A rather disturbing, yet still amusing Tweet by LOT Polish Airlines spokesperson made headlines this week as it alluded to a recent incident where a drunk passenger urinated in the airplanes galley area.
The passenger who was inbound from the U.S. to Warsaw got intoxicated during the flight to the point where he took off his pants and urinated against the aircraft door.
During the flight and upon landing in Warsaw the individual was attended to by the crew and other passengers (he wasn’t arrested or even gotten reprimanded at that point), yet subsequently, airline management imposed a Lifetime Ban on him.
The Independent reported the airline took a tough stance not only to punish this particular individual but also to set an example that such behavior is unacceptable.
A LOT Polish Airlines passenger removed his pants and urinated on the plane door during a New York-Warsaw flight last week.
The man was allegedly drunk when the incident occurred, half an hour before the aircraft was due to land at Chopin Airport. He has since been banned from flying with LOT for life.
LOT Polish Airlines spokesperson Krzysztof Moczulski posed a question to followers on Twitter on 31 January, asking: “How do I get blacklisted by an airline and never fly with that airline?”
In a follow-up tweet, Mr Moczulski outlined that a passenger had indeed urinated onboard a recent flight.
“Such was the fate of one of the passengers flying our Dreamliner from the United States to Warsaw,” he wrote.
Followers were quick to comment underneath, with one flight attendant writing about their experience. “Once I witnessed a client who couldn’t stand the pressure and had to relieve himself next to the stairs provided to leave the plane,” the user said.
Meanwhile, another person questioned how someone being placed on an airline blacklist can actually be enforced: “In general, there is a problem with such lists, there are no appropriate regulations.”
Speaking to tvn24.pl, Mr Moczulski said : “The man was reassured by other passengers and his behaviour did not disturb the flight. Despite this, it was decided that he would never use the services of LOT again.”
The airline told The Independent: “The described situation took place during one of the flights from New York to Warsaw.
“The incident, when passenger urinates in the galley is absolutely unacceptable, so we decided to put him on the blacklist, which prevents him from flying with LOT for life.
Unfortunately, such situations are most often associated with excessive alcohol consumption. We want to point out that alcohol consumed during the flight affects our body differently than it happens in standard conditions. This is due to the pressure, which is the same as at an altitude of 2,000m and very low humidity.
“Our main goal is to provide our passengers and crew with a safe and comfortable flight, so it is important to make it clear that we do not accept such behaviour.”
There is indeed a vacuum when it comes to regulations as far as this particular case is concerned. The spokesperson said that the incident did not impact the safety of the flight and that there was no violence involved. The sole factor in this episode was apparently alcohol.
Even though no charges were pressed, the man is no longer allowed to fly with LOT from now on.
Here is the Tweet in question by the LOT spokesperson:
Jak trafić na czarną listę przewoźnika lotniczego i nigdy nie polecieć daną linią?
– upij się,
– zdejmij majtki i spodnie w bufecie,
– wysikaj się na wewnętrzne drzwi samolotu
– zostań wpisany na czarną listę#noprofitPS. Nie wierzyłem, że kiedykolwiek napiszę takiego ćwirka. pic.twitter.com/bSz2wBpchL
— Krzysztof Moczulski (@egonolsen1978) January 31, 2023
It reads:
How do I get blacklisted by an airline and never fly with that airline? – get drunk – take off your panties and pants in the buffet, – pee on the inside door of the plane – be blacklisted #noprofit P.S. I didn’t believe I’d ever write a piece like this.
I have flown on LOT twice and both times there was a rather liberal attitude when it came to the distribution and consumption of adult beverages. By the middle of our journey, many folks in Business Class were noticeably intoxicated and it made me feel somewhat concerned. It’s one thing to have a good time with a few drinks. A totally different story when you can’t even walk to the lavatory on your own.
Maybe LOT has to reconsider its policy regarding alcohol consumption and provide training to the crew on how to cut people off in a de-escalating fashion.
In times past Aeroflot had this problem as well but in recent years the Russian carrier had cracked down on that and no longer tolerated drunken antics and unruly behavior in the cabin. Maybe this could be a blueprint for LOT to follow.
Conclusion
An intoxicated passenger on a LOT flight from New York to Warsaw got so drunk that he ended up taking off his pants and relieving himself in the galley, against the aircraft door during the approach (30 min prior to landing).
While there was no ill intention on the part of the passenger aside from not having his alcohol consumption and bladder under control, the airline reportedly imposed a lifetime ban on the man who now has to look for another carrier for future travel.
Should airlines be more strict with the distribution of alcohol during the flight?
