Misbehaviour on Sunwings - Expensive Party

[albatross]

Words fail me.
https://globalnews.ca/news/8488036/sunwing-flight-montreal-cancun-maskless-passengers/

[BeechNut]

Sunwing have canceled their return charter. And now Air Canada and Air Transat have said they would deny them boarding.

Serves them right. I hope they have to hitchhike back to their new home... in prison.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/sunwing-cancun-flight-1.6304854

[boaclhryul]

Pick-up: CUN
Drop-off: YUL
Pick-up date Jan 7
Drop-off date Jan 11

Sorry, there are no cars available

[albatross]

I find it improbable that this activity was not planned beforehand!
“We’ll be famous and get lots of likes and new followers!”
I hope they all get hit with the maximum fines possible.
Mayhap that will influence them.

[Chiefttp]

Don’t be surprised to see behavior, as far as mask wearing, more in the near future. People everywhere are approaching a point of Covid indifference. Obviously every state in the US, and countries overseas who have strict mask guidelines are experiencing huge outbreaks. Vaccines don’t seem to protect either, so folks are just saying screw it. I have a 99% chance of surviving this virus, which is rapidly morphing into a bad cold. Watch the headlines in the next few months for more refusals to comply with this hysteria.
I’m not endorsing the behavior of these passengers, but I get the sentiment.

[Bksmithca]

I find it improbable that this activity was not planned beforehand!
“We’ll be famous and get lots of likes and new followers!”
I hope they all get hit with the maximum fines possible.
Mayhap that will influence them.
Albatross, one report I saw indicated that they were all part of a club so I'm willing to bet that it was pre-planned. Nice to see Air Canada and Air Transat denying them seats now if Westjet steps up it will be a three way sweep.

[Seat4A]

(translated)
"Sunwing Party Flight smoker is a future airplane pilot"....."several Quebec pilots recognized her face and immediately contacted the Journal to denounce her."

Another is a student at Lachute Aviation.

https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2022/01/05/la-fumeuse-du-vol-festif-de-sunwing-est-une-future-pilote-davion-1#cxrecs_s


Anumber of video clips and photos in this report from Nouvelles TVA. One can see why Transport Canada took notice.

https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2022/01/04/des-influenceurs-dici-dans-un-serieux-petrin-pour-un-party-en-avion-1

[B2N2]

Influencers of what you wonder.

[metalboi69]

Another group of "influencers" flaunting the rules that apply to us 'regular people'. Linked twitter video in the article shows a woman smoking an e-cig at around 00:30

Hope they all get fined thousands of dollars for this behaviour

[DaveReidUK]

"Influencer" is pretty high up the list of words that make me reach for my revolver ...

[rattman]

"Influencer" is pretty high up the list of words that make me reach for my revolver ...

I work/ed in tourism in whitsunday's in australia. I have never had to deal with it but a friend is the one who deals with all the "influencers" asking for free ****. One they hired this influencer from Korea for a marketing campaign. I got picked to be the dogs body, help them out and stuff. Was dreading it just knew it was going to be a **** job !

But holy **** I was wrong, this women had a work ethic I dont think I have ever seen before, it was supposed to be a planned 7 day shoot or what ever term. They (her and her boyfriend phtographer) knocked off the schedule in 4, boss was happy for them to have 3 days off. They weren't they were being paid for 7 days and they were going to work for 7 days. Came to a compromise we took them to other locations on day 5 and then I took them out on the bosses yacht for 2 days. Purposely took them out of internet connection range:D

[muppetdodger]

Don’t be surprised to see behavior, as far as mask wearing, more in the near future. People everywhere are approaching a point of Covid indifference. Obviously every state in the US, and countries overseas who have strict mask guidelines are experiencing huge outbreaks. Vaccines don’t seem to protect either, so folks are just saying screw it. I have a 99% chance of surviving this virus, which is rapidly morphing into a bad cold. Watch the headlines in the next few months for more refusals to comply with this hysteria.
I’m not endorsing the behavior of these passengers, but I get the sentiment.
This is not indifference. This is reckless lawbreaking never mind wearing a mask. I'm gobsmacked the pilot didn't emergency land and get them arrested for endangering a flight. Disgusting behaviour indifferent or not. Idiots like Djokovic don't help, he is clearly trying to get an anti vax message spread around. Not sure why he hasn't been removed already.

[deja vu]

It has always amazed me why God created beautiful places like Canada and New Zealand and filled both with dickheads.

