Worst Passenger of the Week: The Man Who Boarded With Years of Baggage

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.

Honorable Mention – B****es Tour CANCELED

Jet2 ordered 18 female passengers off of a flight at East Midlands Airport (EMA), because the women refused to remove their shirts. More specifically, the flyers were booted from the plane after the members of a bachelorette entourage refused to change out of matching T-shirts. The airline reportedly deemed the informal “hen party” uniforms, emblazoned with the words “B****es on Tour” to be too offensive for air travel.

It seems that Jet2 gave the reveling travel companions plenty of opportunities to cover up before being kicked out. Unfortunately, it seems that the B****es on Tour could just not be convinced to see reason.

“The group were asked to either wear different attire or cover up the offensive language, and were reminded of this on numerous occasions, including by the airport police whilst in the departures area,” an airline spokesperson told reporters. “Once in the cabin, and in the presence of families and young children, several members of the group decided to ignore these repeated warnings, at which point our crew took the decision to remove them from the flight.”

Third Place – Just a Quick Bite, but Then I Really Do Have to Run

Anyone who ever thinks they might be having a bad day at work should try to remember the flight attendant on this American Airlines flight at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). Shortly after the plane left the gate, passenger Tun Lon Sein allegedly jumped up from his seat and attempted to open the aircraft’s main exit door. When the flight attendant tried to intervene, the 22-year-old passenger seemed determined to fight his way off the plane and wasn’t about to admit defeat.

According to a federal air marshal’s affidavit, Sein “tried to bite” the crew member who was attempting to get the agitated flyer back into his seat. The flight attendant’s day then went from bad to worse when the out-of-control passenger dashed to the rear of the plane and opened the galley exit before jumping onto the tarmac and running across the busy taxiway.

Airport workers eventually caught up with the runaway passenger and held him until police arrived. Meanwhile, the flight attendant’s no-good-very-bad-day eventually came to an end when the flight, scheduled to last approximately 50 minutes, arrived at Coastal Carolina Regional Airport (EWN) – just over 30 minutes behind schedule.

The Runner-up – “No I’m not Going to Sit Back Down, I’m Going to Blow the Plane Up”

Passengers on a Malaysia Airlines flight headed to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) didn’t make it very far before the plane was forced to return to Melbourne Tullamarine Airport (MEL) this week. According to authorities, the plane had only been in the air for about 15 minutes when an intoxicated passenger went berserk and attempted to enter the cockpit as he threatened to blow up the aircraft.

Eyewitnesses say that although the rampaging flyer was quickly restrained by crew members and fellow passengers, he managed to create plenty of confusion and terror during his brief tirade. Retired Australian Football League (AFL) star, Andrew Leoncelli happened to be on hand to help bring the out-of-contol passenger to heel.

“The staff were saying ‘Sit back down, sir. Sit back down. sir,” Leoncelli recounted to the Australian radio news network 3AW. “He goes, ‘No, I’m not going to sit back down. I’m going to blow the plane up.’”

Even though the perpetrator was quickly taken out of commission and zip-tied to a seat, authorities were taking no chances with the “watermelon-sized object” that the passenger had claimed was a bomb. As it turns out, the device was simply a docking station with speakers for use with a mobile phone. Still, Police Superintendent Tony Langdon praised the quick actions of the passengers and crew members who wrestled the potential weapon from the troublemaker’s hands. “We believe that the actions of the passengers and crew were quite heroic,” Langdon said in a press conference shortly after the troubling incident was safely resolved.

The Winner – No Room in the Bin

Passengers bickering about the precious space in the overhead bin isn’t anything new, but the way, way, over-the-top temper tantrum thrown by a flyer on a Tampa International Airport (TPA) to LaGuardia Airport-bound Delta Air Lines flight deserves special notice. The petulant traveler was eventually physically removed from the plane by police officers. Unlike in the case of physician David Dao, whose brutal removal from a United Airlines flight in April caused public outrage, police in this instance earned applause as they removed this irate man from the plane.

The incident reportedly started when the cranky passenger discovered that there was no room for his carry-on bag in the overhead bin. While discovering that a nearby overhead bin is full creates an admittedly frustrating situation, this particular passenger went full-on Michael Douglas in Falling Down over the minor inconvenience.

Of course, fellow passengers were once again quick to record the petulant meltdown for those of us without a front row seat.

Eyewitnesses say that the passenger tossed another passenger’s belongings from the overhead bin and yelled at another flight attendant. Police were reportedly called only after the agitated flyer stubbornly refused to leave the plane.

Delta officials praised crew members and police for their deft handling of the incident under difficult circumstances. The airline released a statement that could serve as a textbook successful public relations example that other carriers might be well served to study.

“The Delta team acted as true professionals as they navigated this challenging customer issue during the board process when a customer began removing and throwing items from the overhead bin,” an airline spokesperson told the Daily News. “After the passenger repeatedly refused requests to de-plane, the crew requested law enforcement assistance to ensure the safety and comfort of our customers. Harassing our customers and crew members is not acceptable. We are sorry to our customers who had to endure this disruption.”