Passenger makes innocent joke in airport lounge, unaware that her harmless words would get her banned

One JetBlue airplane passenger and their travel partner were recently denied boarding and potentially banned from the airline. This was because of a joke about drinking wine while waiting for their delayed flight, per Bro Bible.

Airport lounges, especially those you get access to through major credit cards, are incredibly popular. It’s a great way to escape the chaos of the main terminal, but as TikTok user Toni (@roozaayyy) and her partner, Emilio, learned the hard way, overindulging, or even just joking about it, can lead to serious consequences. Toni posted a video that quickly went viral, showing a JetBlue worker actively denying them the ability to board their flight.

According to Toni, the whole disaster started because Emilio made a joke about having to wait in the lounge drinking wine due to their flight delays. It sounds like a completely harmless, relatable comment, but the JetBlue staff didn’t see it that way. To be frank, everyone knows that you should not be taking any risks while at the airport, and they don’t mess around.

Woman barred from a plane after she reveals she was drinking

When confronted, Emilio immediately tried to rectify the situation, even offering to take a test. “I offered myself up to do a breathalyzer,” Emilio said, trying to understand the issue. “Could you please tell us what was offensive?” The worker’s response is truly shocking. She compared the admission of drinking alcohol before a flight to using the word “bomb” in a federal building.

That’s a massive escalation, and it’s awful that a simple joke about a glass of wine gets equated to a serious security threat. The JetBlue worker defended the decision by citing the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA. She explained, “No one can fly who appears to be intoxicated. So, you voluntarily giving that information, we have to take it.”

This is where things get tricky for travelers. The FAA explicitly bans people who appear drunk from flying under Section 121.575 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR). Crucially, the FAA doesn’t set a specific standard for determining intoxication. That means the decision is left entirely up to the airline staff’s personal judgment.

At least she wasn’t kicked off the plane in front of everyone. However, drunk passengers can cause many issues, so it makes sense.

Staff can base their judgment on a passenger’s movements, their behavior, or, as Emilio learned, simply what they say, even if it’s clearly meant as a joke. When you consider that flight crews are often overworked and stressed, relying on subjective judgment instead of an objective test like a breathalyzer feels like a recipe for mistakes.

So, what happens if you’re deemed too intoxicated to fly? It’s not just an inconvenience. Airlines are allowed to deny boarding for health, security, or safety reasons. If this is due to suspected intoxication, you can expect to be escorted from the area, lose your ticket, and potentially even be banned from the airline entirely.

And here’s the worst part: the airline isn’t obligated to refund your ticket if they deny you boarding for this reason.

If you believe the determination was made in error, you can request a written confirmation of the reason for denial from the airline. Then, you’re able to submit a complaint to the airline and the relevant regulatory body. However, courts generally give airlines extensive ability to make these determinations, so it’s likely that JetBlue’s decision will stand, even if Toni and Emilio truly believe it was inaccurate.

Unsurprisingly, the comment section of Toni’s video was flooded with users who questioned the airline’s logic. Many people were confused about the worker’s comparison between drinking and explosives, especially since airlines serve alcohol on the plane.

One user asked the obvious question: “Why serve alcohol at the airport if it’s against the rules to let you on the plane if you have had a drink?”

Another commenter pointed out the lack of common sense, noting, “Joking about intoxication and joking about weapons and explosives on a plane are two entirely different things.” A third user echoed this frustration, saying, “Did she just compare being intoxicated to WEAPONS??????? Mind you, they serve alcohol on the plane… if being drunk was such an issue they wouldn’t serve liquor on the plane like what.”

It’s clear this policy is frustrating for passengers. While safety is paramount, it’s a tough pill to swallow when an innocent joke costs you a ticket and potentially gets you banned from an airline. If you’re heading to the lounge, maybe stick to coffee, or at least keep your drinking commentary completely silent.