Travel Tips

5 Ways To Get Kicked Off Flights

Locations in this article:  Albuquerque, NM Brooklyn, NY Detroit, MI San Francisco, CA

Flying Airplane - 5 Ways To Get Kicked Off FlightsAfter a string of high-profile incidents of passengers being booted from airplanes, it seems like it doesn’t take very much to get escorted off a flight these days. But if you’re looking to score your own 15 minutes of fame, read on for our five ways to get kicked off flights.

1. Piss off a Flight Attendant

Most of us are smart enough not to make terrorism jokes on a plane, but dropping an F bomb can also have its repercussions.

After sitting at the gate for 45 minutes on a Delta flight, Robert Sayegh was overheard saying to another passenger, “What’s taking so [expletive] long to close the overhead compartments?”

5 Ways To Get Kicked Off FlightsThe plane, which was taxing on the runway, returned to Detroit Metro Airport where the children’s book author and TV producer was escorted off the flight by airport police.

No report was filed and the Brooklyn man, who was put on a later Atlantic Southeast Airlines flight, is now considering suing.

Crude language is one thing (although Sayegh points out that in Brooklyn, the F word is a common adjective … and a noun and verb for that matter) but what if the situation involves something as innocuous as asking the flight attendant to do his or her job?

Think back to 2009 when a first-class passenger was accused of violating federal law for threatening, intimidating, or interfering with a crewmember after asking an allegedly cranky flight attendant for a glass of orange juice.

Tip: Keep the swearing to minimum and if it’s obvious that your flight attendant needs a day off, keep a low profile.

2. (Don’t) Dress for Success

Earlier this week, Deshon Marman was removed from a US Airways flight after getting into a shouting match with an airline employee over the state of his sagging pants.

Track Jacket - OK But Not For First-Class ApparentlyThe 20-year-old was returning home to Albuquerque from a funeral in San Francisco, clad in baggy sweatpants that rested “below his buttocks.”

According to crewmembers, the University of New Mexico football player took 15 minutes to deplane before he was arrested at the gate on suspicion of trespassing, battery and resisting arrest. Marman’s mother claims her son had, in fact, obliged the request and was being unfairly targeted for his appearance.

US Airways spokeman Andrew Christie has said that it was the passenger’s behavior, not his attire, that ultimately got him arrested. That said, most airlines’ contract of carriage explicitly state that passengers can be removed from a plane for wearing what the crew deems inappropriate attire.

Just ask Kyla Ebbert, who was escorted off a Southwest plane in 2007 for wearing a miniskirt, tank top and cropped sweater. After arguing with the crew, the college co-ed hiked up her top, pulled down her skirt, and was allowed back on the flight.

Or talk to Armando Alvarez, a vice president at Best Buy, who was denied his upgrade into United’s first-class cabin for wearing a sweatsuit and sneakers.

Tip: The days of suits-and-ties on flights are gone, but pants (that fit) are probably a good idea and smart travelers know the importance of layering shirts and tops.

Director Kevin Smith Challenged Southwest Over Customer Of Size Policy3. Have a Visible Condition

First there was director Kevin Smith’s notorious booting off a Southwest flight for being “too fat to fly,” followed by motivational speaker in a wheelchair who was escorted off a US Airways flight for being “too disabled to fly by himself.”

Now British Airways has found itself in a PR mess when a gate agent refused to board an unaccompanied 12-year-old girl with Down’s Syndrome “Because [the airline has] had problems in the past.”

British Airways representatives were quick to apologize and issue the family free tickets.

Tip: Contact the media immediately if this happens to you so we can raise a ruckus and get the airline to apologize.

4. Don’t Sedate Your Child

Should a screaming child justify getting a family kicked off a flight? It doesn’t happen as often as you might think.

The most recent publicized case took place in 2009, when Southwest officials removed a mother and her 2-year-old son when the boy’s shrieks got in the way of in-flight safety instructions. The airline later apologized to the family, but said it did not regret pulling the noisy child off the flight.

Crying Kid - One Way To Get Booted From a FlightPrior to that, a pair of red-faced parents were removed from a 2007 AirTran flight when their 3-year-old daughter didn’t stop crying before takeoff.

Tip: Although one irate flight attendant did suggest dosing a screaming child with baby Benadryl back in 2007, most passengers and crew simply go the grin-and-bear-it route when it comes to rambunctious toddlers on planes. Parents can find tips here: Keeping Kids Quiet During Flights.

5. Assault a Presidential Hopeful

Chances are, the 2012 election season won’t inspire the same drama, but don’t forget what happened a couple of years ago when a flier was kicked off an Air Canada flight for taking a swing at Mitt Romney.

It wasn’t a political debate that infuriated the man, but rather the fact that Romney asked the man to return his chair to the upright position during takeoff.

Tip: Mitt Romney, a multi-millionaire, should probably just fly first-class.

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By Sarika Chawla and Matthew Calcara for PeterGreenberg.com