The big flight mistake you’re making which could see you fined £80,000 or even jailed
HOLIDAYMAKERS have been warned about big mistakes when flying that could see them fined thousands of pounds, or even jailed.
Passengers at airports in the UK this summer will be shown messages informing them of the consequences of drinking too much before a flight, via their phones.
While a pre-holiday drink at the airport is customary for some Brits, it could end up landing them in trouble if they overindulge.
The One Too Many campaign aims to prevent that with adverts to be displayed at airports and targeted at passengers’ social media channels.
It will inform people that being drunk on a plane could result in a life-time flying ban from an airline, a fine, or even jail time.
Passengers can be added to a carrier’s no-fly list if they disrupt a flight significantly.
It could also lead to a maximum of two years in jail if the disruption is serious enough.
A hefty fine of up to £80,000 can be handed out to anyone who causes their flight to be diverted because of their behaviour, while delaying a flight from taking off could cost £5,000.
Anyone deemed unfit to fly can also be prevented from boarding the plane by their cabin crew as well.
Passengers will receive reminders from the campaign directly on their mobile devices, in an attempt to maximise awareness.
They will see targeted ‘Did You Know?’ alerts via social media, reminding them of lesser-known rules, such as being banned from opening duty free purchases until they arrive at their destination.
Airports across the UK also display the campaign’s black and yellow graphics physically in airport stores, on departure boards, and on their social media channels.
Nigel Keal, Chairperson of the UK Travel Retail Forum, said: “UKTRF and its campaign partners have been clear for many years – there is no room for disruptive behaviour of any form when travelling.
“The issue has long been one of our industry’s highest priorities, as we have a duty to help protect passengers, customers, and the many staff members that help keep travellers safe at all stages of their journey.
“Our message to passengers is to enjoy their travel, behave responsibly, and not to ruin their holiday, or the holidays of others.
“The consequences of disruptive behaviour while travelling are very serious, and could stop you from travelling for years to come.”
Karen Dee, Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association, added: “We want everyone travelling this summer to enjoy themselves and have a good time, but it is important that they do so in a responsible way.
“The One Too Many campaign is aimed at reminding everyone that they have responsibility for their own actions and to make sure their behaviour does not cause problems for others.”
Sun Online Travel’s resident flight attendant explained how cabin crews deal with disruptive drunk passengers.
They said: “When these situations arise, and things start becoming a problem, that’s when we would have to start saying that this is not going to happen anymore.
“We’ll get the captain to put the seatbelt sign on because that is an official airline rule that you have to abide by as passengers.
“You accept the terms and conditions when you book your place on the plane. If you didn’t adhere to that then obviously further punishments could also be introduced.
“It could be anything from a quiet word at the end of the flight from the captain to a ban from the airline, which might leave you stranded at your destination. But it’s definitely not worth the risk.”
Meanwhile, these are the rules around being drunk on planes.
And planes could soon track how much passengers have drunk during a flight.