This Is What FAs Are Trained to Do If We Suspect Human Trafficking

Open hand raised, Stop Trafficking sign painted, multi purpose concept - isolated on white background

Last Friday, FlyerTalk reported the case of a couple who were mistakenly suspected of being a human trafficker and victim. Before discussing the specifics of this case, let’s back up to establish some of the broader context.

The most important thing that many people are not aware of is that airlines, and cabin crew specifically, are a growing resource in the fight against human trafficking. Unfortunately, even some flight attendants (judging by comments I received the first time I wrote about this) are not aware of this.

That’s because at this point this training is voluntary, and discussions about it are thus inconsistent. At the very least, there is a section in my airline’s safety manual on what we are to look for and what to do if we see it. Some review of this is often done at my yearly Requalification, at least for international flights.

There is a push to make airline training on this topic mandatory, and why not? We are already tasked with sizing up passengers every day, looking for behaviors that could indicate any number of threatening behaviors. Even for those who think we should just ignore it (!) when we believe we are witnessing a serious crime in action, any training that improves our skills for assessing people is valuable and a win for everyone’s safety.

If we can make even a small difference to the estimated 14,500-17,500 people trafficked into the U.S. every year, it’s worth it. Trust me, it’s a horrible feeling when you see something that sets off alarms bells and you don’t know what to do or no one will listen and you are just left to wonder if you could have changed a life. Just ask Sandra Fiorini. I also had one of those situations before I knew what to look for and where to report it.

So let’s get back to the couple from last week. As is normal for airline stories, we only have one point of view – the people who were clearly unaware of how their dynamic, at least on that day, could appear to bystanders.

The reports mention that she followed him to the bathroom and waited outside (because he was ill, context that the crew was unaware of), but not how she did not use it herself and was then seemingly (1) physically directed back to her seat by him. The orange juice is mentioned, but not that the they were seated across the aisle from each other (so the FA was in between them). As he handed the drink over, she (2) never made eye contact with the crew, and he seemed to (3) speak for her. The couple probably never even thought about the fact that they (4) were dressed disparately.

Of course, in this case, all of this turned out to be innocent! But since we have multiple details together that we are told to look out for, I very well may have called it in, too. I’m disappointed at some of the salty comments towards the crew that the incident has inspired. No one did anything wrong here. It’s an extremely well-intentioned misunderstanding based on multiple details, not just a sudden conclusion that had been leaped to. Considering the praise-worthy motivation and the incredible, life-altering good that can come from flight attendant tips like this, it seems a wise gamble. I’m very glad to see that American Airlines supported the crew.

I’d feel terrible to have misunderstood the situation, as I’m sure the crew does, to have caused some embarrassment and delay to the couple. However, this program does exponential amounts of good weighed against this very unusual mistake. Given the very real potential for just one phone call to literally save many lives, it’s absolutely worth it.

For more information about programs to raise awareness about human trafficking on flights, check out Innocents at Risk and Airline Ambassadors.

For quick tips on what to look for, click here. You can report concerns to the Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or online at www.ice.gov/tips.

[Photo: Getty Images]