An American Airlines flight from New York to Milan had to turn back after an unruly passenger got upset about his meal. This was already hours into the long Flight 198 from John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Videos by Wide Open Country
American Airlines Passenger Throws Fit After Receiving Wrong Meal
The flight took off on Monday around 7 PM, according to CBS. Around four hours in, flight staff announced that they would be turning back. It was all due to an angry male passenger throwing a tantrum after not receiving his preferred meal. On top of that, he grew irrational after staff told him he couldn't sit in an exit row with his baby.
"We kind of noticed a scuffle in the back," passenger Krystie Tomlinson said. "They were asking around if there were any police officers or Army members, or somebody who could help because there were no air marshals on."
At first, staff reportedly told passengers it was simply due to technical issues. "They were telling everyone that there were technical issues on the plane, which is even scarier," said passenger Michael Scigliano. At some point, the real reason behind the emergency turn-around became apparent.
Other passengers quickly noticed the commotion and disruption at the back of the plane. What's worse is that it seems the passenger resorted to violence. "There was apparently somebody in the back, he was charging at the stewardesses," Tomlinson explained. "At some point, he charged past all of our seats and tried to barge into the pilot's cabin."
Tomlinson then revealed that it happened because of food. "Apparently, the whole thing started because of a meal choice they didn't get. I guess they asked for it ahead of time. They never got exactly what they wanted."
The passenger also explained how the situation got worse. "They also wanted to sit in an exit row. They had a baby with them, so they told them they couldn't and apparently those two things are what pushed the person over the edge."
A Long, Terrifying Flight Back
Scigliano noted how on the four-hour flight home, the man was "unprotected" and "unrestrained," which terrified passengers. He said it "was a little bit scary considering we had a plane full of 300 people and there was no air marshal on board, and we've got this crazy man in the back."
Once the plane finally landed back in New York around 3 AM, they had to wait for authorities to take him away. Despite being relieved to see the man gone, the airline reportedly gave no compensation. "Back to New York at 3:30 in the morning. They offered us nothing," said Scigliano.
Tomlinson also mentioned the egregious lack of help from American Airlines. "I asked to use the American Airlines lounge to breastfeed and change. They said you can go in if you pay $79," she said.
The airline forced passengers to stay overnight in the airport to then rebook their flight later that morning around 11 AM. It's currently unknown whether police charged or detained the disruptive passenger.
