent for JetBlue in Boston. She hatched a plan to save...
Why Asiana Faces A Punitive 45-Day Ban At SFO
South Korea’s Supreme Court was clear: actions carry consequences. And for troubled Asiana, that means a 45-day ban in service to San Francisco (SFO). In July 2013, Asiana Flight 203 undershot the runway at SFO, crashing after the 777-200ER’s tail...
My Fuel Surcharge Settlement Check Arrives From British Airways…10 Months Late
An unexpected envelope arrived at my house this morning…it was only 10 months late and not even addressed to me. I’ve written about the British Airways fuel surcharge settlement in the past. In short, a lawsuit contended that British Airways’...
Emirates Plans to Defy Court Order In Mexico City
Despite a Mexican federal court ruling against Emirates, the Dubai-based airlines plans to move forward with planned flights to Mexico City via Barcelona. Emirates has tried to launch service to Mexico City for years. Due to the high altitude...
Fraud, Aeroflot-Style
Aeroflot Russian Airlines’ Deputy CEO and three of his colleagues have been arrested for fraud and embezzlement. The details will leave you shaking your head. Vladimir Alexandrov and three Aeroflot employees in the legal department have been charged with...
Will Delta Joint Venture With LATAM Be Denied By Regulators?
Can Delta’s proposed investment and joint venture partnership with LATAM clear regulatory hurdles? American Airlines’ failed bid to link up with LATAM offers a starting point for discussion. News that Delta will invest in LATAM and form a joint...
American Airlines Saboteur Mechanic May Have Terrorist Ties
Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani, the American Airlines mechanic who admitted to sabotaging an AA 737-800 in Miami, may have terrorist ties says prosecutors. The startling allegation prompted a judge to deny bail to the 60-year-old defendant. When he was...