A California woman who repeatedly punched a Southwest Airlines flight attendant last year, bloodying her face and chipping three of her teeth, was sentenced on In the last quarter, American Airlines reported a net income of $127 million. I think the airline should be required to have some sort of compensation or benefit for the other passengers on the flight. 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. Southwests operations chief Andrew Watterson was questioned by lawmakers in Washington on Feb. 9. 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. By Alexandra Skores. 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. Her lawyer, Knut S. Johnson, said Tuesday that he had no comment on the case. The flight attendant was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital for treatment of serious injuries, according to police. Please view our advertising policy page for additional details about our partners. HuffPost. 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. According to court records, on Jan. 9, 2021, Little Rock police responded to the Little Rock National Airport after being notified of an unruly passenger onboard a domestic flight. Massoni said that these backlogs worsened during the holiday meltdown, making employees stand on hold for up to seven hours before they could get through. 2023 Local Profile is a registered trademark of Community Profile LLC. Arai took a photograph moments after the assault that shows the woman who allegedlythrew the punch and the frazzled flight attendant bleeding from her face, I would be on the floor like that if I get hit like that, Arai told FOX40. The union said a lack of hot food and sometimes even hotel rooms leave flight attendants with little to eat and sometimes sleeping on the airport floor. 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Texas woman given probation for breaking flight attendants jaw during 2021 flight. Should have been banned from all flying on all airlines anywhere for life! Southwest Airlines flight attendants are set to hold an informational picket Thursday. Southwest has been under fire from travelers since the meltdown when 16,700 flights were canceled in the final days of December during the busy holiday travel period. WebPros: "Southwest Airlines really does have great people. Video that quickly went viral on Twitter shows a man walking up to a gate agent and throwing a punch. "Our entire Southwest Family is wishing her a speedy and full recovery as we send our thoughts, prayers, and love to her. by: Melanie Townsend, Jonathan Taraya, Nexstar Media Wire. Alexandra Skores is the breaking business news reporter covering local companies and economic topics. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Perhaps people may consider not flying with that airline after the incident. Recommended Stories. Lyn Montgomery, the president of TWU Local 556, outlined some of the disruptive behavior ina letterto Southwest CEO Gary Kelly on Monday. The assault was recorded on another passengers cellphone. Your email address will not be published. American Airlines flight attendants and the Fort Worth-based carrier are filing for federal help from National Mateusz Maszczynski honed his skills as an international flight attendant at the most prominent airline in the Middle East and has been flying throughout the COVID-19 pandemic for a well-known European airline. The letter said that the companys executive team had heard from countless flight attendants who felt under attack during a pandemic that pushed fear around travel to an all-time high. Airlines in 2021 reported more than 5,000 incidents of unruly passengers to the Federal Aviation Administration. The assault happened a Southwest Airlines flight from Sacramento to San Diego in May The NMB is a federal agency charged with supervisingnegotiations in the airline and rail industries as governed by the Railway Labor Act. The pattern followed pep rallies organized by the company to boost employee morale after a disastrous holiday season. (KTXL) A woman who was accused of punching a Southwest Airlines flight attendant was charged in federal court Wednesday with two felony counts. Neither she nor her attorney could be reached for comment Tuesday. The passenger plead guilty to one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants. Her chosen profession, after all, has been a master class in getting disorderly people to do what she wants, wrote The New York Times in a 2019 profile. 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. I would think that in this case it caused quite a scene and disrupted or disturbed others on the flight. COVID-19 Violence on aircraft endangers the lives of all onboard, Randy Grossman, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California, said in a statement on Friday. They get 15 months in prison, but I give them 65% of the settlement! You have successfully joined our subscriber list. 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. 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. According to NBCDFW, these negotiations have been ongoing since 2018, well before the pandemic added stress to the airline industry. During the flights final descent, the attendant had asked Quinonez to buckle her seat belt, stow her tray table, and put on her facemask properly. Another Southwest passenger was sentenced to 48 days in jail for masturbating multiple times next to his seatmate. With the Make It Right slogan, the union is negotiating several improvements to their working conditions. A witness claims the flight attendant provoked the incident. Always keeping an ear close to the ground, Matt's industry insights, analysis and news coverage is frequently relied upon by some of the biggest names in journalism. 