QF F/A accused of having sex with passenger

[Chicken or Fish?]

Ralph Fiennes in sex scandal

By Marnie O'Neill, The Sunday Telegraph.
http://www.news.com.au/sundaytelegraph/story/0,22049,21205269-5001021,00.html
February 11, 2007 12:00

A QANTAS flight attendant faces the sack after being accused of having sex with British actor Ralph Fiennes in an aircraft toilet while flying from Australia to India.

Sydney-based Lisa Robertson, 38, met the star of The English Patient while working in the business-class cabin on flight QF 123 from Darwin to Mumbai on January 24.

In a confidential report to Qantas management obtained by The Sunday Telegraph, Ms Robertson is accused of chatting to Fiennes during the flight and being seen exiting the same toilet moments apart.

She claims Fiennes, 44, became "amorous'' towards her in the toilet.
Ms Robertson declined to comment when contacted by The Sunday Telegraph.

Qantas staff who were aware of the incident said last night the couple were caught after crew members waited outside the toilet.

In a statement lodged with her employer, Ms Robertson denied the allegations.

The statement was presented at a meeting on Thursday between Ms Robertson, the Flight Attendants' Association, Qantas and airline services contractor Morris Alexander Management.

At the meeting Qantas representatives accused Ms Robertson of having sex with Fiennes. Ms Robertson has been suspended without pay.

Fiennes had been in Australia to perform at the Sydney Festival before travelling to India.

Details of Ms Robertson's alleged encounter with Fiennes are contained in her statement to Qantas management.

It shows she has been accused of two breaches of the company's corporate and cabin-crew policies. The first breach relates to Fiennes allegedly sitting in a crew jump seat while chatting to Ms Robertson during her rest break.
The second relates to Ms Robertson and the actor being seen leaving the same toilet.

They were allegedly spotted by two crew members, who told the flight's customer-services manager. "While conversing with Mr Fiennes during my break, I expressed a need to go to the toilet,'' Ms Robertson said in her statement. "I went to the nearby toilet and entered it, he followed me and entered the same toilet. "I explained to him that this was inappropriate and asked him to leave. Mr Fiennes became amorous towards me and, after a short period of time, I convinced him to leave the toilet, which he did. "I left the toilet a short time later. At no time did any crew member come to my assistance. "At no time were any other customers aware of this incident. At no time did I put the Qantas name or reputation in jeopardy.''

In her statement, Ms Robertson admitted that Fiennes had visited her in the crew rest area during her break to chat. She also admitted having several conversations with the actor throughout the flight, but said she was simply doing her job.

"This is common practice on long flights to build a rapport with passengers and converse with them during the flight,'' Ms Robertson said in her statement. According to her statement, Ms Robertson was a police officer for 14 years before joining Qantas in September, 2004. She said she had been repeatedly commended for her service as a flight attendant.

The Flight Attendants' Association of Australia did not return calls.
A Qantas spokesman said: "All we can do is confirm that a flight attendant was stood down following an onboard incident.'' He refused to comment on whether this incident involved Fiennes, citing passenger privacy.

A copy of the flight manifest obtained by The Sunday Telegraph confirmed Fiennes was on board the flight on January 24. He occupied seat 2K in business class.

Read the hostess's full statement http://www.news.com.au/sundaytelegra...001077,00.html

[Chicken or Fish?]

Full transcript of hostess's statement
Sunday Telegraph
http://www.news.com.au/sundaytelegraph/story/0,,21206066-5001077,00.html
February 11, 2007 12:00
ALLEGATIONS OF BREACH: STANDARDS OF CONDUCT - QF123 Darwin - Mumbai January 24, 2007.

On 30th January 2007 I received a letter from MAM Aviation Services and an attached witness report by Customer Service Manager (CSM) Nanda Najmi.

This report sets out two allegations of breaches of Qantas corporate and cabin crew policies against me, those being;

That J class passenger Ralph Fiennes seated in 2K was sitting in a crew jump seat located at R1 of the aircraft talking to me during my rest break.
That the passenger from 2K was seen to exit a toilet in the vicinity and that I was seen to exit the same toilet a short time later.

In response to these allegations I submit the following.

I am a 38 year old and prior to my employment with Qantas I was a NSW police officer for 14 years.

I am a designated detective and trained hostage negotiator, weapons instructor and lecturer at the NSW Police Academy on covert operations. I have extensive training in many facets of policing, I have studied Law for several years and I am a qualified scuba diving instructor.

I bring to Qantas years of experience in customer service having dealt with people from all walks of life. I have extensive training in communications and conflict resolutions and first aid.

I was first employed by Qantas Airway Ltd in September 2004 as a long haul flight attendant under a 3 month contract. I was then offered a position with Jetconnect and subsequently relocated to Auckland, New Zealand where I operated Qantas long haul.

