Airport lounges are becoming more popular. But before you indulge in all that free food and drink, you should know that there could be consequences.
People love their airport lounge access. It’s a popular feature of many major credit cards, and at a time when much is uncertain about air travel, having a special place to relax just can’t be beat.
That said, overindulging in a lounge’s benefits may have some negative side effects. In fact, even joking about overindulging can lead to disaster, as one user on TikTok recently learned.
Why Was This Person Not Allowed To Board Their JetBlue Flight?
In a video with over 15,000 views, TikTok user Toni (@roozaayyy) shows a JetBlue worker in the middle of denying her and her travel partner, Emilio, their ability to board.
The reason? Toni claims that Emilio made a joke about having to wait in the lounge drinking wine due to delays.
“I offered myself up to do a breathalyzer,” Emilio says. “Could you please tell us what was offensive?”
In response, the JetBlue worker compares the admission of drinking before a flight to using the word “bomb” in a federal building.
“No one can fly who appears to be intoxicated,” the worker says. “So, you voluntarily giving that information, we have to take it.”
Can This JetBlue Worker Reject Passengers Over A Joke?
In short, the answer is “yes.”
As the worker explained, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) explicitly bans drunk people from flying. The agency notes in a bulletin, “The boarding of a passenger who appears to be intoxicated is a violation of Section 121.575 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR).”
Crucially, there is not a standard set for determining whether one is truly intoxicated. As such, airplane staff must use their own judgment when determining whether someone has consumed too much alcohol.
This judgment could be based on a passenger’s behavior or movements. It could also be based on what they say—even if it was meant as a joke.
What Happens If You’re Denied Boarding For Appearing Intoxicated?
Even though Emilio states that he was not truly intoxicated, only making a joke about it, the fact remains that their party was prevented from flying.
So, in a situation like this, what happens?
In general, airlines are allowed to deny passengers boarding for safety, security, or health reasons. If this occurs due to suspected intoxication, one can expect to be escorted from the area, lose their ticket, and, potentially, become banned from the airline. In these situations, an airline is not obligated to refund one’s ticket.
If one believes such a determination was made in error, they can receive a written confirmation of the reason for their denial from the airline. Then, they can submit a complaint with accompanying documentation to both the airline and the relevant regulatory body.
However, in general, courts have given airlines extensive abilities to make their own determinations regarding intoxication. Consequently, it is likely that JetBlue’s determination will stand, even if Toni and Emilio believe it to be inaccurate.
@roozaayyy Not them calling us domestic terrorist because we wanted to hang out in the AMEX lounge and have two wines after the flight was delayed three hours
Commenters Say The Rules Don’t Make Sense
In the comments section, users stated their belief that rules around this issue should be more lax. Additionally, they questioned the worker’s claim that there was any connection between this situation and joking about a bomb.
“Why serve alcohol at the airport if it’s against the rules to let you on the plane if you have had a drink?” asked a user.
“Joking about intoxication and joking about weapons and explosives on a plane are two entirely different things,” noted another.
“Did she just compare being intoxicated to WEAPONS??????? Mind you, they serve alcohol on the plane… if being drunk was such an issue they wouldn’t serve liquor on the plane like what,” echoed a third.
“I get their busy right now and stressed , but that’s crazy,” declared a further TikToker.
BroBible reached out to Toni via TikTok direct message and comment and to JetBlue via email.