One airline had two flights with the same issue on Friday as unruly passenger behavior on Hawaii flights is soaring. What’s concerning about incidents like this one that resulted in a 19-hour delay.
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One airline had two flights with the same issue on Friday as unruly passenger behavior on Hawaii flights is soaring. What’s concerning about incidents like this one that resulted in a 19-hour delay.
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
Should result in lifetime ban from flying
Automatic and permanent no fly, no bus, no train no nothing for these people period!
Worked in public contact with Delta for over 30 yrs. I have denied boarding to many inebriated passengers with the full approval of management at the time.
Let the passengers pound them in to submission and then use restraints to secure them to the seats. Gag them and continue with the flight. When the plane arrives they are arrested and given severe financial penalties and a mandatory 1 year sentence.
Only in our dreams . . .
Mandatory breathalyzer tests should be totally up to TSA agents’ discretion, for passengers who appear intoxicated. Of course, that would likely require a new federal law defining the federal “legal limit” for passengers, & TSA agents’ re-education on that topic. We can’t have wimpy TSA agents letting intoxicated folks onto planes. If enough people complain to their congressional representatives, changes could happen. It would of course already be law if there had been a congressional person on these flights.
Stop serving alcohol in terminal and on planes and most of these issues will vanish like the morning mist.
I don’t drink, but this solution seems to be harming all those people who drink responsibly
Alcohol is harmful anyways
I hope these unruly passengers are banned from flying on any airline. These stories you pass on are ridiculous.
Here’s the thing: fines and black-listing won’t really solve the problem by very much. Those are reactive solutions. By the time the troublemaker is fined, the flight has already been diverted and the damage has been done. And fines don’t prevent much bad behavior when it involves alcohol, which by its very nature diminishes the brain’s ability to self-restrain. What is needed are proactive solutions, i.e. prevention. No more alcohol sales on board aircraft. One drink minimum in the terminal, if at all. Breathalyzer at the gate for anyone suspected of being drunk by well-trained airline gate agents. Those things will actually prevent dangerous diversions. Mahalo.
Change the laws
Make them pay, stiffer fines
Jail time. When they only get a slap in the hands, they don’t care
We aren’t these people just banned for life from flying? You endanger the lives of hundreds of other passengers not to mention people on the ground. They pay a fine, they’re not going to take that seriously.
Stop serving alcohol of any kind on airline flights. And if a passenger appears to have had to much alcohol to drink at boarding do not let them board. It is obvious most problems are caused by passengers who have been drinking.
Why should those of us who are responsible and don’t act like an idiot have to pay the price for the stupidity of a few?
I was on the flight to Phoenix also. I totally agree with the other passenger that the disruptive drunk passenger should have been taken off when he boarded. He was acting up as soon as he boarded. It caused everyone and that woukd be about 195 passengers so much unnecessary trouble . It was a nightmare and it took two additional days to get home. There was no reason that they could not address that passenger In Phoenix. We were told that local law enforcement coukd not arrest him as it was a federal offense issue and it would have to be filed with FBI. They did not do anything to that man but walk him out and he sat there or danced around without being handcuffed or anything else. Walked away with law enforcement and his wife.
Phoenix used to have deputized Federal Marshall’s. They no longer do.. I have had to deal with this myself after a husband punched his wife in the head out of HNL. They arrested him in PHX, but let him go because the wife would not press charges. If they still had the Marshall’s they could have pressed charges themselves. It being over International waters makes the difference. He Went Free, and he was a Lawyer.
Not letting inebriated, highly agitated or extremely rude people onto the plane to begin with would be helpful, I think.
Any inebriated passenger should be kept off the flight. Make these crimes a felony, they are endangering lives and finances. Training and vigilance will eliminate these problems up front. Not confident to fly American these days.
Eliminate alcohol at airports and on flights. It is absolutely unnecessary, is dehydrating and clearly causes issues. Give flight attendants the ability to say if you don’t follow rules you will never be allowed to fly again. And Ban those who are disruptive from flying anymore! Courtesy over selfishness is necessary for safety.
Um no. I should be able to have a beer while I wait for my flight. Many people don’t have a problem with it or act like morons. No reason why the actions of a select few numbuts should be taken out on the majority of responsible people
Like I said, before, your privilege of imbibing alcohol does not trump my right to a secure flight. In a civilized society, we all have to make certain sacrifices for the greater good. Otherwise anarchy ensues.
If you think your “beer at the airport” is more important than keeping air travel safe and operational, you are mistaken.
People are just awful and that includes antagonistic airline employees who sometimes create drama where none exists. I’m not saying that’s the cause of these recent Hawaii diversions, but airline employees do sometimes like to poke the bear.
Or maybe they are doing their job?
That was not the case here, I can tell you. And I’ve never seen a flight attendant create drama “out of nothing.” They want to arrive on time and get home. Just like 99.9% of passengers.
Agreed Dave, I was right behind first class.
