A comment this week piqued our interest in a subject we haven’t had to deal with personally, at least not yet. BOH friend Pam said, “I really appreciate your putting a spotlight on bad behavior on a plane. I remember many discussions about passenger etiquette, now it’s fighting. How far we’ve fallen. Question; is it acceptable for a passenger to intervene in a situation where another passenger is acting out? I’m asking because that nonsense doesn’t sit well with me and I’d seriously like to help subdue an irate idiot on a flight. It’d totally make my day!
Zero tolerance here.”
This came from a discussion about the article, “Fit-To-Be-Tied: Hawaii Flights Ultimate Air-Rage Summer,” which was spawned by last week’s airdropped threat to a Southwest Hawaii flight. That incident led to an in-flight diversion and was unfortunately just one in a countless string of unruly passenger incidents that have been occurring during this hottest of summers, both in terms of temperature and temperament.
Passengers became enraged on ten recent overcrowded Hawaii flights.
Pointing fingers, some even think unruly passenger behavior is the fault of the airlines. That was the ACLU’s point of view as they related it to airlines not stepping forward to “make flying a less miserable experience.” Really? Passengers want the cheapest airfares, but not the overcrowding and other issues that come with them. The government (Congress) thinks the answer lies in some new iteration of a no-fly list.
The range of recent Hawaii unruly passenger incidents is astounding.
It runs the gamut from a passenger choking out a flight attendant and ending up zip-tied, then jailed, to passengers unhappy about their seats being abusive to flight attendants, and even to one passenger flying from New York to Honolulu who attempted to breach the cockpit. Yikes! IATA said that such incidents were up nearly 50% in 2022 compared with 2021, and this year could be as bad, or heaven forbid, even worse.
Do flight attendants help or not?
The flight attendant union said that they are “aviation’s first responders.” Others among you have noted in comments that flight attendants at times have their own role in further agitating passengers. All we know is that being a flight attendant would no longer be what we’d consider an easy job. Once glamorous (think United Airlines and Pan Am 50 years ago), now it is a tough position to be in. One FA on last week’s Southwest Hawaii diversion even said “Get me the ‘F’ off this plane.”
“Social and political issues” appear on Hawaii flights.
“Social and political issues always show up on our planes,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA union, “The pandemic exposed massive inequality and suffering… we forgot how to be together ― in other cases, the stress piled high and spilled out erratically…”
There’s more stress than ever on Hawaii flights. Have you noticed?
There’s clearly more pressure, stress, anxiety, and uncertainty these days when flying. And the planes are packed to capacity. We feel it all every time we get on a flight to or from Hawaii. Given these conditions, it’s not surprising that some people seem to crack at 30,000 feet.
Can you help during a problematic in-flight situation?
Back to Pam’s question. If a situation is truly out of control, there’s likely little or nothing that you can do to help. And should you try, you could put yourself or others in harm’s way.
It’s the flight attendants who are the specialists trained in these situations, and it is best left to them. The head of their union said that passengers should let them know what is happening, but not get involved themselves. “Unless you or someone near you is in imminent danger, please wait for flight attendant instructions. Some well-meaning passengers can unintentionally escalate a situation.” Be a good witness and ready helper. ”
Flight attendants want federal government intervention in unruly flight behavior.
The union wants “Clear consequences [that] are critical to deter bad behavior,” including “swift investigation, prosecution, and enforcement of fines and/or jail time.” They are also calling for a centralized no-fly list managed by the TSA, with consequences such that “worst offenders should also lose the freedom of flight. If passengers act badly on one airline, they shouldn’t be allowed to simply buy a ticket on another airline.”
While we have yet to witness anything too extreme ourselves, we are keenly aware that these types of incidents are on the rise. Have you had to experience this kind of behavior on flights?
I don’t know what the answer is to this. It seems since the pandemic there has been a marked increase in coarseness, and entitlement be it in politics, bad driving, air rage, settling disagreements with threats of, if not actual, violence. Fines and bans would affect the offenders, but until they are hit with these penalties they, and any future violators, probably don’t see the rules as applicable to them. Until it is stressed to everyone that the rules apply the everyone this is likely to continue.
