Earlier this month, a situation got out of hand when Jet2 passengers refused to pay for a tuna sandwich on a flight. But as always, there are two sides to every story, and Jet2 states police charged her with a more serious offense.
The woman responded on a BBC radio show in addition to her daughter taking action against the airline for the incident.
‘Lily and the Frozen Sandwich’
Police escorted a Hertfordshire woman and her daughter off a Jet2 plane concluding a flight from Stansted Airport in Essex, England to Milas-Bodrum Airport in Turkey. The flight took place on 3 November.
The woman, named Lily, 79, told her story on The JVS Show to host Jonathan Vernon-Smith.
During the flight, Lily ordered a £9 tuna sandwich. Lily refused to pay for the sandwich because it was ‘frozen’ in the middle. She stated the airline pressured her to pay because she had already opened the packaging.
Lily claimed that she fell asleep several times during the flight, but attendants would wake her up to get her to pay for the uneaten sandwich.
When the plane landed in Turkey, four armed police officers were waiting to take Lily and her daughter away. The pilot ordered other Jet2 passengers to remain seated during the arrest.
“They called the police. Not one, but four police at the door. I was in shock, saying to people, ‘I think I’ve been arrested over a sandwich,’” Lily told Vernon-Smith.
After the arrest, Lily claims she and her daughter showed police their passports as requested and didn’t serve any time in jail.
Jet2 Gives an Explanation
Jet2 argues that police arrested Lily for a different reason. A spokesperson claimed she displayed ‘rude’ behavior and consumed her own alcohol on the flight, which goes against company policy.
Jet2’s statement to the media was as follows:
“We can confirm that [she] displayed a catalogue of disruptive behaviour on board flight LS1609 from London Stansted to Bodrum including the unauthorised consumption of her own alcohol that she had brought on board.”
“As a family-friendly airline, we take a zero-tolerance approach to such behavior, and we make it very clear that customers cannot consume their own alcohol on flights…We will always support our crew in instances when they are subjected to rude or unpleasant behavior, prioritizing the safety and comfort of all passengers and crew.”
Lily denies the airline’s claims. She called them ‘a disgusting lie’. According to Lily, neither she nor her daughter brought any wine on board the aircraft. Lily and her daughter did order wine on the flight, however.
“I don’t know what they’re talking about…I think they’re so embarrassed over this sandwich and the police and the way we were treated. They are the ones that behaved disgustingly and disturbed me all the way through the flight,” Lily said.
Lily’s daughter sent a formal complaint to Jet2, citing the situation was embarrassing for both her and her mother. The airline pressed no charges against the family.