1:11 PM on Mar 2, 2023 CST. Pam and Jeremy Saldas planned to tie the knot in Vegas. Glenroy was our main flight attendant. In response to Sundays incident, Southwest sent FOX40 a statement. Jackson "verbally and physically" assaulted a female operations agent shortly after boarding Flight 4976 to New York City's LaGuardia Airport, a Southwest spokesperson told Newsweek. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. 0:49. ", Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. How you arrive at the airline should be punished is amazing. Southwests approximately 16,000 flight attendants have been working without a new contract since 2018, long before the pandemic changed the dynamic for the airline Given this story, I would say the guy who was masturbating on Southwest got off easy. 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. According to a statement released by SWAPA, pilots at the airline had been sounding the alarm about SWAs outdated crew scheduling and IT processes for years but the airline ignored their warnings. Witnesses said Aquino-Washington tossed food in a flight attendant's face, then repeatedly punched her in the face until another flight attendant was able to subdue her and put her in restraints until the plane could land. Following last years operational meltdown, Southwest Airlines is under fire once again, but this time the heat is coming from its own workforce. The disruptions add more leverage to Southwest Airlines flight attendants contract negotiations, according to Massoni. 0:00. They didnt listen to us.. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. The worst part is that all of this happened simply because the flight attendant was trying to get the passenger to comply with regulations. We are out here to once again, implore Southwest Airlines to make it right and again, make it right by their people, including our flight attendants, and make it right to the flying public, Massoni said. 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. On Sunday, 28-year-old Vyvianna Quinonez was escorted off a Southwest flight at the San Diego International Airport and arrested for battery causing serious Over a year after the incident took place, the passenger has finally been sentenced this past week by a federal judge in San Diego. The assault happened a Southwest Airlines flight from Sacramento to San Diego in May The attendant apologized, according to the source, but Hsu later walked to the galley and allegedly punched her twice. Two of her three chipped teeth required crowns. Quinonez was booked into the Las Colinas Detention Facility. Delta is cutting 100 daily flights this summer. She's a graduate of the University of Iowa, where she was managing editor of the award-winning student newspaper, The Daily Iowan. The incident in question involves a May 23, 2021, Southwest Airlines flight from Sacramento (SMF) to San Diego (SAN). Matt is passionate about the aviation industry and has become an expert in passenger experience and human-centric stories. This specific incident was also one of the reasons that Southwest delayed the return of alcohol sales on flights. Livia Albeck-Ripka contributed reporting. WebPros: "Southwest Airlines really does have great people. Have you subscribed to our free weekly newsletter? WebTwenty-five years as a United Airlines flight attendant makes Nelson, a rising star in the contemporary labor movement, uniquely suited for labor organizing. LITTLE ROCK -- A Texas woman who pleaded guilty to involvement in an altercation aboard a Southwest Airlines flight in which a flight attendant's jaw was broken was sentenced Thursday to five years on federal probation by a judge who questioned why the woman was not charged with a felony. The passenger had several prior state and local convictions for lewd and lascivious conduct. 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Arts + Culture WebFederal charges were filed Wednesday against a passenger accused of striking a Southwest Airlines flight attendant in the face during a May flight to San Diego. Required to have compensation for other passengers. Serious sentences are the only way to stop this. Providing access to food and a safe place to rest when traveling on the job. According to aSouthwest airlines spokesperson, the passenger ignored the flight crews constant reminders of wearing a seatbelt and putting her tray table away, and she became verbally and physically combative upon landing. The two men are then pulled apart by other Southwest Airlines employees. 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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. Massoni said the technology disruption failed Southwests employees and flight attendants as well as customers. 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. Prosecutors said the flight attendant, who was not named in court documents, was taken to a hospital with injuries that included a swollen eye, a bruised arm and a cut under her eye that had to be stitched. Your feedback is important in helping us keep our community safe. According to reports, as the plane began its descent, a flight attendant asked a 29-year-old woman to put on her seatbelt, stow her tray table, and put on her face mask properly. Stay connected with the latest travel, aviation, and credit card news. