Brawl Erupts At Detroit Airport Gate After Spirit Airlines Agent Question Size Of Carry-On Luggage

We’ve all been there. As you try to hustle onto the plane, there’s one buttinsky boarding gate agent who eyes up your carry-on luggage and stops you to question the size of your bag. The agent prevents you from boarding and instructs you to place your bag in that metal sizer doohickey. You know it’s an inch or two too big, but you rather sit on the luggage to make it fit in the contraption than have you’ll be forced to check-in your carry-on bag, and pay a pricy checked bag fee. Three air travelers decided they were not about to check-in their carry-on bags and would rather brawl with gate agents and get kicked off the flight instead of checking in their luggage. This is probably not the hill to die on.

We take you to the terminal at Detroit Metro Airport, where the brutal brawl erupted. The brouhaha happened on Sunday, while passengers were boarding Spirit Airlines flight 646 from Detroit to Atlanta. According to Spirit Airlines, boarding agents asked the passengers to verify that their carry-on luggage were the allowed size.

“The agents asked the group to verify that their carry-on bags were sized appropriately for the aircraft prior to boarding, at which time the passengers became combative,” Spirit Airlines spokesperson Field Sutton told The New York Post. “The agents attempted to calmly defuse the situation but were physically assaulted by these passengers as they closed a door to stop them from boarding the aircraft.”

Viral video shows the passengers storming towards the agent and flattening him.

“This was not a fight. Describing it as a fight is untrue to our agents. In actuality, three passengers attacked our agents without provocation,” a statement from Spirit Airlines said of the altercation.

Both agents suffered injuries, and one of the agents was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated, according to airline officials.

“All of us at Spirit wish the agents a speedy recovery and thank them for their courage and professionalism,” the airline said in an email statement.

Two of the violent passengers were reportedly arrested and the third was cited and released.

“We also thank law enforcement for responding quickly and arresting those involved in the attack,” Spirit Airlines stated. “This violent behavior is completely unacceptable and has absolutely no place in airports or any other place of business. We will not tolerate abusive behavior of any kind and these passengers will be banned from any future travel with Spirit. Further questions about this incident should be referred to law enforcement.”

The rabble-rousers involved in the donnybrook were banned from Spirit Airlines. Guess they should have just checked-in their luggage.