[Pilot DAR]

Well, we're not full of dickheads, but sadly, we have our share of them... Fortunately, beautiful Canada is immense, so getting away from dickheads is generally fairly easy (airliner cabins aside)!

[Mostly Harmless]

A good "news" article on the situation.

https://www.thebeaverton.com/2022/01/sunwing-criticized-for-not-making-emergency-release-of-drunken-maskless-passengers-at-35000-feet/

[albatross]

Not complaining but I do not understand why this got moved out of Rumours and News to the Canada thread.
It was after all an international flight.
If it had been a flight, for example, from LHR to Portugal or another tropical destination would it have been moved?
Just curious.

[albatross]

A good "news" article on the situation.

https://www.thebeaverton.com/2022/01/sunwing-criticized-for-not-making-emergency-release-of-drunken-maskless-passengers-at-35000-feet/

Very funny Mostly Harmless.

[packapoo]

It has always amazed me why God created beautiful places like Canada and New Zealand and filled both with dickheads.
I see your location is Straya. Nuff said....

[albatross]

FYI About the future airline pilot
Elle dit que ce n’était pas elle mais quelqu’un qui lui ressemble. She says it was not her but another passenger who resembles her.

(translated)
"Sunwing Party Flight smoker is a future airplane pilot"....."several Quebec pilots recognized her face and immediately contacted the Journal to

Another is a student at Lachute Aviation.

https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2022/01/05/la-fumeuse-du-vol-festif-de-sunwing-est-une-future-pilote-davion-1#cxrecs_s


Anumber of video clips and photos in this report from Nouvelles TVA. One can see why Transport Canada took notice.

https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2022/01/04/des-influenceurs-dici-dans-un-serieux-petrin-pour-un-party-en-avion-1

[Seat4A]

FYI About the future airline pilot
Elle dit que ce n’était pas elle mais quelqu’un qui lui ressemble. She says it was not her but another passenger who resembles her.

The links I posted yesterday were what was published yesterday. I am looking at one of them now and it seems some changes were made, including a different name now accompanies the photos of the woman vaping.

There is also this comment - which is similar to what I've seen on the Twitter posts of a number of Canadian pilots.

QUOTE:

"Grave erreur
Mehran Ebrahimi, directeur de l'Observatoire international de l'aéronautique et de l'aviation civile, soutient que Vanessa Cosi pourrait ne jamais avoir de carrière comme pilote dans le futur en raison de son manque de jugement.

«Les pilotes ont la vie de nos familles entre les mains. Parfois même par centaine. Le pilotage est une question de technique, mais beaucoup de discernement et de jugement. Je me dis que des gens qui font des erreurs comme ça, ils n’ont pas leur place sur un siège de commandant dans un avion», lance Ebrahimi. "

https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2022/01/05/la-fumeuse-du-vol-festif-de-sunwing-est-une-future-pilote-davion-1


However, Nouvelles TVA still has the photo posted on their Twitter page. International media has run with it. And there is now a Wiki page https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandale_du_111_Private_Club


My observation is that if this group had cancelled the trip - given "current conditions", and instead held a private party, photos might have been leaked and posted to social media and they would have been lectured and perhaps contacted by local police or public health. Had they not partied on the flight, there would not be so much outrage. I'm not judging and have no say in the matter. The optics just didn't help.


EDIT TO ADD:

Some great lines here....for perspective.

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/chris-selley-hating-sunwings-cancun-idiots-only-distracts-from-bigger-screw-ups-right-here

[Pilot DAR]

CBC News article today:

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/sunwing-quebec-prosecutor-1.6307634

[Seat4A]

"Sicotte identifies as a pilot in her Instagram bio. The Journal has reported that she's currently studying aviation."


The Woman Seen Vaping On The Sunwing Flight Apologized & Said She's Getting Death Threats

https://www.mtlblog.com/the-woman-seen-vaping-on-the-sunwing-flight-apologized-said-shes-getting-death-threats


Nouvelles TVA quotes her:

"L’enquête chez Transports Canada est lancée et j’assumerai les conséquences s’il y a lieu. La vérité de ce qui s’est vraiment passé sur cet avion sortira un jour ou l’autre», dit-elle."

https://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2022/01/12/linfluenceuse-vapoteuse-vanessa-sicotte-presente-des-excuses

[widgeon]

https://globalnews.ca/news/8666998/influencer-flight-vol-sunwing-fine-covid/

Expensive party, excuse if it is already a thread alaon

[megan]

One month after the infamous incident, organizer James William Awad told reporters that he plans to sue Sunwing over the incident.He claimed airlines “abandoned” 154 Canadians down south “without knowing if they could afford another night in a hotel, without knowing if they could afford food the next day, without any option to return to Canada.”