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); She should be banned for life and have her name shared with every major domestic and international carriers on the list. WebFederal charges were filed Wednesday against a passenger accused of striking a Southwest Airlines flight attendant in the face during a May flight to San Diego. Southwest Passenger Who Punched Flight Attendant Sentenced To 15 Months Prison Time. She struck that employee "with a closed fist to the head," the police spokeswoman said. Now, she must pay for her actions by serving 15 months in federal prison. Couple gets married aboard a Southwest flight. Please join your fellow Union Crewmates to show the Company we demand a contract that Makes it Right! Issues that the two sides remain at loggerheads on include sick leave provisions, scheduling agreement and the use of reserve duties. Dao got millions (allegedly, and allegedly over 100M), what does she get? 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 Delta: Delta is cutting 100 daily flights this summer. Here's what to know if yours if one of them. Learn how your comment data is processed. Fixing technology issues and other archaic systems that impact passengers and disproportionately impact frontline aviation workers, including flight attendants. Maybe I can convince a crew member to assault me. According to NBCDFW, the union is asking for better conditions not just for employees, but also for a better experience for their customers. For our customers and our crews, Southwest Airlines has to Make It Right! Passengers deplane from a Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas at Hollywood Burbank Airport in Burbank, California, October 10, 2021. an off-duty Southwest Airlines pilot was accused of assaulting a flight attendant, a California woman said a Southwest flight attendant called police, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Informational picketing is common during times of contract negotiations, and Southwest respects our flight attendants right to conduct such events to express their viewpoints, said Adam Carlisle, Southwests vice president of labor relations. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Attacks on flight crew members, who perform vital jobs to ensure passenger safety, will not be tolerated.. Vyvianna M. Quinonez was sentenced to 15 months in federal custody on Friday. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Last November, a woman was arrested at Dallas Love Field after punching a female flight attendant for Southwest Airlines during boarding. HuffPost was unable to reach either Quinonez or her attorney for comment. 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. Southwest Airlines flight attendants pressed executives to fix the technology problems that contributed to the December meltdown during an informational picket for a new contract Thursday at Dallas Love Field. As far as sentencing goes, the woman: This is the second Southwest passenger to be sentenced to jail this past week. Anyone wanna take a stab at why that may be? Lawsuit filed against restaurant in death of Granite, Body found in river is that of missing woman, officials, Video: Benches clear in fight at high school hoops, Man found dead in snow in El Dorado County, Snowed-in residents rescued in El Dorado County, Harrison Barnes on Mike Brown winning NBA Coach of, Domantas Sabonis on success of the Kings season,, A drug-resistant infection has health experts on, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Inflation, oil and flights: Here's why airlines can pass on some additional costs to travelers, FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy said the sentence should send a very strong message to air travelers the FBI will vigorously pursue anyone who assaults or interferes with flight crews.. A new video emerged showing the moment a Southwest Airlines passenger assaulted a flight attendant. TWU Local 556 is not the first workers organization to speak up after last years disaster. A spokesperson for the airline on Sunday told Newsweek that the employee was transported to hospital, where she remains in a stable condition. A passenger has just been sentenced to 15 months in jail for her behavior on a May 2021 Southwest Airlines flight. Informational picketing is common during times of contract negotiations, and Southwest respects our Flight Attendants right to conduct such events to express their viewpoints, said Southwest Airlines when contacted for comment on todays protest. CBS13 spoke with a passenger who was on the plane when it happened. A flight Could warmer storms melt Californias snowpack? According to the plea agreement, the flight attendant suffered multiple bruises and a cut under one of her eyes that required stitches. General population? 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. Southwest Airlines maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding any type of harassment or assault and fully support our Employee as we cooperate with local authorities regarding this unacceptable incident.". 