Worst Passenger of the Week: For Better or For Worse

Every Friday, FlyerTalk looks back at the week’s most charming individuals. While there are always plenty of contenders for our Worst Passenger of the Week award, only one lucky flyer can take home the glory. Here are this week’s winners.

Third Place – Cry Havoc and Let Slip the Dogs of War

Ibiza has a well-earned reputation as a party destination; unfortunately, the party too often starts well before visitors reach the sun-kissed Spanish isle. This appears to be the case on a Ryanair flight from London Stansted Airport (STN) to Ibiza Airport (IBZ) this week.

Passengers who were reportedly “drinking and dancing in the aisles” of the cabin during the flight inevitably turned on each other shortly after the plane landed. According to eyewitnesses, the revelry turned violent as passengers were making their way from the plane to waiting shuttle busses.

The tarmac altercation that followed involved at least two men who were disembarking from the aircraft. Other passengers on the flight say one of the combatants was left bloodied on the tarmac before police arrived to restore order. Unfortunately, the resulting delay soured the merriment and overindulging passengers allegedly started to kick the doors of the shuttle bus demanding to be released to explore the Ibiza nightlife.

Although there is very little that is remarkable about a flight from the UK to a Spanish resort locale being once again marred by drunken antics, Ryanair has, in recent months, fashioned a remarkable response for just these sorts of incidents.

“This is exactly why we are calling for significant changes to prohibit the sale of alcohol at airports, such as a two-drink limit per passenger and no alcohol sales before 10am,” the airline said in a near boilerplate response to the incident. “It’s incumbent on the airports to introduce these preventative measures to curb excessive drinking and the problems it creates, rather than allowing passengers to drink to excess before their flights.”

The carrier conveniently fails to mention its responsibility to deny boarding to obviously intoxicated passengers. Much like a restaurant that gives customers food poisoning on a weekly basis and then calls for stricter government regulations on refrigerator repairmen – Ryanair deftly placed nearly all of the responsibility on someone else’s plate.

The Runner-up – Good-night, Sweet Prince and Flights of Angels Sing Thee to Thy Rest

By the time a Ryan Air flight from Girona–Costa Brava Airport (GRO) touched down at London Luton Airport (LTN) this week, one passenger had seen quite enough of his allegedly intoxicated seat mate. He is now being hailed as a hero on social media after a viral video shows him quickly putting the obnoxious fellow traveler down for the count.

The newest internet star appears to be coming to the aid of a crew member who was trying desperately to get the apparently uncooperative passenger to remain in his seat. The video shows the vigilante passenger, who appears to be decades older than his 22-year-old nemesis, effortlessly placing the troublemaker in a chokehold, before the combative passenger loses consciousness a few moments later.

“The guy was lifeless in his arms like a rag doll,” one eyewitness recounted to reporters. “Over the course of the flight, he was singing loudly with his headphones on. It was a late flight, everyone was tired and he was rubbing people up the wrong way. I could see it brewing up. That’s the reason I got my phone out, ready to film it.”

Ryan Air responded to the incident with a now familiar refrain.

“This is exactly why we are calling for significant changes to prohibit the sale of alcohol at airports, such as a two-drink limit per passenger and no alcohol sales before 10am,” the airline said in a déjà vu inducing statement. “It’s incumbent on the airports to introduce these preventative measures to curb excessive drinking and the problems it creates, rather than allowing passengers to drink to excess before their flights.”

The Winner – The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth

A marital spat during a nearly 10-hour-long British Airways flight from Los Angles International Airport (LAX) to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) escalated to a full-blown security incident by the time the plane touched down. When the feuding couple allegedly started to lash out at fellow passengers and crew members as well as each other, they reportedly had to be physically restrained.

The allegedly intoxicated lovebirds were separated and by some accounts, tied to their seats for the duration of the flight. BA officials, however, deny that the husband and wife were trussed to their seats at any point during the transatlantic journey.

“The couple were returning from holiday and were tanked up,” a British Airways spokesperson told the UK tabloid newspaper The Sun in refreshingly candid comments about the incident. “They began screaming at each other and things very quickly got out of hand. It was a blazing row. It was terrifying for all other passengers and crew to endure this obscene behavior. They were very sheepish on arrival in the UK.”

Police were dispatched to meet the flight when it arrived at LHR. The not-so-happy-couple were removed from the plane through a the rear exit while fellow passengers disembarked through the jetway. Despite the embarrassing scene, the bickering pair appears to have dodged serious fallout from their mid-air squabble.

“Police were called at 07:43hrs on Tuesday 13 September to Terminal Five, Heathrow airport following a report of a disturbance during a flight,” a Scotland Yard spokesperson confirmed to the newspaper. “Officers met the British Airways flight which had come from Los Angeles and landed at 10:10hrs. Two passengers were spoken to by officers. No arrests.”