It’s not passenger drama but here is our story flying Hawaiian today (Sunday) from PDX to HNL. Flight at 7:25am. Everyone on board at 7. Around 8 they said something wrong. At 9 they deplaned us. At 10 they said new departure time would be 10:30pm, so in 12hrs. Came back to airport, everyone on plane, this time pulled back from terminal and everything seemed good until it wasn’t again and back to the gate we go. New departure time says 12am.
Sounds more like some of these people were drunk prior to getting on the plane, maybe making adults do a breathalyzer test prior to boarding would work. Why bring the hammer down on everyone when it’s a few people who probably started drinking hours before their flight? Just a thought.
The penalty for disrupting a flight should include reimbursing not just the airline cost but all the passengers airfare as well as losses (missing my $5000 cruise). Could easily top $1M per flight
Perhaps we need Air Marshalls on every flight with a Hawaii route.
The feds are taking away Air Marshals and sending them to the S. border.
I was on flight 697 and was actually asked by one of the flight attendants to stand by to assist with this passenger, if necessary. I can say without hesitation that the gate agent in Lihue had ample indication that this particular passenger was going to be trouble, as he arrived at the gate inebriated and was already being very disruptive before ever boarding the aircraft. If a passenger is behaving that way in the terminal, one can correctly conclude that their behavior will worsen, not improve, once the flight is in the air. There is no excuse for this kind of behavior, but even less excusable is American Airlines’ complete failure to train their personnel in assessing passengers as they board, and empower them to take action.
These type of people should be black listed to any airline so if they want to fly it would be required from them a paper from a lawyer and signed by passenger the he/she will behave of be arrested for endangering all other passengers.
Stiff fines and if warranted, jail time. This has to stop. It is so wrong to delay an entire flight because one person is out of line. Put him in a seat and strap him down so he can’t get up and let the flight can land where it is supposed to. The safety of the flight crew and passengers is of the utmost importance.
No. Fly. List. 5 years minimum.
No. Alcohol.
I know that penalizes all the responsible drinkers out there, but, well, there’s things I’d like to be able to do but can’t. Who doesn’t pine for the days when you could bring a bottle of water or cup of coffee through security? I’m sure many would be glad if I could have a regular-size deodorant in my carryon. And I know that will cause a lot of complaints from the concessionaires, but that is just putting their profit above our safety. Eventually these people will all make their way onto the no fly list and those that can hold their liquor without getting into a fight can have their wine back.
My guess most of these incidents are due to alcohol. Stop allowing alcohol on airplanes. Surely a person can wait to drink until they have left the plane. If not, they have bigger problems. And unfortunately because of all the bad behavior, passengers will need to be breathalyzed. It is ashamed that would be needed but I don’t want to put up with these unruly passengers and maybe even dangerous ones at that.
I think a lot of these unruly passengers are relatively new/inexperienced travelers who think they’re entitled to do as they please. And they have no idea what it means to be a good and considerate passenger. Alcohol may also play a big part in the unruly behavior. I’m heading for the islands in a few weeks and pray I won’t have to experience such imbeciles!
I wish I knew the name of the dude on AA697, but I don’t. I can say I doubt he was naive though. First class, Seat 1D, 60-70 year old. Looked drunk, couldn’t stand at one point. I understand your comment and desire to be kind, but this guy knew better in a sober state…
My husband and I were both on AA #697 from Kauai to Pheonix on Jan 22 and experienced the frustration first hand when one idiot can inconvenience an entire plane load of people. This flight had babies, children and many elderly folks who were just trying to get home after a wonderful time in Kauai. We were put through long lines waiting for instructions, reroutes, hotel reservations and ground transportation. I feel that the person responsible (not American Airlines who did as well as possible accommodating disappointed and confused passengers) should be responsible for the entire cost of the disruption. Money talks. I hope these people who do not know how to behave pay dearly. They should be banned forever from flying.
I agree with you 100% a Lifetime flying ban would be appropriate and total reimbursement for passenger and airline expenses associated with the disruption.
I agree Kathy, I was in 9D on that flight! Add prison time!
What court system handles unruly air passenger cases and what are the penalties?
I am with those who say that alcohol should be banned on flights and in airports all together, there is really no reason to serve alcohol on-board a plane. Alcohol emboldens people to do some very scary things, throwing human waste on an airplane at passengers and crew is disgusting! Who would think to do such a thing. These people who behaviour causes a plane to return to the airport or have the Marshalls meet them at the gate upon arrival need to be fined, serve jail time and put on a no-flylist world wide for a very long time. There is no excuse for bad behaviour and until there are serious reprimands this behaviour will continue .Do something before there are catastrophic consequences!!
One more reason not to fly to Hawaii…sad!!
Here are my suggestions :
1. Get a passenger screener at the gate check-in. If the Screener feels a passenger can cause trouble, get a Security Officer/Air-marshall on board for that flight. This will eliminate returns after the plane gets on-air.
