Plus, more travel news stories you might have missed.
This week in travel, we’ve uncovered several stories that might have flown under your radar. Among them: Qantas apologizes for playing an R-rated movie to a packed plane; JetBlue is cutting hot meals for economy class; and a passenger insists she’s the president.
Dive into these and more as we explore the week’s most intriguing travel news.
NO.1
QANTAS APOLOGIZES FOR FORCING PASSENGERS TO WATCH AN R-RATED MOVIE
Australian carrier Qantas has apologized for playing an R-rated movie on a flight from Sydney to Japan. Due to technical issues, passengers couldn’t select a movie of their choice, and the crew decided to play a film based on passenger requests.
Passengers wrote on social media that they were uncomfortable with the nudity in the film, but they couldn’t turn it off. One passenger said in a Reddit thread that “it was super uncomfortable for everyone, especially with families and kids onboard.”
Some reports indicated that the movie was Dakota Johnson-starrer Daddio, which is rated R in the U.S. for nudity and language. It is about a woman (Dakota Johnson) who takes a taxi from a New York airport and gets into a conversation with the driver (Sean Paul). They both discuss their lives, and Johnson talks about her affair with a married man.
An hour into the film, the crew changed it to a family-friendly movie for the rest of the flight, and the airline is investigating how the movie was selected. “The movie was clearly not suitable to play for the whole flight, and we sincerely apologize to customers for this experience,” a spokesperson said.
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NO.2
NO HOT MEALS IN ECONOMY, SAYS JETBLUE
JetBlue announced last week that it will no longer serve hot meals in economy class on transatlantic flights. The airline has partnered with DIG, a healthy food chain, for its new menu.
Expect overnight oats, crepes, and frittatas for breakfast, and chicken or tofu grain bowls and pesto salads for lunch or dinner on different legs. Menus come with “All items served chilled.”
It piloted new offerings on Dublin and Edinburgh seasonal flights, it said in a statement. “This change is part of our effort to ensure we can continue to provide a great experience at JetBlue’s competitive fares on these routes.” The airline’s premium customers who fly in its Mint class will still be served warm meals.
NO.3
TURKISH AIRLINES PILOT DIES MID-FLIGHT
On a Turkish Airlines flight from Seattle to Istanbul, Captain Ilcehin Pehlivan collapsed. A second pilot and co-pilot took over, and the crew administered first aid; however, they were unsuccessful in their attempts. The plane made an emergency landing in New York, but the pilot died before landing.
Captain Pehlivan had worked with the airline since 2007. The cause of his death is not known yet, but he had undergone a medical examination in March, and there were no health issues to prevent him from flying, a spokesperson for the airline said on X (formerly Twitter).
DAY4
TOUR GUIDE DIES AFTER COLORADO GOLD MINE INCIDENT
An elevator malfunction in a former gold mine in Colorado trapped a group of tourists who were halfway down. Authorities quickly rescued 10 individuals, including two children, using a trolley system, but tour guide Patrick Weier did not survive.
Meanwhile, a separate group of 12 people was stranded at the bottom of the mine, approximately 1,000 feet deep, for six hours before they were brought to safety. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident.
Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine is a family-owned tourist attraction. The elevator ride down into the mine takes two minutes, while the return trip takes four to five minutes. The last incident at the mine occurred in 1986.
NO.5
WOMAN CLAIMS SHE’S PRESIDENT, INSISTS PLANE RETURNS TO GATE
A bizarre incident occurred on a Frontier Airlines flight from San Diego to Las Vegas. A woman forgot her phone at the gate and demanded that the plane return to retrieve it. In a TikTok video by another passenger, the woman is seen screaming that she is a president. “Laugh now, I am the president of this whole goddamn country. Watch see the f—–g TV news.”
A flight attendant tried to calm the situation, but the passenger claimed that they had enough time to stop and alleged that the airline was involved in criminal activity.
Passengers laughed at her when she said she owned seven continents. This further riled her up, and she shouted, “We [are] shipping people out just for a nice group … expedition. What comes around goes around, it’s time now. Keep laughing, watch what happens–you’ll be expired just like your battery on your watch.”
@jenskilicious #Sandiego to #lasvegas lady goes crazy for forgetting her phone at the gate area. She blames #frontierair 😂 First part is cut off, but she got crazier and claimed to the the president of the country and then that she was an affirmed soverign ruler in the government and owns 7 continents 😵💫☠️#frontierairlines ♬ original sound – Jen Ski
