Alaska Airlines has compensated passengers on a diverted flight. (AP)
Incidents misbehaving airline passengers delaying trips are skyrocketing.
But while airlines are often hesitant to punish offenders—or offer little more than an apology to inconvenienced fliers--Alaska airline this week took the rare step to shell out $16,2000 to compensate travelers. The carrier gave each of the 162 passengers a $100 voucher after a drunk passenger on a flight from Sacrament forced the flight to be diverted.
On Monday night, Alaska Airlines flight 800 departed for Seattle but as the plane neared its destination, an intoxicated passenger seated in row 9 became increasingly agitated, reports KATU. Crew members asked the man to calm down, but he became even more aggressive and proceeded to lock himself in a cabin restroom.
The plane was 200 miles outside of Portland when the pilot made the decision to divert the flight to PDX, where airport police met the plane and took the disruptive passenger into custody, according to KING5.
One passenger Tweeted her disbelief as the incident unfolded.
Flight 800 reached Seattle about an hour and 45 minutes behind schedule. But the remaining passengers got a little break from the airline.
"We like to communicate directly and promptly with our customers on any issues that occur as their flight experience with Alaska is very important to us," a spokesperson for Alaska Airlines told Mashable, "and know how we handle an issue will be taken into account the next time a person is deciding what airline to fly."
In January, a former Alaska Airlines pilot was arrested and charged with piloting a passenger plane while under the influence of alcohol.
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