A flight from Las Vegas to Honolulu yesterday had to make a pit stop in Los Angeles. No, it wasn't because an A-lister had a last-minute inkling for the white sands of Hawaii or because there was an unexpected stowaway. According to Condé Nast Traveler, an unruly passenger caused the detour.
CNT reports that a 66-year-old passenger was cold on the flight. That's normal. Planes are cold. What's not normal? Confronted with the $12 price for the blanket, he demanded a conversation with the airline's office, all while at 30,000 feet. When he did manage to get the office on the line (we assume it was not on his own mobile device, which should always be in airplane mode during flights), he had some choice words.
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"I would like to take someone behind the woodshed for this," he reportedly said.
Because of his choice of words, the passenger's actions caused the flight to stop at LAX. When the plane touched down, authorities escorted the passenger in question from the plane. After that, the plane was back on its way to paradise.
"Our flight crews are responsible for the safety and comfort of all passengers on board our flights and the captain in charge of the aircraft is entrusted with determining when it’s best to deplane an anxious or unruly passenger," Hawaiian Airlines told CNT in a statement. "Diverting a flight is clearly not our first choice, but our crew felt it was necessary in this case to divert to Los Angeles and deplane the passenger before beginning to fly over the Pacific Ocean."
CNT adds that in order to get a complimentary blanket, passengers have to book a special Extra Comfort seat, which includes a blanket, pillows, and more legroom along with an extended entertainment package. Those tickets average $150 more than a standard one. On other airlines, such as JetBlue, American Airlines, and Alaska Airlines, a blanket and pillow can cost anywhere from $7 to $10.