In September 2006 I resigned from Jetconnect and was employed by Maurice Alexander Management (MAM), Qantas short haul. I have been trained in emergency procedures and cabin services three times by Qantas Airways Ltd and I am business/first class trained. I have completed a cultural awareness course.

During my time with Qantas long haul I received numerous excel nominations and letters of praise from passengers and other crew. I have been commended on my 'outstanding and fantastic' customer service in business class, my commitment to customer service, my 'consistent', 'delightful', 'natural' and 'enthusiastic manner' of dealing with our customers.

I have been involved in numerous on board medical emergencies involving both crew and passengers and have been commended on my assistance given on these occasions.

I have always endeavoured to act in a professional manner as a police officer and as a flight attendant.

I fully respect and understand the importance of my role as a representative and ambassador of Qantas and Australia and I am very proud of this role.
In response to the first allegation, I admit that Mr Fiennes was sitting at R1 talking to me during my rest break and that I had conversed with him several times during the flight.

This is common practice on long flights to build a rapport with passengers and converse with them during the flight. I believe it is part of the role of a flight attendant to be friendly, natural and approachable to all our passengers, regardless of their class of travel.

In response to the second allegation in which Mr Fiennes and I were alleged to have been seen to exit the same toilet I submit the following.

Whilst conversing with Mr Fiennes at R1 during my break I expressed a need to go to the toilet. I went to the nearby toilet and entered it, he followed me and entered the same toilet. I explained to him that this was inappropriate and asked him to leave. Mr Fiennes became amorous towards me and after a short period of time I convinced him to leave the toilet which he did.
I left the toilet a short time later.

At no time did any crew member come to my assistance. At no time were any other customers aware of this incident. At no time did I put the Qantas name or reputation in jeopardy.

I consider myself a valuable asset to this company. I deny that my behaviour on this flight was such that my employment should be terminated

Lisa Robinson
Flight Attendant
2 February 2007

[Warped Wings]

What's the big deal - she is obviously a very good "Hostess" :}

[Chimbu chuckles]

One would hope Mr Feines will be enough of a gentleman to make himself available to defend this women.

[Shitsu_Tonka]

Suspended without pay?

Welcome to the 'guilty until you can prove you are innocent' environment of Howards WorkChoices regime.

Bunch of hypocrite thugs.

[max autobrakes]

QANTAS really is an airline that does give a fcuk after all! :}

[Ramrod]

So who were the crew members waiting outside of the toilet? Let me guess some old boiler Cabin Manager.

So this FA is in trouble for being friendly to a passenger.

[Buster Hyman]

I am a qualified scuba diving instructor

Hmmm...I just don't know where she's going with that??:confused:

[chockchucker]

Maybe she just want's to re-assure everybody that she is an expert at snorkling:E

[Enema Bandit's Dad]

I'm a qualified muff diver!:) :)

[Quokka]

Outstanding... should be more of it. :E

[hoss]

Where is the FAAA? This should be a non-event with the employee back 'in the saddle' with full pay for the inconvenience and everything else.

Unless of course if my memory serves me correctly she has bad history. When did they do those 'secret strikebreaker' ground schools?

"I was first employed by Qantas Airway Ltd in September 2004 as a long haul flight attendant under a 3 month contract."

There is a difference between toilet humour and just disgusting and you crossed it:mad:

Much Ado

[noip]

Of course, that this was an incident not of her making, someone (or some people) have had her guilty until proven innocent, rather than supporting her and giving her a fair hearing - well it just doesn't seem to mean much here, eh?

How did her statement become public knowledge?

N

edited for grammar.

[newsensation]

I would not be suprised if the FA brought charges of assult against Mr Fiennes. :mad:

[ScottyDoo]

This is pathetic, posting the entire transcripts and reports up here like some kind of schoolies dobbing in to the teachers...

Who were the pathetic sacks of s**t waiting outside the toilet to bust her??? Jesus get a life. Probably, as already said, tragic old boilers with the cats waiting at home.

Judging from her statement, kindly and thoughtfully posted by chicken or fish, she can string a sentence together with some degree of eloquence, unlike your average bitter old hag... they should sack the useless boilers or fags who were loitering around the crappers instead of out in the cabin doing their job.

One word:

Jealousy.

[rmcdonal]

Dam I wish I had a hosty like that.:}
One day :rolleyes:

[Much Ado]

If this thread Deteriorates much further into purile schoolboy toilet humour I will delete it.

Much Ado

[hoss]

Allow me to self correct myself Much Ado.

I hope she comes back.

[Enema Bandit's Dad]

I just had a thought. With hosties like that, maybe sunfish will go back to flying with Qantas! :bored:

[rammel]

Whether she did or didn't entertain in the toilet, I don't care. I'm more disappointed that obviously another staff member gave the report to a journalist and that journalist didn't even leave the woman's name out and say "a flight attendant allegedly". If she is found innocent can she sue for defamation?