I fly to Hawaii at least once a year and the unruly passengers I have seen on my flights were drunk from the stewards serving them too much liquor. When I complained to delta about it, delta refused to even respond to my complaint, and when i complained to delta that they hadn’t responded to my complaint, delta again didn’t respond. Delta doesn’t want to admit they have a problem. On one occasion I had an elderly couple in the exit row in front of me and the woman needed a cane to walk and the stewards served them handfuls of bottles of liquor continuously thru the flight from lax to ogg. So the stewardess not only knew the couple shouldn’t be sitting in the exit row, she knew she shouldn’t be serving them liquor until they were plastered.
Why doesn’t the airlines quit serving alcohol. I’ll bet most of the problems were alcohol related. On a flight I was just on with Alaska Airlines the premium passengers were given two 1.7 ounce bottles of liquor and they could buy another. Forest Gump said it best “Stupid is what stupid does”. Stop the booze and it will eliminate most of the problems, I would be willing to bet on that.
A few months ago you had an article about this topic. I think that people who cause any kind of trouble, should be put, immediately upon landing, on a 5 year no-fly list. Plus any fines and other penalties. Play that warning along with how put your seatbelt on.
Update: a friend of mine was on a plane with a disruptive passenger that caused delays. He filed suit against that person. Without going into details, (his request), they settled out of court for a hefty sum. I just wish some money hungry lawyer would file a class action suit against those people. One such suit might make everyone behave like normal people.
You guys have a great day!
That’s a good idea!
Joe B,
Good stuff. But, if one class action would make a difference, why are class action lawsuits filed just about every day.
Punishment, especially punishment of others, won’t do anything, IMO.
I think the 5-year no fly list is great. A permanent ban is unrealistic for some, but not most offenders. But, if a 5-year no fly penalty is on the table and strongly announced – maybe, just maybe.
First thing, if Flight attendants seem rude or angry, it’s not because they hate being a Flight attendant! Its because the industry and public have placed them in a category compared to the restaurant and bar industry. The Flight crew are on these flights for the safety of the aircraft and its passengers. They are not on board to appeal to its passengers thirst, hunger, and comfort. So, to think that the Flight crew are bouncers and coolers on a flight is very ignorant. Final thing, I believe that if the situation looks “in control” then passengers should not interfere the situation. But if passengers just sit there and “mind their own business”, the situation can escalate and possibly have a 9/11 case to where the aircraft is taken over because passengers were manipulated in believing that the flight crew train for these situations. Passengers should all believe that this is dangerous, flying, already! We all don’t need this craziness to cause us more danger.
Hi guys—-Here I am sitting by the pool at the Marriott Kaua’i Beach Club/Sonesta Hotel enjoining the positive ambiance and weather you enjoy when you are at home.
Thanks for raising awareness of inappropriate and inconsiderate passenger behavior. You would think that those of us who have flown many air miles might have “seen it all” in terms of badly behaving passengers. It not necessarily so——I recall only one such incident during my nearly 4-million Delta miles. The only consistency is all those miles were on Delta and it’s commuter carriers, usually Skywest. Delta caters to business travelers who are focused on their work and on having non-eventful flights. However, my suggestion is to add the troublemakers to the no-fly list much the same as we have the “trusted traveler” designation for Global Entry cardholders.
Thanks for your always-pertinent blog!
Sincerely,
Jim E.
Hi Jim.
Thanks for your insight and so many other comments. Two BOH editors are on Oahu this week and one is on Kauai. Enjoy your time on the garden island.
Aloha.
I am mystified by why the airlines are not suing unruly passengers for reimbursement of their cost to divert. I think the prospect of owing an airline several thousand dollars could factor into being a deterrent to the behavior.
I believe the long lines at the airport and the crowded planes with uncomfortable seats and no leg room are a problem to start with.
Prices also.
Hi John.
Thanks. True that. And what part isn’t stressful?
Aloha.