Worst Passenger of the Week: The “Cousin” Who Exploited the Germanwings Tragedy For Free Tickets

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.

The Winner — The Heartless Scam Artist

It isn’t often that the Worst Passenger of the Week is also a viable candidate for the Worst Human Being of the Week, but the woman who posed as a close relative of a Germanwings Flight 9525 victim to scam the airline out of free tickets easily lays a claim to both titles. While other flyers around the world were experiencing a shared sense of loss in the wake of the crash, our Worst Passenger of the Week saw an opportunity.

Police are investigating reports that the unnamed woman, claiming to be the cousin of a victim onboard 4U 9525, took advantage of the airline’s offer to fly loved ones to the site of the plane crash. The authorities were alerted to the phony cousin’s travel by Lufthansa officials.

The victim’s father told reporters that the con artist, who was not related to his daughter, flew round-trip to the French Alps on two separate occasions. The woman pretending to be a grieving family member even brought two companions with her on one of the excursions.

Germanwings officials confirmed they were aware of the situation and are consulting with lawyers to see if legal action can be taken against the heartless con.

The only silver lining in the situation is that the fraudulent relative inexplicably took advantage of the airline-provided counseling. Though she may not have needed grief counseling, it is clear she is in dire need of professional help.

[Photo: iStock]