Bad behavior of airline passengers is often in the news and sometimes has serious consequences. Certain actions (including aggressive or unruly, failing to comply with safety instructions, being intoxicated or damaged aircraft) may send you to an “Aviation Prison”, or an airline’s internal flightless list or customer ban list.
Not only can you get on the airline’s internal flightless list, but you can also face legal consequences or fines from the Federal Aviation Administration. In 2024, the FAA received 2,102 unruly passenger reports. This number includes one or more cases of violations of FAA regulations or federal laws.
However, this not only does not perform well in flight, it can also keep you in a role with the airline. Depending on the severity of your behavior, you can still fly with the airline. However, you can terminate your loyalty program account and you will not be able to obtain mileage or status while flying. Most cases will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis with the airline.
Here are some other examples of frowning activities that may send you to an “Aviation Prison.”
Sell your frequent flyer miles or upgrade certificate
You’ll have airlines’ mileage faster than they’re used, or have upgrade certificates that won’t work until they expire, so you think: “I wonder if I can sell these certificates.”
Not so fast.
Selling your airline miles in the United States is not usually illegal (except Utah, which limits the laws of cash selling miles), but most loyalty programs have no sales or barter. You do not own miles, which means that if the airline believes you have violated their rules, you can confiscate them or close your membership account.
For example, the Delta Skymiles Program Rules say the following about selling miles and other rewards, such as an upgrade certificate or status benefits:
“…The sale or transaction of miles, vouchers, reward tickets, award certificates, medals, medals or any other benefits, or any other benefits, or by Skymiles members or any of the foregoing attempts. Delta will terminate or deduct any member’s account from the event of attempting to transfer or transfer or transfer or transfer or transfer or transfer or transfer, thereby terminating or deducting any member’s account through prohibited sale or bartering transactions is invalid, travel is invalid, and the person who will be confiscated attempts to use such tickets and/or benefits. Transaction is prohibited.”
If your Skymiles account is reviewed and terminated due to sales miles, you are not allowed to open a new account.
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There are still miles brokers, the benefits of people selling their own miles or other plans. However, you are definitely caught and punished by the airline for your own risk. A one-time booking in exchange for payment may avoid radar, but frequent bookings using the names of others with a large amount of miles may not be possible.
Book an airplane with the goal of skipping the last leg
Sometimes, stopover flights are much cheaper than uninterrupted flights. And if that connected city is where you live, you might be tempted to skip the last leg and end your journey at a medium-sized airport. Sounds like a clever way to save money, right? Unfortunately, airlines don’t like this strategy, which is called escape or hidden city ticketing.
Airlines are increasingly using technology to identify and combat kiplaggers. This practice is not illegal, but if caught in a hidden city flight, you may face fines such as confiscation of miles or termination of your loyalty program account.
Like sales mileage, it’s unlikely that you’ll browse it all at once. But is saving worth the risk? Only you can decide, but if you value your ability to make money and redeem miles and earn elite status through the airline, the answer is likely to be no.
Related: So, what exactly is the elite identity in travel? How can I get it?
Too many complaints
Do you file a complaint for trouble compensation when your trip is upset? Doing it moderately is a great way to get enough resolution during your trip. But doing this too much or for too many minor reasons, you may be labeled as a “frequent complainer” and can be included in the airline’s naughty list even if your complaint is valid.
American Airlines has admitted to tracking individual customer complaints to thwart those who appear to have long complaints about compensation.
Due to excessive complaints, airlines reportedly “developed” customers, such as this Reddit user whose frequently used flyer accounts were banned after they received a $1,700 flight coupon.
This is not to say that you can’t complain, but to save the complaint for the really important issues, not every little thing.
Related: Will your complaints be permanently prohibited from the cruise line? You’d better believe
Abuse of the lounge access
Visiting the airport lounge before or during a stopover is a great way to escape the noisy marina, dining and drinks, and find a quiet space to get some work done. Great, many lounges have been overcrowded over the past few years.
While many travelers have one of the premium credit cards that grant access to the airport lounge, not all of them are OK. Over the years, some of them have taken advantage of access rules by purchasing refundable airline tickets to access lounges that they cannot access.
This is not illegal, and morality depends on your personal values. But either way, if you do it often, the airlines may catch up. And buy refundable premium wooden tickets so you can access the international or first class lounge and cancel your tickets immediately upon entering the lounge, which may make you notice faster.
In one example, Lufthansa sued a traveler who rebooked 30 flexible tickets to visit a commercial-grade lounge. Lufthansa won the case, believing the passenger had no intention of flying and the passenger was ordered to visit €55 ($65) per lounge.
Related: 5 ways to make sure you can use the lounge before your next flight
Propose a credit card dispute
If the airline cancels your flight or you experience a significant delay and make other travel arrangements, the logical next step will be to ask the airline for a refund. Depending on the circumstances, the airline may be required to refund your funds or provide compensation to you. However, if not required and the airline will not refund you after multiple requests, you can decide to file a dispute or refund on the credit card used to pay the ticket.
Or, if you are unable to travel due to an emergency and have non-refundable airline tickets, maybe you decide to file a credit card dispute because the airline is not sympathetic about your situation.
While a credit card dispute may seem like an easy answer, be careful: Doing so will put you in an “aircraft prison.” Even if your credit card issuer is consistent with you and refunds your funds, the airline may think you still owe money and prohibit you from flying with you in the future until you resolve the payment issue.
This is why it’s important to have travel insurance: You can file a claim with your insurance company to get your money back and avoid credit card disputes with airlines.
Bottom line
If you have ever wanted to bypass the rules of an airline’s loyalty program or become destructive during flight, remember that your actions can result in financial penalties, be banned from flying on a specific airline, or lose your mileage and loyalty program account.
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