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29 July 19: BA112 [JFK-LHR] incident in F cabin

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Old Jul 30, 2019, 9:52 am
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At least 3 FlyerTalkers were onboard and have posted eyewitness reports. Excerpts and direct links follow

All reports implicate a musical artist/rapper named Busta Rhymes.

Originally Posted by 87CTA
  • Artist boards and his handler begins packing away his bags in the overheads. To note … the artist brought 4 carryon bags … which meant regardless of the situation that he would have struggled to easily find space (especially as the cabin was full). It was apparent that the handler was having trouble finding space and the artist began getting irate … asking “whose stuff is this” … my wife replied, “mine” … artist responds “move your stuff”.
  • I could tell immediately that this would only end in an argument so I suggested to my wife that she just move her bags to avoid confrontation … my wife quite rightfully responded “why should I, we are supposed to share this bin” … this is when the artist flew off the handle: “move your stuff, now” … he was towering over my wife’s seat and she was terrified … I stood up and asked him to “not be so rude to my wife” and to “leave it” to which he responded with “then let’s go, homeboy … essentially offering me to fight him!!!!
Originally Posted by 81romeo
A woman started to cry and the situation escalated very quickly. I then jumped in as I can't tolerate any case of abusive behaviour. He threatened me personally because I jumped in. The CSD got involved. The Captain decided to not offload him (don't ask me why because we really don't know, we were all shocked at his judgment call). Instead, the crew asked if any of us would feel safer by taking the next flight.
Originally Posted by Realitycheck
The cabin staff did an excellent job at controlling the situation. Albeit they admitted being fearful as we all were. BR was traveling with his handler and 6 members of his entourage.
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29 July 19: BA112 [JFK-LHR] incident in F cabin

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Old Jul 31, 2019, 2:23 pm
  #331  
 
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Story now on the Mail...(an exclusive no less)

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ds-London.html

Small snippet per the rules

Busta Rhymes was hauled off a British Airways flight by police as it landed at London's Heathrow Airport after getting into a row with a passenger in first class.

The US rapper was escorted off the passenger jet after the heated argument with a fellow flyer shortly before take-off in New York.

The 47-year-old hip hop star is understood to have boarded the flight just before the doors closed carrying five bags – before angrily demanding to know: 'Who's got all their stuff in my locker?'

Witnesses to the altercation said Busta - real name Trevor George Smith Jr - became 'agitated, aggressive and rude' as he hurled insults at the married woman in her late 20s, from London, on the Monday evening flight from JFK Airport in the US.

He was met by police officers at the request of a passenger when the plane landed in London at 6.52am on Tuesday.

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Old Jul 31, 2019, 3:28 pm
  #332  
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Originally Posted by BlueThroughCrimp
If you can remember to shoot in landscape and not portrait that would be great!
I'll try.
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Old Jul 31, 2019, 3:32 pm
  #333  
 
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I wouldn't be surprised if this happened on Ryanair, but BA F!? Surely there's enough room for you rich people who get the opportunity to fly in First?
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Old Jul 31, 2019, 4:10 pm
  #334  
 
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Is that a fan?

in one of the daily mail pictures- is that a fan at his seat?
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Old Jul 31, 2019, 4:23 pm
  #335  
 
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Originally Posted by david55
I can't believe I read 73 posts before someone had the balls to name the culprit.......I still didn't recognize the guy.
If the White House hasn't weighed in on his behalf, he can't be that important.
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Old Jul 31, 2019, 4:31 pm
  #336  
 
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From the article linked above, a BA spokesperson said;

All those in the cabin were given the option of moving away, and the flight did not depart until everyone confirmed that they were happy to continue.
Presumably accepting the offer to move away would have meant voluntarily leaving the First cabin?

Therefore rewarding bad behaviour by potentially penalising those innocent people caught up in this rather than move the culprit?
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Old Jul 31, 2019, 4:36 pm
  #337  
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I have read the accounts from those who were unlucky enough to be on board. It's a sad state of affairs when a passenger on a BA plane is reduced to tears by another passenger. Even worse when it's in the F cabin given that's only 14 seats. Hopefully BA will compensate those other passengers for the distress caused. I don't understand why some people think they're better than everyone else and deserve to be treated differently. He's lucky he didn't happen on my Mum or Sister who would have just told him where to go. This sort of thing shouldn't happen and he's very lucky to have been allowed to fly. I obviously don't know what the Captain said or why he was permitted to remain on board. However BA need to damn certain that they don't just cut and paste an apology. These are passengers who have paid a lot of money for their tickets to sit in BA's best cabin. I wish the other passengers luck in getting an apology out of BA - that's the least you deserve.
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Old Jul 31, 2019, 4:40 pm
  #338  
 
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Disruptive passengers is one of the only occasions where the CSD/M can overrule the Captain and insist an offload (and vice versa) so on this occasion if the CSD wanted BR offloaded the Captain would have have to oblige so this looks like a joint decision by the CSD and Captain not to offload him.
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Old Jul 31, 2019, 4:42 pm
  #339  
 
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I'm assuming the DM's video came from one of the eyewitnesses on this thread - how much did they pay for the exclusive clip?
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Old Jul 31, 2019, 6:08 pm
  #340  
 
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Originally Posted by GodAtum
I wouldn't be surprised if this happened on Ryanair, but BA F!? Surely there's enough room for you rich people who get the opportunity to fly in First?
First off, flying BA first is not for only rich people.
Second, rich people never have enough room
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Old Jul 31, 2019, 6:56 pm
  #341  
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Thumbs up

Originally Posted by SHT88T
Presumably accepting the offer to move away would have meant voluntarily leaving the First cabin?

Therefore rewarding bad behaviour by potentially penalising those innocent people caught up in this rather than move the culprit?
This.
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Old Jul 31, 2019, 7:10 pm
  #342  
 
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Originally Posted by RoxyMountain
This.
I believe the "offer to move away" was "away" to another flight as there was no extra room in CW. I agree with that poster about encouraging the bullies... I'm very much an "avoid confrontation" person myself, but as long as everyone does that the bullies win and are encouraged to continue on with their selfish behavior. That said, it would seem that the Captain and CSD bought into/wanted to believe his "I'll behave myself" speech in the galley which it seems might have been key to their decision.
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Old Jul 31, 2019, 10:46 pm
  #343  
 
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Originally Posted by IAMORGAN


According to one report he did have 4 pieces of hand luggage, so if correct he could have been asked to check 3 (assuming none met description of personal item) and pay any excess charges :-)
Beside the fact that people are entitled to two, have you ever seen anyone being asked that when travelling in First? Besides, there was indeed space onboard. Simply he was being difficult about it.
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Old Aug 1, 2019, 1:07 am
  #344  
 
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Originally Posted by mrandery
in one of the daily mail pictures- is that a fan at his seat?
It is a fan indeed, it was terribly hot in the cabin, throughout the entire flight.
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Old Aug 1, 2019, 1:14 am
  #345  
 
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Originally Posted by SHT88T
From the article linked above, a BA spokesperson said;



Presumably accepting the offer to move away would have meant voluntarily leaving the First cabin?

Therefore rewarding bad behaviour by potentially penalising those innocent people caught up in this rather than move the culprit?
Exactly. Which is why nobody left the plane. Why should innocent people who did not cause this ordeal be penalised rather than the sole individual who caused the incident?

We were not given the option to move to a different cabin - we were only given the option to move to the next available flight. No details were provided about which flight that would have been, nor space availability, nor cabin. It came across as a "rushed" offer and I'm frankly not sure whether at that point the doors had been already closed (although for sure we were still standing at the gate).
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