Last May, 29-year-old Vyvianna Quinonez of California punched a flight attendant in the face on a Southwest flight from Sacramento to San Diego. The passenger, Vyvianna Quinonez, allegedly punched and grabbed the hair of the female flight attendant, who lost two teeth and suffered other injuries to her face on the May 23 flight from Bad weather combined with fragile crew scheduling systems shut down most of the countrys largest domestic airline. According to NBCDFWs report, workers are still using a system built in the 1970s that delays routine procedures like checking in for work or calling out sick for hours. While weve seen a huge uptick in passengers misbehaving on flights since the start of the pandemic, this has to be among the worst behavior weve ever seen on a plane. All Rights Reserved.. Winter Storm Causes Flight Cancellations, Delays Across North Texas, Southwest Passengers Could Be Stranded Until The New Year, Southwests Refund Process Seems Like A Mess, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. While the plane was preparing for landing, the flight attendant asked Quinonez to put her face mask on correctly, buckle her seat belt, and fold her tray table. Video that quickly went viral on Twitter shows a man walking up to a gate agent and throwing a punch. It is proven now, without beyond a shadow of a doubt that they failed us, Massoni said. The video of the assault still sickens me, she added. Attacks on flight crew members, who perform vital jobs to ensure passenger safety, will not be tolerated," U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said in a statement after the sentencing. JUST IN: The woman who punched a Southwest Airlines flight attendant in May has been officially charged in federal court with two felonies, including assault and interfering with a flight crew. The legend of Southwests colorful co-founder and longtime executive Herb Kelleher was also mentioned in the hearing, with a lawmaker pointing out that Kelleher would have been at the hearing had he still be around, alluding to the absence of Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan. Other passengers aboard the flight intervened to stop the assault. Dao got his ass beat by the police not United crew. Maybe I can convince a crew member to assault me. I talked to a flight attendant on my flight back the next day and she told me that yes, the flight attendant had broken teeth, a broken nose, facial injuries.. Jackson was arrested and is facing a count of aggravated assault. After reporting an $800 million hit, refunding and reimbursing customers, and facing a Department of Transportation inquiry for potentially overscheduling flights, Watterson apologized at the Senate hearing. She struck that employee "with a closed fist to the head," the police spokeswoman said. The flight attendant bumped into Hsu who was traveling in first class, the source said. What happened on Flight 700 was absolutely horrific, wrote Sonya Lacore, a vice president at Southwest. "The passenger was taken into custody by local law enforcement officers, and our Employee was transported to a local hospital, where she remains with multiple injuries in stable condition," the spokesperson said. February 27, 2023 alexandra bonefas scott No Comments . According to court documents, Ms. Quinonez sought a sentence of time served while prosecutors had requested four months in custody and six months in home confinement. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. The Department of Justice has now filed charges against 20-year-old Brian Hsu with interference of a flight crew and assault. "It's not like she was on notice this could happen and she went on the plane anyway?". There were three officers who came on the plane and one of them was still back there with the flight attendant, passenger Susan Marie Stidham told FOX40. Theres misbehavior, and then theres assaulting a flight attendant to the point that they have their teeth knocked out and require stitches. Southwest Airlines confirmed to Fox News that a flight attendant had been physically assaulted on a flight from Sacramento to San Diego that landed Sunday morning. pic.twitter.com/ghUWkBTGMm Sam Sweeney (@SweeneyABC) September 2, 2021 Southwest Airlines flight attendants pressed executives to fix the technology problems that contributed to the December meltdown Lauren Boebert Flunks U.S. Geography As Last week, the union warned its members not to engage in so-called self-help action in protest at the state of the lengthy negotiations. A spokesperson for the airline on Sunday told Newsweek that the employee was transported to hospital, where she remains in a stable condition. Learn how your comment data is processed. After she was asked to get off the plane, Jackson then argued with another Southwest employee at the front of the plane. Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ). Lyn Montgomery, the president of TWU Local 556, outlined some of the disruptive behavior ina letterto Southwest CEO Gary Kelly on Monday. The assault, which occurred on a Southwest Airlines flight from Sacramento to San Diego on May 21, 2021, came amid a surge of unruly and violent behavior by passengers. