British passengers arrested over mid-air brawl on Virgin Atlantic flight to Barbados

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Fight onboard a Virgin Atlantic flight to Barbados - June 2011

Virgin Atlantic said the three adults were banned from using the airline again and they would have to make their own way home.

Apparently Martin King, 49, and his wife Zoe and her father Derek, who had been drinking, started throwing punches, and throwing hot coffee, at members of the family in front of them.

www.telegraph.co.uk/travel

Why don't airlines ban selling, serving alcohol on flights? Airports could stop selling it in the bars. Like the no smoking rules.

That was three people. What about the hundreds of others who want a glass of wine with their inflight meal?

It would be better if they stopped serving alcohol to the pissed.

What absolute nutters. I wonder how they're going to get back from Barbados now? Poor Barbadians/Bajans.

They can't possibly ban alcohol. That gin&tonic I have to have is the only thing stopping my plane from crashing - it might be an insane superstition, but it's worked every time .

I like a glass of wine with my meal, but if it helped idiots on an 8 hours flight stop getting pissed, I'd be happy to had water.

They don't ban it because the vast majority of air passengers don't get shit-faced and fight. Why deny people the enjoyment of a few drinks because a minority cannot control themselves?

I wouldn't! I absolutely love two of those little bottles of red wine and a lovely film. Makes flying almost bearable.

The blame also lies with the Virgin crew - if the family were drunk/tipsy at boarding, the crew should have been alerted and refused alcohol or at least have done something before it all erupted.

It is entirely possible that this loverly family are capable of throwing things and being foul even when not pissed.

I hate lowest common denominator decision making - you can't have a drink because three piss head wankers may start a fight..

Why let a few numbnuts destroy one of the few pleasures left when flying in a cramped tin can ....

The last time I flew I had the lovely wine and watched a fantastic French arty film and sobbed and sobbed while all those watching Death Murder Violence 7 stared at me in bewilderment. WOULD YOU DENY ME THAT? WOULD YOU?

pissheads

If passengers appear to be drunk before boarding the plane they should not be allowed on board.

I have seen a similar air rage incident involving a single pax who was drunk before boarding the aircraft. When the aircrew refused her more alcohol she started on her duty free!. She was both noisy and disruptive and was subsequently handcuffed to her seat. She was arrested and taken off the plane by the police and in front of the other pax when the aircraft arrived in the US.

At least these people have been banned; this particular pax who caused the bother on our flight was not.

Diverting the plane costs the airline a great deal of money in terms of additional landing and other fees incurred so they will not divert aircraft unless absoultely necessary. Our flight was not diverted.

Attila - I had a similar experience on a shorthaul flight, the two drunks were arrested when they got off. We had to endure 3 hours of swearing and shouting with my two kids with me a row infront of them and no spare seats to move to. They were also drinking their duty free after the crew refused to serve them, and getting more drinks off their mates who were still being served. The cabin crew didn't know what to do, just told me they were aware and keeping an eye on them. Was awful.

Actually, I've second thoughts, your right out of 300 passengers you will find a proportion of people who think they have the right to do whatever they like and say whatever they think to whoever they choose. Banning booze won't help those who are stupid and selfish.