Sabina Sultanova was flying London to Dubai on British Airways. In her telling “she passed out before waking up in an airport holding room full of police officers” and that she was “pulled back” onto the aircraft by a flight attendant as she tried to disembark on arrival, cutting her neck and bruising her. And she says she couldn’t swallow for several days thanks to her neck injuries.
She says she’s now afraid to fly — and she’s suing.
British Airways tells a different story. They say she ran down the aisle of the aircraft with her pants down and that she “tried to bite crew members.”
British Airways Midnight Arrival in Dubai is Served By a Boeing 747
Apparently she didn’t like her middle seat in coach so she went looking for an empty seat. In business class. Where, she says, she doesn’t quite know how it happened but she wound up falling asleep.
Crew tried to detain the self-upgrader. They had called for police who hadn’t arrived yet, and didn’t want to let her simply leave. So BA crew physically detained her, and that’s where the bruises occurred.
The woman was eventually released by British Airways has banned her from flying the airline. No ‘yellow card’ for her.
Two sides to every story, both of which strike me as a bit self-serving:
Aviation law specialist Keith Barrett, of Fieldfisher, representing Miss Sultanova, said: ‘Not only did the BA crew assault Ms Sultanova, they then allowed a lone woman to be transported unconscious and then be detained by Dubai police.’
British Airways said its crew acted responsibly as they ‘looked after an unwell customer’.
Last year a woman was banned for life from BA after a London – Dubai flight as well. And it was a British Airways Dubai flight that had to turn back to London due to smell from the lavatory. British Airways Dubai flights do seem cursed.
Your blog is going downhill Gary. This is crap.
Thanks Tim! I found it sort of amusing myself.
In many cases people love to blame Ambien for their bad behavior. I wonder what is going to be her excuse
Gary, get a list of all these crazy stories from all your previous posts, put them in one post and send it out with links to each one. So I can laugh my ass off. Each of these stories are so off the wall. Please so that. Don’t worry about people like the previous commenter.
“they then allowed a lone woman to be transported unconscious and then be detained by Dubai police”… hmm, so their crew was supposed to babysit a grown woman? That’s reaching even by attorney standards.
Your average Brit on holiday.
Tim, hope you get bit by a crazy ass passenger one day and develop rabies.
Love,
Andrew
She is only suing because some smart-a lawyer told her to because he could see $$$s for himself. I’m sure the experienced staff of a reputable airline dont6make this stuff up. Obviously the lady either has mental problems or was on drugs.
Time to stop suing others when it’s your fault and start taking responsibilty for your own actions.
Red: except she’s originally born and raised in Azerbaijan. Good try though.
“Apparently she didn’t like her middle seat in coach so she went looking for an empty seat. In business class. Where, she says, she doesn’t quite know how it happened but she wound up falling asleep.”
Honestly Gary, I get your need for emphasis, but your lack of correct grammar for a global blogger is appalling; and the final sentence makes no grammatical sense whatsoever. Sloppy.
I rather enjoyed my LHR-DXB//DXB-LHR flight on BA. Got an op-up to WTP as an OWE.
Ignore the haters Gary – great work as always.
I can’t get past the “ran down the aisle of the aircraft with her pants down.” Anyone here ever try to run with your pants (assuming this is referring to her frillies since Brits say trousers when an American would say pants) around your ankles?? Pretty darned impossible…..I am sure they can come up with a few witnesses to clear this up.
There’s a lot in this story that doesn’t make sense – as several have noted. All that is needed is the testimony from a couple passengers to clarify the issue.
@ Mike
Personally I have been reading this blog for years just so I can improve my grammar
I’m crushed ;);) simply appalled as I ever could be
A very good fried of mine was flying from Miami to Brazil a few years ago. She had lunch and a glass of wine while waiting for her flight. She was a bit nervous and tired so she took an Ambien and settled into her seat. Several hours later, she woke up wearing an airline blanket as a sarong. The woman next to her explained that she had thrown up, stood up, started to take off her soiled slacks in the aisle. The flight attendant quickly got her to the bathroom and into her new outfit. When they landed, a gentleman from the plane bought her some coffee to get something into her stomach before she was met by her son.