2. A passenger is allowed 1 misdemeanor on bad behavior. Get drunk ? If this same individual exhibits unruly behavior again, s/he will be banned on that airline or All airlines. The name will be distributed and shared.
3. Penalty : Fines on 1st/2nd offense. Jail time at 3rd or thereafter. Let the FAA make that law. Offenders need to hire a lawyer to bail them out. It will stop these people immediately. Nobody wants to spend legal fees.
Will save aggravations for other well-behaved fliers. Thanks.
The fine should be x amount times the # of passenger’s on the flight and a min of 3 months jail time (depending on the severity of their in-flight action). Have it printed on each ticket or have each passenger check a box to acknowledge and accept this when purchasing a ticket online.
If not, just zip tie them up and leave them locked in the bathroom until the plane lands.
Why should passengers have to put up with these idiots who are disrupting, possibly endangering, and burdening our lives.
My husband and I think that you need to get an ejection area (maybe in the bathroom) where you can eject people that cause enough trouble to have to turn around. When will we stop accepting this behavior? What’s the use of having air marshals?
I was thinking the same!
Every passenger should have a breathalyzer test prior to entering the cabin. And no more alcohol to be served on board. That’ll eliminate 95% of these incidents. And to all those who are going to comment: “You can’t penalize those of us who drink responsibly!!” I say: drinking alcohol is not a right, it’s a privilege. And the safety of passengers and crew overrides the privilege of you getting high. Your alcohol habit can wait until you reach your destination. Mahalo for your kokua!
That is exactly what I have been saying. But i9m afraid that drunk people aren’t the only people being unruly. Some people are just hot heads nowadays. It is terrible how some people act.
Should be able to file lawsuits against the disruptive passengers. Must reimburse the other passengers for delays, associated costs, and a nice chunk of change for aggravation. The only thing people seem to understand is money.
The article mentioned “flight crew” confronting the situations. No mention was made of any TSA air marshal on board either flight. Did one play a role in taking control of either unruly passenger? If not, why not? FAA has a quoted response but nothing from TSA. Probably closely held info by TSA, but are there any guesses on how many flights to the Islands have an air marshall riding aboard?
Air Marshalls are there to stop any potential terrorist attack, nothing else. The reason they don’t confront drunks is if they did it would be easy for a terrorist to have a partner act drunk to lure out who the Air Marshall is and then have a leg up on him.
On AA697, the flight attendants handled everything. With grace, I might add. My first experience with this, so I’m no expert. This guy didn’t get physical, it seemed like 8 of us were keenly aware and watching if he would have thought. Thankfully, it didn’t come to that.
Throw them in with luggage and keep flying👍🏽
I second that!
So many people think they’re “entitled” nowadays to behave any way they want. This is the kind of behavior encouraged by the former administration and, sadly, continues to this day. I sincerely hope these people are severely fined and/or barred from flying in the future. The poor flight attendants are not paid to put up with the nonsense and disrespect shown by these people!
Oh my goodness are you really going to blame an administration for this individual’s behavior onboard an aircraft? Holy moly. I’d be willing to bet this person’s poor decision making preceded the last administration.
Deal with it before take-off. How about breathalyzer tests before boarding? Of course that doesn’t help in the case of a drug user. Like hotels, how about taking a credit card – for incidentals – like the extra fuel + salaries of staff. And a national no-fly list for abusers. I sure hope the offenders are on each airline no fly list.
Ban alcohol sales at airports. Or issue some sort of device that entitles the flyer to 2 drinks – no credit on device or perhaps part of boarding pass, no more drinks. It a device/bracelet is issued on check-in, it could also be used to limit alcohol on board too.
Airline safety video – you will be fined for fuel etc, you will be placed on a no-fly list,
Aloha! Yes, that FAA video Should be played in every boarding area. And maybe mentioned as people step onto the plane. And, if the disruption is bad enough on Any flight that the pilot has to divert the flight, then said disruptor(s) should, at a minimum, be put on a national no-fly list for a period of time. If you’re going to be That much of a jerk that you personally make the lives of your fellow passengers, not to mention the lives of the crew, miserable then you can drive to your destination. Or swim/take a boat if your destination is an island.
Just my 2 cents’ worth. Mahalo!
Maybe a breathalizer test prior to boarding? What a mess!!
Go back to the old size seating area, we’re not cattle.
So your saying if someone doesn’t like their seat that is why they act up? How about they’re just a jerk that shouldn’t be allowed back on an airplane. There is nothing that justifies their behavior, not alcohol, personal problems, bad service or a plane load of people playing the ukulele……it’s not that hard to behave for 5 hours.
The USA is a nation where there are no longer consequences for “bad behavior.”
“Yeah so?” serves as the only penalty.
Anyone who disrupts a flight, or assaults someone on a flight should be banned from flying for 5 years. Period.
Hit ‘em where it hurts.
That should eliminate any “oh I was drunk/angry/my wife just left me” excuses.