Airlines put off plans to serve alcohol after passenger disruptions, assault on board

[Anti Federalist]

@Danke , do something


American, Southwest put off plans to serve alcohol after passenger disruptions, assault on board

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/29/sout...t-assault.html

Published Sat, May 29 202111:46 AM

Southwest Airlines says it’s delaying a planned return of alcohol sales on board.

The decision comes after one of its flight attendants was assaulted on board.

The FAA this week said incidents, some of them violent, against flight attendants have surged this year, even though passenger numbers are below normal levels.

Southwest Airlines and American Airlines said they are holding off on resuming alcoholic beverage services, after a flight attendant was assaulted and the industry grapples with a surge of other passenger incidents on board.

A Southwest flight attendant suffered injuries to her face and lost two teeth after she was assaulted by a passenger, according to a May 24 letter from Southwest flight attendants’ union president Lyn Montgomery to CEO Gary Kelly. Between April 8 to May 15, there were 477 passenger misconduct incidents on Southwest flights, Montgomery wrote.

Airlines have been slowly bringing back some meal snack and beverage service that they had paused early in the pandemic.

American Airlines said it won’t sell alcoholic beverages in the main cabin through Sept. 13, when the federal mask mandate is set to expire. It will still offer alcohol beverages in first and business class but only in flight.

“Over the past week we’ve seen some of these stressors create deeply disturbing situations on board aircraft,” Brady Byrnes, managing director of flight service at American, said in note to flight attendants. “Let me be clear: American Airlines will not tolerate assault or mistreatment of our crews.”

Dallas-based Southwest had planned to resume alcohol sales in June for Hawaii flights, and in July for longer domestic flights in the continental United States. A Southwest spokesman said there is currently “no timetable” for the alcohol sales to resume.

“As alcohol sales are added back into this already volatile environment, you can surely understand our concern,” Montgomery wrote in the letter.

On Monday, a day after the incident on board the Sacramento to San Diego flight, the Federal Aviation Administration said it has received approximately 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior this year, approximately 1,900 of those cases involving travelers who refused to follow the federal mask mandate during air travel.

The Biden administration still requires that people wear face masks on planes, at the airport, and on buses and trains through Sept. 13, though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has loosened guidelines for vaccinated individuals in other settings.

“We also recognize that alcohol can contribute to atypical behavior from customers onboard and we owe it to our crew not to potentially exacerbate what can already be a new and stressful situation for our customers,” Byrnes said.

[GlennwaldSnowdenAssanged]

If no alcohol has been served, why does alcohol have anything to do with the disruptions?

[Danke]

If no alcohol has been served, why does alcohol have anything to do with the disruptions?

Common sense these days, you crack me up.

[Danke]

@Danke , do something

I can go through security with all the liquids I want. There, I did something.

[tod evans]

Wonder if these 'incidents' have anything to do with diversity?

[donnay]

But psychotropic drugs are totally okay.

[Brian4Liberty]

Wonder if these 'incidents' have anything to do with diversity?

From witness reports, it sounded like a cat fight. Ban cats?

[Brian4Liberty]

If no alcohol has been served, why does alcohol have anything to do with the disruptions?

Nothing to do with the fight on Southwest that according to witnesses was equally caused by the flight attendant and the passenger.

[cjm]

Airport bar + travel mug.

[Brian4Liberty]

Southwest flight attendants’ union president Lyn Montgomery to CEO Gary Kelly.

Just like teacher’s unions don't want things to return to normal. I’d imagine that snack and drink service is a big pain, and the hardest part of the job. Can flight attendants work from home like teachers? The Union would probably like that solution.

[RJB]

@Danke , do something
.

Why would he want to do something? That leaves him more drinks in the cockpit and Oyarde won't get drunk in the passenger section and insist on going forward to try to fly the plane. Win/win.

[jmdrake]

I can go through security with all the liquids I want. There, I did something.

Bladder transport does not count.

[luctor-et-emergo]

This is crazy, some people are definitely nicer people when drinking on a plane, others are not. Judge by situation, that's how airlines have always decided who to serve alcohol and who to stop serving.

[dannno]

This is crazy, some people are definitely nicer people when drinking on a plane, others are not. Judge by situation, that's how airlines have always decided who to serve alcohol and who to stop serving.

That is often the precursor to the bigger confrontations.

[luctor-et-emergo]

That is often the precursor to the bigger confrontations.

I did not say it always works.

[sam1952]

Airport bar + travel mug.

See those prices in airport bars?

Care to make that a double sir? That’ll be $19.00

[Danke]

See those prices in airport bars?

Care to make that a double sir? That’ll be $19.00

Ask for the Air Crew discount next time.

[Anti Globalist]

Drinking alcohol on planes sounds like something only the political elite would be allowed to do.

[sam1952]

Ask for the Air Crew discount next time.

Thanks for the tip. I’ll actually try that next time I fly...