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 This means that the approximately 16,000 flight attendants employed by the airline have been working without a new contract for four years. asked Miller. 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. Please reload the page and try again. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Its awesome. WebA Southwest Airlines flight attendant was assaulted by a passenger and lost two teeth in the attack last weekend, according to a union president. In a statement, the airline said it hope the mediation process would help the maintain the positive momentum in contract talks. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) A womanstemper reachedan all-time high on a Southwest Airlines flight from Sacramento to San Diego Sunday morning. 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 video of the assault still sickens me, she added. 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. Need to make a statement for future passengers That this kind of behavior will not be tolerated. Dao is making it rain at strip clubs around the globe. Lawsuit filed against Roseville restaurant for its, Event-filled March at the Golden 1 Center, Body found in Feather River is that of woman reported, Volatile environment: Southwest Airlines passenger knocks out flight attendants teeth, union says, Best smart home devices for older users, according, How to get started on spring cleaning early, according, Worried about your student using ChatGPT for homework? A union representing thousands of Southwest Airlines flight attendants is demanding the CEO take action to better protect the carriers crew from unruly and violent passengers. On top of that, the flight attendant had bruises and a cut under her left eye that required stitches. pic.twitter.com/ghUWkBTGMm Sam Sweeney (@SweeneyABC) September 2, 2021 This unprecedented number of incidents has reached an intolerable level, with passenger non-compliance events also becoming more aggressive in nature, wrote Montgomery. To learn more about ChatGPT and how we can inspire students, we sat down with BestReviews book expert, Ciera Pasturel. Jackson boarded the flight at around 12.40 p.m. and argued with an airline employee at the back of the plane, a Dallas Police spokeswomen told Newsweek. ", Print Headline: Woman gets probation for flight altercation. 2:22 PM on Mar 3, 2023 CST. One recorded footage of it on their phone. I think this is just a situation where probation will be appropriate. Quinonez assaulted the flight attendant, chipping her teeth and wounding her under her eye. 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. Quinonez last year pleaded guilty to one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants, admitting she punched the flight attendant in the face and head with a closed fist and grabbed her hair. WebTwenty-five years as a United Airlines flight attendant makes Nelson, a rising star in the contemporary labor movement, uniquely suited for labor organizing. She went all force, too.. Early next week, the union intends to present its proposals for wage improvements, including boarding pay, to the company. Lmao, what a light sentence. The company issued a statement 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. Most were passengers refusing to follow the federal requirement for passengers to wear face masks while on planes, but nearly 300 involved intoxicated passengers, the FAA said. 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.. On May 23, 2021, near the end of a flight from Sacramento to San Diego, a flight attendant asked Ms. Quinonez to buckle her seatbelt, put up her tray table and wear her face mask properly, prosecutors said. Last May, 29-year-old Vyvianna Quinonez of California punched a The flight attendant, seen bleeding in the video, lost two 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. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. 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. Even worse, the incident was captured on video and cast across television and media channels.. The spokesperson declined to comment further about what prompted the argument. Southwest Airlines flight attendants pressed executives to fix the technology problems that contributed to the December meltdown A 32-year-old woman was jailed on aggravated assault charges after police alleged she got into a verbal dispute with two Southwest Airlines employees upon boarding a flight in Dallas and punched one in the head with pic.twitter.com/ghUWkBTGMm. Thank goodness that fella stood up for her. The passenger who punched a Southwest flight attendant The incident in question involves a May 23, 2021, Southwest Airlines flight from Sacramento (SMF) to This is absolutely crazy. WebFederal charges were filed Wednesday against a passenger accused of striking a Southwest Airlines flight attendant in the face during a May flight to San Diego. He was exceptionally entertaining very helpful, made it fun. 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. February 27, 2023 alexandra bonefas scott No Comments . Following last years operational meltdown, Southwest Airlines is under fire once again, but this time the heat is coming from its own workforce. She pleaded guilty to interfering with a Southwest Airlines employee last year. A passenger who assaulted a Southwest Airlines flight attendant by How upsetting for everyone on board and the poor Flight attendant.