Spirit Airlines passenger banned for life after vaping on flight
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04:39CNN —
A 30-year-old Spirit Airlines passenger on a flight from Detroit to New Orleans recently got himself banned for life after deciding to take a smoke break in the plane’s bathroom.
An attendant on Flight NK 985 told a deputy on Tuesday that she saw him take a drag from an e-cigarette and exhale into a bag, said Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s spokesman Capt. Jason Rivarde. She admonished him.
The St. Petersburg, Florida, resident then got up and headed for the restroom, according to a report filed with the sheriff’s office. While he was in the bathroom, the plane’s smoke alarm went off.
Related articleVaping co-pilot caused Air China plane to plummet, officials say
When a deputy met the plane at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, the unidentified passenger denied smoking in the restroom, according to the report. He told a deputy he didn’t know smoking was prohibited on flights.
The passenger was not arrested but he may never again fly with Spirit: The deputy’s report said the company banned him for life.Spirit Airlines passenger banned for life after vaping on flight
How much is Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos to blame for widespread layoffs? Former Washington Post reporter weighs in
04:39CNN —
A 30-year-old Spirit Airlines passenger on a flight from Detroit to New Orleans recently got himself banned for life after deciding to take a smoke break in the plane’s bathroom.
An attendant on Flight NK 985 told a deputy on Tuesday that she saw him take a drag from an e-cigarette and exhale into a bag, said Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s spokesman Capt. Jason Rivarde. She admonished him.
The St. Petersburg, Florida, resident then got up and headed for the restroom, according to a report filed with the sheriff’s office. While he was in the bathroom, the plane’s smoke alarm went off.
Related articleVaping co-pilot caused Air China plane to plummet, officials say
When a deputy met the plane at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, the unidentified passenger denied smoking in the restroom, according to the report. He told a deputy he didn’t know smoking was prohibited on flights.
The passenger was not arrested but he may never again fly with Spirit: The deputy’s report said the company banned him for life.
“It’s a private business that can ban customers at their own leisure,” Rivarde said.
“It’s like telling you not to come back to the restaurant. Once he was on the ground, he was cooperative with our deputies so he didn’t face any criminal charges.”
Vaping apparently wasn’t his only problem.
Another passenger complained to the flight attendant that he had been drinking from bottles of alcohol that he brought on board – which is also prohibited, according to the sheriff’s office.
Spirit Airlines has not responded to a request for comment.
“It’s a private business that can ban customers at their own leisure,” Rivarde said.
“It’s like telling you not to come back to the restaurant. Once he was on the ground, he was cooperative with our deputies so he didn’t face any criminal charges.”
Vaping apparently wasn’t his only problem.
Another passenger complained to the flight attendant that he had been drinking from bottles of alcohol that he brought on board – which is also prohibited, according to the sheriff’s office.
Spirit Airlines has not responded to a request for comment.
All the things that can get you kicked off a plane – or even banned for life
Hazel Plush
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All too often, bad behaviour on public transport is met with a blind eye, but there is perhaps one final bastion of decency: the commercial aircraft. It might not feel like it when your fellow passengers are prolific farters, space invaders and seat kickers – but there’s a line. And if you cross it, you can expect to be ejected tout de suite, or even black-listed by the airline.
Just ask the Crete-bound Briton who was handed a lifetime ban by Jet2 last month, after being caught with class A drugs and treating his fellow flyers to “a catalogue of disgraceful and aggressive behaviour”. Or the Ryanair passenger who was arrested last week after attempting to open an emergency exit in mid air.
But not all faux pas are quite as obvious or extreme: from going barefoot to smelling awful, these are the antics that can get you grounded – literally.
Hitting the booze
Technically, it’s illegal to be intoxicated on a plane – so think twice before you reach for that second gin spritz. But there’s a world of difference between gently sozzled (absolutely fine) and raging drunk (absolutely not), and the latter can get you removed from your seat before take-off.
This, no doubt, came as unwelcome news to 26-year-old Bradley Musgrove, who was ejected from an Emirates flight at Newcastle Airport in June for slurring his words and smelling of booze – and fined £1,065, including court costs, for the privilege. It could have been worse: according to the Civil Aviation Authority, “Acts of drunkenness on an aircraft face a maximum fine of £5,000 and two years in prison.”
