Delta Air Lines said it’s refunding the tickets of customers subjected to an in-flight rant last week from a fellow passenger who was captured on video shouting ”Donald Trump, baby!” and asking, “We got some Hillary bitches on here?”
Passenger Emma Baum told the Chicago Tribune that she shot the clip on an flight from Atlanta to Allentown, Pennsylvania. The video prompted a clamoring for action by the airline. It wasn’t the first time a US carrier has gotten caught in the post-election divide. A week after the US vote, the captain of a United flight between San Francisco and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, advised passengers to keep their political opinions to themselves or take another flight, because “we’re going to be in a metal tube at 35,000 feet.”
Delta apologized for the incident on its plane, and CEO Ed Bastian told employees in a memo on Nov. 28 that the passenger “will never again be allowed on a Delta plane.”
Below is Bastian’s full memo:
Internal Memo
Date: November 28, 2016
To: Delta Colleagues Worldwide
From: Ed Bastian
Subject: Disruptive Passenger on DL248
Thank you for the amazing job you did running our operation and taking care of our customers during the busy Thanksgiving holiday. At Delta, we strive to deliver a safe and reliable product while providing a customer experience that is second to none. You come to work every day prepared to serve our customers and to take care of each other while also dealing with the unexpected.
As you may have heard by now, last week a video began circulating around the internet showing a disruptive passenger on board a Delta flight. This individual displayed behavior that was loud, rude and disrespectful to his fellow customers. After questioning the customer, our team members made the best decision they could given the information they had and allowed him to remain on the flight. However, if our colleagues had witnessed firsthand what was shown in the video, there is no question they would have removed him from the aircraft. He will never again be allowed on a Delta plane.
Part of being a reliable travel partner and a servant leader is acknowledging our mistakes so we can learn from them and respond more effectively in the future. Delta has apologized to the customers onboard that flight. We are also refunding those customers the cost of their tickets.
I also want to make sure all of you know we have your backs. The heightened tension in our society means that now more than ever we must require civility on our planes and in our facilities. We must stay true to Delta’s core values and treat one another with dignity and respect. We also must remain committed more than ever to the safety of our customers and our crew members. We will not tolerate anything less.
Again, thank you for all you do.
Ed