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. The passenger, Vyvianna Quinonez, allegedly punched and grabbed the hair of the female flight attendant, who lost two teeth and suffered other injuries to her face on the May 23 flight from The union that represents more than 23,000 flight attendants at American Airlines has officially filed for federal mediation in stalled contract talks with the Dallas Fort Worth-based carrier after the two sides hit an impasse in a number of critical areas. I was especially impressed when near our landing, he thanked all military and first responders for their service as he received a rousing round of applause from the passengers. Review: EgyptAir Lounge Cairo Airport (CAI), Lufthansas Boeing 787 Business Class: Exactly As Expected. While we do try to list all the best miles and points deals, the site does not include all card companies or credit card offers available in the marketplace. /s. Both airlines have since resumed alcohol sales. To learn more about ChatGPT and how we can inspire students, we sat down with BestReviews book expert, Ciera Pasturel. A flight attendant was physically attacked by a passenger and lost two teeth in the scuffle. Following last years operational meltdown, Southwest Airlines is under fire once again, but this time the heat is coming from its own workforce. Its awesome. Should have been banned from all flying on all airlines anywhere for life! This specific incident was also one of the reasons that Southwest delayed the return of alcohol sales on flights. I was about to go there to, Hey, take it easy. I was about to stand up and this lady stood up and pow, Arai said. They were just like do this, dont do that, dont do this, dont do that. Then even the flight attendant said, Dont touch me, Arai recalled. Three years minimum, $100K in restitution, $100K fine sounds about right. Last November, a woman was arrested at Dallas Love Field after punching a female flight attendant for Southwest Airlines during boarding. Agreed 100%. Earlier this month, a California woman said a Southwest flight attendant called police on her while she was flying with her biracial daughter after suspecting her of human trafficking. Even worse, the incident was captured on video and cast across television and media channels.. A Southwest Airlines employee was hospitalized after being punched by a passenger during the boarding process for a flight at Dallas airport, the airline said. 2023 Local Profile is a registered trademark of Community Profile LLC. The union that represents more than 23,000 flight attendants at American Airlines has officially filed for federal mediation in stalled contract talks with the Dallas If you watched the video you would see that someone did come to the help of the flight attendant in the few seconds it took to get out of his seat. [13] Southwest is the largest operator of the Boeing 737 worldwide. It happened very quickly. Pam and Jeremy Saldas planned to tie the knot in Vegas. Rather than complying with those basic instructions, the passenger instead began recording the flight attendant with her cell phone, pushing her, standing up, and then punching the flight attendant in the face and yanking her hair. This proposal, along with the remaining unresolved issues, will provide the basis for the remainder of the contract talks, the union said in a statement. DEFINITELY!!! A Southwest Airlines employee was hospitalized after being punched by a passenger during the boarding process for a flight at Dallas airport, the airline said. Someone did come to her attention almost as fast as you could. Could warmer storms melt CAs impressive snowpack? This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Matt is passionate about the aviation industry and has become an expert in passenger experience and human-centric stories. It comes after an off-duty Southwest Airlines pilot was accused of assaulting a flight attendant in a California bar during a confrontation over masks. Woman gets 15 months in prison for punching flight attendant in the face, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/01/us/flight-attendant-punched-sentencing.html. Delta is cutting 100 daily flights this summer. Quinonez suddenly sprang up and started punching the flight attendant with both hands. He was exceptionally entertaining very helpful, made it fun. American Airlines flight attendants union and the airline's management requested federal mediation from the National Mediation Board on Friday. The airline told Newsweek at the time that the pilot has been placed on leave while an internal investigation is underway and pending the results of charges filed with local authorities. Glenroy was our main flight attendant. Secondly - I am dismayed that nobody came to the FA's aid sooner but then nobody ever wants to get involved, yeah? A video sent to FOX40 by another passenger and local veterinarian shows what appears to be that same woman being escorted off the plane bythe Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department. Beginning at 10:00 a.m. today, March 2, off-duty flight attendants represented by the TWU Local 556 union organized an informational picket outside Dallas Love Field airport, demanding improvement of working conditions as well as a modernization of the airlines system. Mikuni sushi chef and owner Kotaro Arais fun-filled vacation to Miami got off to a bumpy start. 