Russians ejected from Spirit Airlines

[mendeleyev]

From Voice of Russia Radio:

Six residents of San Diego were taken off a Spirit Airlines flight in the United States for speaking Russian.

The six people, among them a business owner, a teacher and an accountant, were flying to Las Vegas for an anniversary party last Thursday.

However, less than 10 minutes after they got in their seats, they were led off the plane. One of the passengers said he was 'very confused.' All of them are Russian natives.

The two said the group was chatting about the party in their regular voices - and only slightly louder when someone was speaking across the aisle - when an airline worker walked up to the Russian natives and told them they had to leave.

An airline employee told them that the stewardesses were intimidated by their speaking a different language.

The passengers got a refund from Spirit, but missed their anniversary party.

A business owner, a teacher and an accountant, who were among this group heading to Las Vegas, apparently are not good enough to fly on Spirit Airlines, the worst American airline company in all categories, according study of Consumer Reports magazine.

The only fault of these people, who wanted to celebrate an anniversary party in Vegas, was chatting in Russian about the event in their regular voices, when an airline worker walked up to them. "He just said, 'This row needs to get up and leave now,'" said Sana Bitman, one of the kicked-off passengers, in interview to the 10 News.

Read more: http://english.ruvr.ru/news/2013_05_26/San-Diegans-kicked-off-a-flight-for-speaking-Russian/

[Voyager36]

Well anyone speaking Russian on a flight must be a Chechen terrorist right? 

[mendeleyev]

Voyager, so it might appear. Yet I'm not sure if the air crew even knew what language was being spoken.

[Shadow]

If you can not speak English in America you have no business being there... 

[JustJest]

If you can not speak English in America you have no business being there... 

You are wrong:) They have many workers who know English for business:)
But... I can see few mistakes here - no one teacher in Russia does not get as much money for a celebration in Las Vegas. The teacher must to work all year to pay for a flight to the United States ... without food and other.

[Ooooops]

But... I can see few mistakes here - no one teacher in Russia does not get as much money for a celebration in Las Vegas. The teacher must to work all year to pay for a flight to the United States ... without food and other.

Those people were residents of San Diego, not visitors from Russia.

[JustJest]

Those people were residents of San Diego, not visitors from Russia.

I'm sure they have compensation money for the flight to another airline If they got a little compensation - lawyers of this businessman will take a lot more through the court (pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage)

[Belvis]

Well anyone speaking Russian on a flight must be a Chechen terrorist right? 

No, the problem is  the Russian language can destroy an air liner if 6 russians  talk in resonance.  Certainly, Spirit Airlines staff believe in this unscientific fact 

[Ooooops]

Another side of the story 


"our prelimenary review shows that customers were asked to deplane for loud and disruptive behavior"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2331362/Spirit-Airlines-throws-passengers-Las-Vegas-flight-speaking-Russian.html

[Doll]

Don't be surprised, Mendeleyev, it is a free country

[Vasilisa]

You are wrong:) They have many workers who know English for business:)

JustJest, I think Shadow was joking:)

[facetrock]

The article says they plan to sue the airline. They've become Americanized

[Vasilisa]

The article says they plan to sue the airline. They've become Americanized

Well, they are americanized  if they live in the US for a long time, besides being kicked out for speaking  foreign language is not something you can see often.

I have heard of the case when an American took a picture on the plane and was kicked out./
http://americablog.com/2013/02/travel-written-thrown-off-united-flight-photo.html

[Shadow]

The article says they plan to sue the airline. They've become Americanized

That was clear as soon as the story said they wanted to celebrate in Vegas instead of taking a crate of Vodka and some shaslick....

[Faux Pas]

I'd bet my money on alcohol being involved. The bottom line here is as I mention in another thread, on an airplane you have no rights other than what is granted to you by the airline/captain/steward. It's their plane, their rules. Obey them or get kicked to the curb. They haven't a chance in hell of winning a lawsuit. It was the dejected that said it was "because they spoke in Russian". The steward said it was because they were loud and wouldn't follow instructions to tone it down.

[ML]

If you can not speak English in America you have no business being there... 

Only half true.

If you can't speak American English in America, you have no business being here !!!   

And . . . you had better understand American English when I visit your country!!!  No more Mister Nice Guy here.   

[mendeleyev]

Belvis

the problem is  the Russian language can destroy an air liner if 6 russians  talk in resonance.  Certainly, Spirit Airlines staff believe in this unscientific fact

That is classic! I agree. Thanks for lightening my day. 

[mendeleyev]

And . . . you had better understand American English when I visit your country

That reminds me of an episode at SVO some years back. Several American ladies were standing near the Aeroflot service counters and one loudly expressed her frustration that "nobody speaks English around here!"

Which was enough to make me walk over and point to a window that had "English" printed on a little placard on the counter.

Today in the new SVO you'd be hard pressed to find any agent that didn't speak some English.

[Shadow]

Only half true.

If you can't speak American English in America, you have no business being here !!!   

And . . . you had better understand American English when I visit your country!!!  No more Mister Nice Guy here.   

That reminds me of a flight to Moscow we took trough Milano.
On the way to Moscow the captain made the usual flight information.
As MrsShadow wanted to know what he said I repeated it to her.
She then mentioned it would be nice if he would tell the information in English.
My answer: actually he did....

[Ooooops]

I'd bet my money on alcohol being involved.

Me too, judging by the silly pics they took.