The reason why a United Airlines flight to Tel Aviv was diverted back to the states has been revealed as a dispute between cabin staff and two entitled tourists.
The flight bound for Israel on 22 January was cut short just 90 minutes into the route, returning to Newark International. The decision to divert was taken by crew after finding two passengers settling into seats in business class which ought to have been unoccupied.
Two uppity travellers had helped themselves to an upgrade. When asked to show their tickets they refused, reported the Times of Israel.
The Boeing 787-10 was turned around and the service cancelled. This affected the travel plans of 123 passengers and 11 crew, said the airline in a statment.
More than an inconvenience, the Times of Israel reported some of the passengers could not board another flight as the replacement would arrive after sundown and the beginning of Shabbat in Israel.
For Orthodox Jewish travellers, it is customary not to travel between cities during Friday night and the daylight hours of Saturday, which is a day of rest.
The airline said it provided hotel accommodation and meals for passengers and "made arrangements for customers to complete their journeys."
Behind the curtain: The bar for First and Business Class passengers aboard a Qatar Airways A380. Photo / Supplied
Why empty seats don't mean upgrades
There are comfier seats being unused, why not sit in them?
Reclining in business class seems like a victimless crime, if the seats are unsold. However, airlines do not see it that way.
A business-class seat from Newark to Tel Aviv costs $US2735, versus the economy fare of $US775. At four times the price it is unlikely crew will take kindly to the help-yourself approach.
While there are any number of well meaning reasons - such as 'weight distribution', 'catering logistics' or even to make sure they don't mess up their contact tracing and passenger manifest forms - the real reason is economics.
If you could just help yourself after takeoff, nobody would pay for business fares again.
Some airlines like Air New Zealand invite customers to bid on their own upgrades. Photo: Tim McCready
Who gets upgraded?
In some cases upgrades are offered. Historically airlines have chosen to upgrade passengers if there is spare capacity, but who gets upgraded is not decided on a whim.
Their frequency of flying with the airline, loyalty club status, and even title is likely to affect who is offered the upgrade. (Good news, Dames, Dukes, Drs!) What appears as a random act of kindness is actually a carefully calculated ploy.
It is about perceived bank balance, the likelihood it might cause them to fly with the carrier in future or even pay for an upgrade next time.
Free to those who can afford it, prohibitively expensive to those who cannot.
Can you get a discount if you offer to pay your way?
You're unlikely to get a bargain, but you can always ask at check in what an upgrade would cost.
More frequently airlines such as Air New Zealand invite passengers to bid on upgrades. It is a kind of silent auction for comfier seats.
Asking passengers to upsell themselves and pay more for seats, which would otherwise be unsold, seems like a genius business move.
It might appear to be shaking down passengers for what they're worth, but it's probably a bit fairer than upgrading any just because they might pay for a comfier seat in future.