“Right now we’re working on taking legal action against Sunwing,” Awad said during a news conference in Montreal.Cry me a river, engaging in behavior not knowing if can afford the consequences seems to a a lesson you might learn.

[Pilot DAR]

Merged with the original thread.

Just to add a little context, I seem to recall that some of the partiers are/were aviation students, who really should have known better!

[albatross]

Discussed ….the “Lady” shown as vaping ect. Was not, as initially reported, the young pilot who had won a ticket and had no idea what was going to happen.
That was the last I heard.

[hans brinker]

....Because the bizjet is privately owned, and not being flown for hire. And, the vodka is being provided by the owner of the plane, and served under supervision - right? Even on a privately owned plane, drinking your own alcohol on board is not legal, and has not been since any of us were twenty - in my country anyway...

Not sure if different in Canada, but the US regulation is often misquoted, have heard it on most US carriers done incorrectly by the FAs. It is perfectly legal to drink your own alcohol, as long as it SERVED by the FAs.

§ 121.575 Alcoholic beverages.(a) No person (https://www.law.cornell.edu/definitions/index.php?width=840&height=800&iframe=true&def_id=0dc5e415556e65322f1454c927515578&term_occur=999&term_src=Title:14:Chapter:I:Subchapter:G:Part:121:Subpart:T: 121.575) may drink any alcoholic beverage aboard an aircraft (https://www.law.cornell.edu/definitions/index.php?width=840&height=800&iframe=true&def_id=8e9caab04f792d93d0738c9d3290164e&term_occur=999&term_src=Title:14:Chapter:I:Subchapter:G:Part:121:Subpart:T: 121.575) unless the certificate holder operating the aircraft (https://www.law.cornell.edu/definitions/index.php?width=840&height=800&iframe=true&def_id=8e9caab04f792d93d0738c9d3290164e&term_occur=999&term_src=Title:14:Chapter:I:Subchapter:G:Part:121:Subpart:T: 121.575) has served that beverage to him.

[widgeon]

https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/six-more-passengers-on-infamous-sunwing-flight-to-mexico-fined-by-transport-canada-1.5828033


Canada's transportation authority has laid more fines against passengers on the infamous Sunwing flight from Montreal to Cancun last December that made international headlines and was butt of a late-night talk show joke.

Transport Canada said its ongoing investigation has resulted in six more passengers being fined "who were not fully vaccinated for their flight or who did not wear a mask on board."

"These penalties could reach a maximum of $5,000 each. More are expected," the regulator said in a tweet on Monday.

That brings the total number of fines to 12 since the investigation started in early January. Around that time when the Omicron variant was surging, videos surfaced on social media showing social media influencers and Quebec celebrities on the plane not wearing masks, partying in the aisle, and openly drinking alcohol. At least one passenger filmed herself smoking an e-cigarette during the flight.



The notorious flight posed a real danger, according to aviation experts. The organizer of the trip, James William Awad, accused Sunwing of allowing the partying to happen and said the crew supplied the passengers with the alcohol they were drinking.

The Transport Canada fines are in addition to the alleged infractions cited by Health Canada, which referred them to Quebec's prosecutor for review. Those cases were not in relation to activity on the plane, rather they were related to potential violations of COVID-19 rules around quarantine, testing and other travel restrictions.

More fines are expected to be administered in the future.

[Ancient Observer]

Large parts of Canada are so beautiful - (and NZ, Aus and so on).

How do such beautiful countries produce these morons?

Shame they can't be sentenced to a couple of years in Afghanistan.

[Doug Stark]

Every country has its 5% undesirables. Some countries have a higher ratio. snort

[Jet Jockey A4]

Personally, I will not be satisfied until some get jail time.

[Mostly Harmless]

Large parts of Canada are so beautiful - (and NZ, Aus and so on).

How do such beautiful countries produce these morons?

Shame they can't be sentenced to a couple of years in Afghanistan.

Those were not people. They were 'influencers.' A completely different species.

[Ancient Observer]

Influencers vs people.

They still need a couple of years in Afghanistan