Also what happened to whatever happens on tour stays on tour? It also seems to be typical of many areas in QF at the moment, people dobbing others in. I also think it is a bit harsh trying to pin breaking SOP's on her re the jumpseat conversation. Was everyone else jealous that she had his attention.

[capt.cynical]

What do you expect !! It was QF Shorthaul FA's after all.Not the accused the Dobbers:}

True to form if you ask me.:ugh: :(

[Quokka]

rammel... gone straight to the heart of the problem methinks... and the jumpseat charge gives it away. The guy wanted to talk to her and not the others... petty girl rivalry.

SOP's and company regs aside, if it is true then... consenting adults, no passenger complaints, cabin crew break.

Life's about living... some people live it... and the other's need to get a life.

Having said that, I believe her account of what happened, completely and without reservation. She should be immediately reinstated with compensation (a promotion?) and a commendation for responding to the unwelcome advances of a vagabond in an appropriate manner that did not offend the customer utilizing all of her hostage negotiation skills and did not cause a disruption in the cabin.

Have a think about the alternative.... scream for help from behind a locked toilet door, exit said toilet with a male passenger to a cabin full of passengers watching and asking the question? From a customer service perspective, the quietly negotiated path was a shrewd and intelligent one. No passengers aware, no drama, no fall-out... until the other crew members reported the incident and then the issue went public.

Some crew think and some don't.

[Binoculars]

I have been commended on my 'outstanding and fantastic' customer service in business class, my commitment to customer service, my 'consistent', 'delightful', 'natural' and 'enthusiastic manner' of dealing with our customers.

I can only endorse those comments. I think QF should be grateful to employ someone prepared to go the extra yards to ensure return service. Now if this were extended to portly balding middle aged gentlemen in cattle class and not just the rich and famous up the pointy end, we would have a real battle of the airlines.

It seems a bit odd though that I can't find a photograph of Ms R anywhere on Google (hey, of course I went looking, aren't you curious too?). Even more oddly a search for Lisa Robertson + Ralph Fiennes + Qantas doesn't even bring up a relevant match. Curiouser and curiouser. A little early perhaps, or is there a conspiracy afoot?

I hope this post is not considered puerile humour. I can only offer my whole-hearted support to Ms R for service above and beyond the call of duty and a loud boo to the sad cases who probably had their ears glued to the door waiting for the exit then reported her.

Go Lisa! :ok:

[samford]

All well and good if QF even employed her. MAM should be so lucky - oh yeah, he is, all the way to the bank.

Reinstate her as permanent I say, after waht this girl is going through, it's the least they can do.

[Pushback]

Give the lady a break.

[Whiskey Oscar Golf]

I am backing Rammel on this one. Where is the loyalty and CRM? (no gags here people and pardon the pun). You have to have the trust of your workmates and if you don't somethings up.

How exactly are they going to prove this? CSI come in and spray stuff all over the place, DNA swabs and lie detectors. Or maybe just "I heard moaning and groaning and they looked like they were close".

Suspended without pay, whats up with that. It will be interesting to see the outcome coz if it's not proved and I was her I'd be looking at getting a 330 for this. That is if there are any red and white ones left. How did this get leaked too, lots of trust in my fellow employees around that lot.

[Chris Higgins]

She sounds delightful! Mr Fiennes should be so lucky.

[Binoculars]

Nah, Mr Fiennes is that lucky. It's us fat ugly bastards in economy that SHOULD be that lucky!

Jealous? Moi??? :8

[puff]

Suspended without pay, she's a casual guys, if your not at work your never paid...sick, holidays, whatever.Sorry no work available this week. Friendly workplace! Geoff's got the staff hating him and each other!

[B Sousa]

In a story like this when chickypoo gets caught with her knickers down, she usually screams Rape. Great defense, and worth a lot of money in courts today.
In the old days we would just consider the guy getting lucky and move on to something more important....

This isnt over yet......

[tobzalp]

So, is she hot?

[noip]

I love this "kick the victim" game ... can we do it some more?

NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

N

[1DC]

This story seems to be a bit "one sided", has the bloke involved said anything? If he denies it is that the end of it?
Probably not cos this sort of stuff is the backbone of news and journalism these days........

[lowerlobe]

The bottom line here is that we are not privy to all the information and everything else is second guessing.Just wait to the usual womens mag's try to publish the story....

The problem is that we are supposed to live in a country where we are innocent until proven guilty not the opposite.

If she has been stood down illegally and the story is baseless then I hope she hits the company and the Sunday paper for all she can get.

I would like to know who leaked her name and the pax list for a start.

[Tidbinbilla]

This would have to be the trashiest thread I've seen for a long time :yuk:

Some of you ought to crawl back under your rocks :ugh:

**CLICK**