Widower Ronald James, 68, was so incensed at the poor food options on his flight from Palma to Exeter that he allegedly stood up and demanded a bacon roll
A British pensioner has been fined £230 after launching into an air-rage attack on an air-stewardess and demanding to confront the pilot over a lack of hot food on board the plane.
Widower Ronald James, 68, was so incensed at the poor food options on his flight from Palma to Exeter that he allegedly stood up and demanded a bacon roll.
A court heard Mr James rose to his feet angrily demanding to see the captain in the cockpit and poked female cabin crew with his finger after she was unable to help.
Flying with his daughter and granddaughter last April, Mr James was accused of intimidating crew members when he wasn’t able to buy a hot bacon roll.
Exeter magistrates court was told that at one point his face was just 5cm from the face of a female crew member which left her in tears.
The widower, of Exeter, was fined £115 and ordered to pay £50 each compensation to the two hostesses at Exeter Magistrates today.
Prosecutor Lyndsey Baker said the crew told James that he could not see the captain ‘for security reasons’.
She said: ‘He demanded to see the captain, he wanted to speak to him. He was told he could not go up to the cockpit and was shouting face to face at her.’
Miss Baker said for the rest of the flight: ‘He shouted and pointed at the cabin crew, poking staff with his finger, and refused to sit down when landing.’
She said the row erupted because James had promised his granddaughter some hot food in the shape of a bacon bap – but he claimed the flight had run out.
A court heard Mr James rose to his feet angrily demanding to see the captain in the cockpit and poked female cabin crew with his finger after she was unable to help
The court heard the loud argument and finger poking lasted for a couple of minutes as the flight was 25 minutes from landing in Exeter, Devon.
James – representing himself – told the magistrates: ‘The flight had no hot food. ‘We had no breakfast, my granddaughter had been pushing for something to eat, and I said wait until we are on the plane
‘The hostess came around and wasn’t really bothered. We expected to have food. She became very disinterested in our situation.
‘Eventually she offered us some beef burgers, they were tiny little things of poor quality, but all they had. We did try those but they were so dried out they were awful.
Exeter magistrates court was told that at one point his face was just 5cm from the face of a female crew member which left her in tears
‘I said ‘I’m sorry, they were no good’ and asked for a refund. I basically just tapped her on the back saying these beef burgers are no good. ‘She took them away and eventually gave us a refund – but it wasn’t enough. She just ignored that.
‘The whole incident lasted one or two minutes. I did not get out of my seat, I had my seat belt on as I am not a good flier.
‘I wanted to speak to the captain to say at the check-in why don’t they say this flight has no hot food, and you can eat at the airport.
‘I did not demand to see him or anything.’ James admitted a charge of behaving in a threatening, abusive, insulting or disorderly manner to a member of the aircraft crew.
But he also accused the crew of telling porkies about the incident saying: ‘There was some banter.’
‘I was not a happy customer. I wish I had not been on the plane and I wish it had not run out of food.