Intercontinental flights are incredibly expensive, so I can completely sympathize with this stowaway on the New York to Paris flight.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Some people are just built different. This stowaway showed not only ingenuity, but outrageous bravery, and unfailing confidence. She managed to get past security, through checkpoints, and almost all the way to her destination using skills and daring alone.
The unidentified woman managed to get through two security checkpoints at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. She carried no banned items, and her lack of a boarding pass wasn't noticed. She then succeeded in getting through the final boarding gate, and onto Delta Airlines flight 264. Finally, she was now officially a stowaway, destined for Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris.
From here, she just needed to stay mobile until she landed. Of course, not having a ticket, the stowaway also had no seat. But, there's one place on a plane that always has somewhere to sit down; the bathroom.
She spent the entire flight moving between the four toilets. The other passengers on board became suspicious but put it down to an upset stomach. However, her constant toilet use didn't go completely unnoticed.
Finally, the cabin crew asked for a boarding pass, and when they realized she didn't have one, the game was up. The stowaway was found, and she was detained until they landed at the airport.
The Game Was Up For The Intercontinental Stowaway
I think she should be allowed to get away with her clever ruse simply for the confidence it takes. She wasn't really breaking any laws, as she obviously had a passport to get through security. She just highlighted the gaps in the airline's checking systems. Really, she was doing them a favor.
But, as the plane came into the Paris airport, passengers were asked to remain seated. They were made to wait for 40 extra minutes while six or seven officers collected the stowaway. It is unclear as to whether or not she was arrested. Maybe she simply had to pay for the skipped airline fare and is now free to explore Paris. I somehow doubt it though.
