Drunk Flyer Fined Thousands for In-flight Antics

Posted March 6, 2008 by Zak Patten

You know you’re in for an interesting trip when one of your fellow passengers boards the plane while yelling “let's party and have some drinks!” For the folks sharing an aircraft with 30-year-old Canadian realtor Russell Petrie, it meant an American Airlines Seattle-to-Miami flight that had to stop off unexpectedly in Denver. For Petrie, the end result will be fines and jail time.

According to The Province, a Vancouver-based newspaper, somehow Petrie “managed to order five vodka drinks and two glasses of wine from two different flight attendants before he was cut off from further alcohol service early in the flight.” It’s interesting that although he was clearly under the influence, he still had enough guile to play the flight attendants off each other. He may have aroused suspicion when he goosed one of them, though.

Luckily for Petrie, by pleading guilty to “interfering with the flight attendants,” he won’t be sent up the river for sexual assault. However, he will still have to pay American $7,757 for the cost of re-routing the flight through the Mile-High City. He’s also facing a likely sentence of up to 12 months and a $10,000 fine.

Petrie said after his arrest—he’s been in a Denver cell since January 4—he didn’t remember the flight and has a drinking problem. Regardless, he will have to reimburse AA.

I think Petrie may want to look into the other organization with those initials...

Categories: American Airlines News