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Thirdly - Much too lenient a sentence. They didnt listen to us.. Alexandra Skores, Breaking Business News Reporter. 0:00. Interesting to compare the consequences people's various actions are getting. Within days of the attack, two major airlines, American and Southwest, postponed plans to begin serving alcohol again on flights, in an effort to stop the behavior. Wow. Delta: Delta is cutting 100 daily flights this summer. Serious sentences are the only way to stop this. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Prison? Lifestyle #MakeItRightSWA#MakeItRightSWAFor info and graphics: https://t.co/mfEAcsXSbk#TWU556 pic.twitter.com/vFQfiF1Vvh. WebA Southwest Airlines flight attendant was assaulted by a passenger and lost two teeth in the attack last weekend, according to a union president. Over a year after the incident took place, the passenger has finally been sentenced this past week by a federal judge in San Diego. Quinonez began recording a video of the flight attendant before assaulting her. For our customers and our crews, Southwest Airlines has to Make It Right! Arts + Culture Emirates Wants to Massively Expand its Operations in India By Adding 50,000 Seats Per Week. An American Airlines spokesperson said it welcomed the development. Community Creating a modern reserve system that meets the needs of both the operation and employees and ending the unsafe practice of putting flight attendants on 24-hour on-call shifts. The passenger, Vyvianna Quinonez, allegedly punched and grabbed the hair of the female flight attendant, who lost two teeth and suffered other injuries to her face on the May 23 flight from Hilarious: Video of Hero Frontier Flight Attendant Remember the drunk punk flying from Philadelphia to Miami who groped flight attendants, swore his head off and punched another flight attendant? Genius! In a letter dated May 18 and addressed to Judge Robinson, a Southwest representative said that the company wanted the sentence to serve as a deterrent to unruly and violent behavior. A fight onboard a flight from Sacramento to San Diego resulted in a flight attendant getting punched. The incident in question involves a May 23, 2021, Southwest Airlines flight from Sacramento (SMF) to San Diego (SAN). The phrase has become a code for saying "F*** Joe Biden. Home JUST IN: The woman who punched a Southwest Airlines flight attendant in May has been officially charged in federal court with two felonies, including assault and interfering with a flight crew. In a statement after the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said, Attacks on flight crew members, who perform vital jobs to ensure passenger safety, will not be tolerated., FBISpecial Agent in Charge Stacey Moy also chimed in, stating that the outcome of the case should send a very strong message to air travelers the FBI will vigorously pursue anyone who assaults or interferes with flight crews.. We are fighting for our customers and our passengers who endure some of the same things we do when Southwest has one of these meltdowns, Michael Massoni, first vice president of TWU Local 556 told NBCDFW. The passenger accused of punching a Southwest Airlines flight attendant and breaking three of her teeth on a May flight now faces federal felony charges. On February 9, Captain Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Airline Pilot Association (SWAPA) testified before the US Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee during a hearing about strengthening airline operations. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. The plea agreement said that the flight attendant suffered three chipped teeth, two of which needed crowns, along with bruises and a cut under her left eye that needed stitches. What happened during the holidays is an outward reflection of what is internally wrong at Southwest Airlines, President and Lead Negotiator of TWU Local 556 Lyn Montgomery told KTNV. Fortunately weve seen a significant decrease in unruly passenger behavior since the mask mandate ended, so hopefully that continues. This unprecedented number of incidents has reached an intolerable level, with passenger non-compliance events also becoming more aggressive in nature, wrote Montgomery. The experience, she said, changed me profoundly.. With the Make It Right slogan, the union is negotiating several improvements to their working conditions. WebPros: "Southwest Airlines really does have great people. Websouthwest airlines pilot dies of covid. According to HuffPost, this determination was made by the federal judge in San Diego on Tuesday, who also ordered Quinonez to pay almost $26,000 in restitution as well as a $7,500 fine. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Instead, U.S. District Judge Brian Miller elected to sentence Aquino to the maximum statutory term of five years on probation -- drawing an objection from Aquino's attorney because the sentence exceeded the maximum three-year probation term recommended by the U.S. sentencing guidelines -- and a fine of $250, which is one-half the low-end guideline range recommendation of $500 to $9,500. 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