WASHINGTON — Failing to follow the directions of flight attendants can have dangerous consequences when unruly behavior endangers the operation of planes at 30,000 feet. But disruptive flyers frequently face little to only minor penalties.
A review of five years of airline incidents by WUSA9 and USA TODAY found people in one out of six cases gets fined and of those fined, most were able to negotiate fines down to pay less than half of the original penalty.
Local airports have their share of “air rage” cases.
A WUSA9 and USA TODAY study reveals flyers have been fined for smoking in bathrooms on flights leaving Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airpot — $1,000 and $4,000, respectively.
However, a man flying out of Tampa, Florida, who fired up twice got fined only $50, the study found.
Air rage incidents nationwide include people running down aisles naked, trying to get into the cockpit, biting people and fighting with flight attendants.
A flight landing at Ronal Reagan Washington National Airport involved a man fined $1,100 for pushing a flight attendant who was trying to keep him from using the first class bathroom.
