Strange thing happened on flight today - what was going on?

[ContinuityError]

So we were on a low cost flight to France today. Cabin crew say we are delayed because a crew seat is broken and they need to offload a standby passenger to free up a seat for crew. Passenger collects their bags and leaves via the front door. Then the rows surrounding her seat have to leave their seats whilst under their seats is checked and baggage in lockers identified.

DH and I have been flying a lot for years (DH especially as he travels for work) and have never seen this happen before - I’ve seen passengers denied boarding and a delay while hold baggage removed, but not this.

Is there more to the story? Do low cost airlines have standby passengers? Or am I reading too much into this?

It wouldn't have occurred to me to think it was anything suspicious, but I get why you're wondering.

They need to be sure that the offloaded passenger has not left anything behind.

Ryanair don't offer standby tickets. Don't know about other airlines.

I'd have thought it was more likely to be a cheap staff ticket than standby, as didn't think the budget airlines did standby.

The checking will be to make sure nothing has been left behind.

Hope you enjoy your holiday.

If it was crew, then why the cabin search? Plus passenger disappeared off to the loo and cabin crew came specifically looking for them. Just seems ... a bit off.

And thank you, having a good (if hot) time so far

I agree it sounds odd

The cabin search was to make sure the departed passenger hasn’t left anything behind. It’s breaking lots of rules to fly someone’s baggage without them personally being on board. The crew have to sit somewhere for landing and take off. If one of their seats are broken then what else to do?

One person missed their flight (standby passenger) to ensure everybody else did get away. It's protocol if any passenger is asked to leave that absolutely nothing belonging to them is left on the plane (terrorist / bomb risk)

I am guessing passenger went to the loo in hope that another passenger would be off loaded to prevent delay.

Maybe the passenger got off the plain then thought they had left something behind so the crew had to be sure 🤷🏻‍♀️ I'm not e exactly how it works but there has been loads of stories out of America mainly about people being off loaded for things like this.

Passenger was staff on a free or reduced ticket.

What have you never seen before-a passenger offloaded?

I saw this once-someone's meeting was cancelled so they left the plane.

Remaining luggage had to be accounted for.

I agree with dame they were probably staff on a free flight-ar they not allowed to got to the toilet then

Hello, crew here! Sounds like a staff ticket and they were ensuring nothing was left behind. Could also have been standby or staff family travel. You need the right amount of crew to passenger ratio so they have to take the seat instead of the person on the plane for free/concession fare. If you'd have been in any danger at any point you all would have been de-planed. Enjoy your holiday!

If it was suspicious the police would have escorted the passenger off the flight.

I thought you said the person offloaded was a standby passenger? So they would be checking they hadn't left anything behind.

I'm in law enforcement and it could have been for an arrest - if it's just to stop the person leaving the country so that they can be apprehended for an unrelated offence, rather than them being arrested because they were suspected of planning to do something suspicious on the flight, and if the circs are manageable, we will sometimes allow the individual to leave the plane into custody just out of sight without escort to prevent unnecessary embarrassment. If it was something suspicious we would ask the crew to put the seatbelt sign on, board the plane at each entry point and tannoy for everyone to remain seated except Mr Bloggs, and we would then search the area ourselves.

Gemster that was our thoughts.

Nope, never seen anyone removed like that before. And yes, travelled lots, especially DH who made BA gold.

On BA they get row 1c (I think) to move for crew on short haul

DH has been on flights before where someone got off (panic attack) and hand baggage/under seats were checked.

Times we're living in.

Staff are offloaded all the time for all sorts of reasons. They know they’re not ‘safe’ until the door closes.

I was once offloaded in Abu Dhabi as extra high temperatures and last minute cargo meant a weight restriction. I was sitting in business class with a glass of champagne and the gate agent came in and told all the staff they had to leave. There were 5 or 6 people. I’m sure they would have checked around our seats.

If it was crew, then why the cabin search

Crew go through exactly the same searches and rules as the rest of us.

If they didn't the terrorists would simply get jobs as aircrew and then blow up as many planes as they like. In fact, they probably do, or at least try, to get jobs as aircrew or ground staff, and will either be weeded out at the recruitment stage, maybe get caught during searches, or who knows, may actually succeed in their aim.

There has been plane crashes where airport or airline staff could be involved such as the Sharm to Russia bomb, or MH370.

They have to check that if someone got off they didn’t leave anything that would be a threat to the plane. It’s a fairly normal security procedure.

I used to fly a flight from New York to Joburg somewhat regularly and it stopped in Dakar to refuel and tip out passengers. It would always be like 3am when we made the stop and everyone would have to get up out of their seats after the disembarking passengers left, get all our bags and then stand there while these Senegalese military guys would come through, take each seat apart and check we had our bags and there were no unclaimed bags. It was surreal (and annoying). Took like 2 hours.

Then they would shut the doors, fumigate the plane for mosquitoes and off we’d go to Joburg!

It will have been a staff passenger. And that’s still subject to the usual rules about baggage not travelling without its owner.