An elderly passenger was removed from a Jet2 flight from London Stansted to Bodrum, Turkey, after she allegedly refused to pay for a tuna sandwich.
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On November 3, a 79-year-old passenger named Lily ordered a £9 ($11.43) tuna sandwich during her flight but was shocked to discover that it was frozen in the middle. After refusing to pay for the sandwich, the airline insisted that she had to make the payment because the sandwich had already been opened. By the time the flight landed in Bodrum, the situation had escalated. Four armed police officers met Lily and her daughter at the exit of the plane and escorted them off the flight.
“They called the police. Not one, but four police at the door. I was in shock, saying to people, ‘I think I’ve been arrested over a sandwich,’” she explained to the BBC. However, Jet2 said in a statement that Lily reportedly displayed disruptive behavior during the flight after drinking her own alcohol, which is against airline policy.
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“As a family-friendly airline, we take a zero-tolerance approach to such behavior, and we make it very clear that customers cannot consume their own alcohol on flights,” the spokesperson said. “We will always support our crew in instances when they are subjected to rude or unpleasant behavior, prioritizing the safety and comfort of all passengers and crew.”
Lily has denied the allegations and called it a “disgusting lie.” Following the incident, Lily’s daughter filed a formal complaint with the airline and Lily called the airline’s actions excessive and said they could’ve been embarrassed over the sandwich situation.