Joining the mile-high club
Even if you can overcome the practical, physical and hygienic obstacles of a mid-flight liaison, getting caught is a sure-fire mood killer. Last year, after being spotted in flagrante under a pile of coats, Bradley Smith and Antonia Sullivan, from Wales, were removed from their UK-bound easyJet flight and later sentenced to almost 600 hours of community service.
It’s more common than you might think: in July, Connecticut couple Trista Reilly and Christopher Arnold were arrested on arrival in Florida after a woman and children allegedly witnessed them getting amorous in the cabin; they have since been banned from JetBlue.
Not fitting into your seat
If you’re too portly to sit with both armrests lowered, most airlines – including Virgin, Ryanair and Qatar Airways – will ask you to book two seats. But failing to do so can get you expelled before take-off, as Angel Harding found last March when Air New Zealand crew allegedly removed her because she was too overweight to travel in a single seat. The airline later apologised, and reportedly offered her a free flight home.
Going barefoot
Skin-tight hot pants, a corset, a cap emblazoned with the word “f—”: all are examples of clothing that have resulted in their wearers being ejected from planes in recent years. In March 2019, passenger Emily O’Connor was reportedly removed from a Birmingham-to-Tenerife flight after Thomas Cook staff said her skimpy crop top was “causing offence”.
Of all the world’s airlines, those in the US most commonly stipulate dress codes; for example, Delta says it “may refuse to transport or may remove” customers if their clothes risk causing “offence or annoyance to other passengers”. It also prohibits going barefoot, as does Southwest Airlines, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines – so think twice before kicking off your shoes after boarding.
Being sick
In 2019, 47 people were removed from a single TUI flight to Manchester from Boa Vista in Cape Verde after a mass outbreak of gastroenteritis during their holiday. The airline reportedly told the captain to de-plane anybody – whether vomiting or not – who might trigger a medical diversion, which delayed many of the passengers’ journeys by several days. If ill passengers are thought to be contagious or an in-flight safety risk, cabin crew have discretion to remove them.
Smelling bad
In its Conditions of Carriage, American Airlines asks passengers to “be respectful that your odour isn’t offensive”, while Delta warns it “may refuse to transport passengers… when [their] hygiene or odour creates an unreasonable risk of offence or annoyance”. And they’re true to their word: in 2019, the former removed the Adler family from a flight to Detroit after passengers allegedly complained about Mr Adler’s body odour. The family were reportedly given overnight accommodation and meals, and placed on a flight the next day.
Smoking or vaping
Lighting up is guaranteed to get you a ticket to nowhere. In July, a TUI flight from Cancun to Gatwick was diverted to the US when a couple refused to stop smoking in the bathroom – triggering a 17-hour delay for all passengers.
Smoking and vaping are taken so seriously that you may be black-listed by the airline too. British Airways states that it has the “right to refuse to carry you or to ban you” if you “have ever been caught smoking, attempting to smoke and/or tampering with a smoke detector on a previous flight”.
Ignoring instructions
Another rule from BA: if you refuse to heed cabin crew’s safety instructions, don’t expect to fly. This could cover anything from not turning off your phone to not stowing your tray-table when requested – and don’t even think about refusing to fasten your seatbelt. In July, a Batik Air flight from Vietnam to Malaysia was delayed when a woman wouldn’t belt-up; she was removed from the plane, reportedly to a chorus of cheers from fellow passengers.
Becoming violent
Any violent action against crew or passengers is a sure-fire way to get booted off, and potentially incur a lifetime ban. Dutch flag-carrier KLM has said it bars around five passengers per month, many for violent behaviour. KLM and Delta have also called for an “no fly list” of offenders to be widely shared between airlines, but no formal system is currently in place.
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However, some countries, including India, keep a list of individuals banned from all of the nation’s airlines. Comfort Emmanson was barred from every Nigerian carrier in August (though the ban has since been appealed and lifted) for her “brutal physical assault” on cabin crew, in which she allegedly used a fire extinguisher as a weapon.
