The world of aviation is not just about traveling from one destination to another. It’s a realm filled with peculiar stories and fascinating facts that often fly under the radar. From unique airline services to the surprising impact of flying on our senses, here are six intriguing aspects of airlines that you might not know. … Continue reading 6 Surprising Facts About the Airline Industry
The Costly Lesson of American Airlines’ Lifetime AAirpass
In 1981, American Airlines introduced the “lifetime unlimited AAirpass” at a cost of $250,000, which would be equivalent to around $870,000 in today’s currency. This exclusive pass granted lifetime access to unlimited first-class flights, and an additional companion pass could be obtained for an extra $150,000. The airline hoped that this initiative would generate substantial revenue, but it ultimately backfired. Only a handful of people purchased the passes, and those who did made full use of the benefits. Two of the most frequent fliers cost American Airlines a staggering $1 million annually and accumulated over 30 million miles in their travels.
Interestingly, the AAirpass was not the only such program at the time; other airlines offered similar lifetime passes with varying prices and benefits. For example, United Airlines sold a lifetime pass for unlimited travel in first-class cabins at a price of $500,000 in 1988. However, due to similar issues with cost and usage, these programs were eventually discontinued.
Woman Who Wore a “Hail Satan” T-Shirt Onto a Plane Was Forced to Change It or Get Thrown Off
I would probably never wear a shirt like this, but we live in a free society where people can wear whatever they want, wherever they want…actually, never mind, this shirt is pretty cool and I admit it that I would probably wear it in public.
A woman named Swati Runi Goyal was recently flying from Florida to Nevada, and, not thinking of potential consequences, she donned a t-shirt that said “Hail Satan. Est. 666” for the trip. The shirt also featured an upside-down cross (for good measure).
But when Goyal boarded her flight, she was told by an American Airlines crew member that she had to change her shirt or she would be removed from the plane.
A woman wearing a "Hail Satan" shirt on an American Airlines flight was told to either change or get off the plane https://t.co/SHsgRXlMVs
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) December 6, 2019
Goyal is a member of The Satanic Temple, and she bought the shirt to support the organization. Despite the name, the Temple is known for activism on such issues as the separation of church and state, religious freedom, and free speech. Goyal said, “It’s an ironic shirt. People usually laugh at it, or they give me a thumbs-up because they understand the meaning behind it.”
Goyal said about the incident, a crew-member “said, ‘Our crew has found your shirt to be offensive.’ We initially just thought it was a joke. But he repeated the directive, and there was another female crew member who was behind him with her arms crossed looking very angry.”
Goyal and her husband refused to get off the plane. She continued, “The man said, ‘Your shirt is offensive. Do you know what that means?’” I said, ‘I’m a foreign-born minority woman, I understand ‘offensive,’ and this shirt is not offensive.’”
A Key West woman called out American Airlines for religious discrimination after a flight crew demanded she cover up her “Hail Satan” T-shirt, or get off the plane. https://t.co/LDLznOVngS
— Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) December 10, 2019
A standoff ensued and the flight crew brought on a customer service agent to tell Goyal she would not be able to fly while wearing the shirt. Eventually, Goyal’s husband gave her a layer of the clothing he was wearing, and she reluctantly agreed to cover up the language on her shirt so the flight could take off.
Goyal said she was humiliated over the incident. “I’m just an ordinary-looking person.I’m not goth. I don’t have piercings. I wasn’t wearing a shirt that had a goat being beheaded on it. [I was] wearing L.L.Bean hiking pants and vegan sneakers. I mean, I couldn’t look like more of a nerd.”
After the flight, Goyal complained to American Airlines. The airline initially refused to apologize and sent an email that read in part that they “have policies in place to ensure that no passengers are subjected to objectionable situations while on board. Our flight attendants have a responsibility to all passengers in our care, and we must sometimes make difficult decisions associated with the application of our policies.”
After Goyal tweeted about her experience and the story went viral, the company said “Discrimination has no place at American Airlines” on Twitter. A spokesperson for the airline said, “We apologize to Ms. Goyal for her experience, and we are reaching out to her to understand what occurred.”
American Airlines apologises to woman for banning her 'HAIL SATAN' shirthttps://t.co/4AXyY4BUty pic.twitter.com/MvC4Qv2Sfz
— Secret Flying (@SecretFlying) December 12, 2019
What do you think about this story? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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American Airlines went against manufacturer recommendations…
American Airlines went against manufacturer recommendations and used their own maintenance procedure to save 200 man hours of labor per aircraft. This resulted in one engine of AA Flight 191 separating from the wing on takeoff and the deaths of 273 people.