A couple has been banned from flying with JetBlue after refusing to wear masks properly and mistreating crew members on a flight to San Diego.
The airline said passengers were repeatedly asked to properly wear face covers before takeoff, but ignored the federal mandate, ABC 10News reported.
A passenger on Fort Lauderdale Flight 529 caught the Covidiots in action on Wednesday on his cell phone and shared the images online.
“I boarded right behind the lady, the blonde lady, and it was just like dancing, grabbing boomerangs with her two children,” Alice told the press, just by her first name.
“On the way to the plane, the flight attendant asked him to tighten his son’s mask. It was very loose and very big for him. So they didn’t do that either, “he said.
“Her husband walked down the aisle to the outside of the plane. Then all this mess started to happen. When he returned, he started calling the flight attendant, ”Alice added.
The undisciplined man – who is seen in the verbally and physically aggressive clip towards the crew – tells the passengers that he had to wait four hours for the flight, according to the material.
He also claims that he was only given a warning before being taken off the plane.
“I’m sure you’ve heard the whole plane how to breathe,” Alice told ABC 10News.
The woman is also seen swearing at employees and trying to explain that her son took off his mask briefly, adding that they tried to comply with the rules, but that flight attendants were not satisfied.
The couple and their two children were escorted off the plane.
“It entertained me. I had never seen anything like it, but I am very sad that they could just complain about the federal mandate, ”Alice said.
The airline told the station that “customers will not be able to fly JetBlue in the future.”
In a statement, it said, “We apologize to other customers for this flight for their experience during this incident. As a reference, crew members are trained to talk to customers who do not follow the policies.
“If a customer refuses to wear a face mask after being asked, crew members will work to slow down the situation to the best of their ability to get compliance before removing it,” JetBlue said.
“The safety of every customer and crew member is our top priority and we must work together to fulfill the mandate of the federal mask during the voyage,” the airline added.
The incident came a day before President Biden announced that fines would be doubled for people who do not comply with federal transportation rules.
The president ordered the Transportation Security Administration to crack down on violators with more severe sanctions to “ensure that masking requirements are maintained in other modes of transportation while we continue to fight COVID-19.”
“TSA will double the fines for travelers who refuse to disguise themselves. If you break the rules, be prepared to pay. And by the way, show some respect, ”Biden said from the White House.
The agency announced that first-time offenders will see fines range from $ 250 to $ 500 and $ 1,000, while repeat offenders may face fines of up to $ 3,000.
There have been about 3,000 disputes over the use of masks on U.S. planes so far this year, officials said.