Up next
Off-Duty FAA Inspector Claims He Got Lifetime Ban from United After He Pointed Out Alleged Safety Concerns
Paul Asmus is suing the airline for $12.75 million in damages, claiming loss of wages, emotional distress and punitive damages
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NEED TO KNOW
- An FAA safety inspector is suing United Airlines, accusing the company of “character assassination” after a May 2022 flight
- California resident Paul Asmus filed a civil complaint against the carrier on Jan. 30 in a San Jose District Court
- Asmus claims he was removed from a flight and issued a lifetime travel ban after he allegedly observed two separate safety violations
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety inspector is suing United Airlines, claiming the company removed him from a flight and instated a lifetime travel ban against him after he raised safety concerns on a May 2022 flight.
California resident Paul Asmus filed a civil complaint against the Chicago-based carrier on Friday, Jan. 30. In the document, obtained by PEOPLE, Asmus claims United attempted to “build a case of character assassination” rather than focus on the safety issues at hand.
According to the complaint, Asmus was off duty when he boarded United Airlines flight 1684 on May 12, 2022, at San Francisco International Airport. After entering the cabin, Asmus claims he noticed a “torn seat-back pocket at his assigned seat.” Given Asmus’ profession, he says the allegedly issue “impaired the ability to secure and access the emergency briefing card” — a violation of FAA rules.
Asmus also claims he witnessed a passenger standing in the aisle while the aircraft pushed back from the gate — another FAA violation.
Asmus’ complaint says that despite being off duty, he still had an obligation to perform official duties, including reporting any violations observed. In turn, Asmus claims he took pictures of the issues in order to complete a proper FAA report.
A flight attendant allegedly accused the passenger of taking photos of the flight crew and accused him of being “combative” when he reported the safety issues, the complaint says. They allegedly further accused him of trying to get a free seat upgrade, which Asmus denies.
The complaint claims that the captain then issued an ultimatum via the flight attendant: either show the last photo on his phone or the plane would return to the gate. Asmus alleges he showed his camera roll, proving he did not take a photo of the crew, yet the plane still returned and he was deplaned.
After the incident, Asmus claims, United began building a case against him alleging that he was “combative” regarding a seat assignment and upgrade.
Asmus’s filing alleges that the airline later imposed a travel ban on him and demanded $3,153 in restitution — citing the cost of returning the plane to the gate — and filed a complaint to the FAA, which initiated a civil penalty enforcement action against him.
Asmus claims he was ultimately reassigned from his duties, including an alleged active investigation on United’s Boeing 737 MAX fleet.
On June 27, 2025, an administrative law judge for the U.S. Department of Transportation dismissed the FAA charges against Asmus, according to the decision included in the complaint. Per the decision, attached to the complaint as an exhibit, the judge apparently determined the claims that Asmus interfered with flight attendants were “not credible.” The FAA opted not to appeal, making the decision final and binding.
The administrative law judge’s putative ruling reads, “chilling passenger complaints about safety issues, by negatively responding to such complaints, will lead to negative impacts. Inevitably, unreported matters will impact the safety of the aircraft and the lives of all passengers on board.”
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Following the ruling, Asmus claims in his complaint that he wrote to United to have his travel ban lifted, which they have allegedly refused to do.
Asmus is now accusing the carrier of defamation per se, tortious interference, fraudulent misrepresentation, civil extortion, intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil assault and tortious interference with federal duties.
Asmus, who is representing himself, is demanding $12.75 million in damages, including $250,000 for loss of wages, legal defense and future financial harm, $2.5 million for severe emotional distress and professional humiliation and $10 million in punitive damages.
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An initial case management conference has been scheduled for May 5.
In an emailed statement shared with PEOPLE, Asmus emphasized the administrative law judge’s final 44-page order, which he says found that United’s alleged narrative against him was “without merit” and the witnesses were “not credible.”
“While United Airlines may attempt to frame this as an ongoing dispute over ‘allegation,’ the core facts have already been adjudicated by the U.S. Department of Transportation which oversees the FAA,” he says. “Crucially, the judge explicitly ruled that my actions reporting aircraft damage were a mandatory duty of my profession, finding that I was required to report safety concerns whether on or off duty.”
He adds: “I am standing up to ensure that aviation safety is not silenced by corporate convenience.”
A United Airlines spokesperson tells PEOPLE they have no comment on the matter.
Read the original article on People
