An unpleasant incident occurred before a red-eye aircraft operated by United Airlines to Houston in which a passenger was requested to vacate a first-class seat that was not even registered to him. The passenger in question became irritated after being asked to leave the seat. Before the dust could settle, the bandit delivered a series of punches to the female gate agent.
The Crazed Passenger Punches The United Airlines Gate Agent
The 47-year-old Cody Benjamin Lovins and his wife sat in first class on a late-night United Airlines trip from San Francisco (SFO) to Houston (IAH). Both seats weren’t meant for them, and when Naya Jimenez boarded the plane, she discovered that her seat was already taken.
The couple instructed her to take a different seat after she politely informed them that Lovins’ wife had already seated there. Eventually, a flight attendant arrived, and Jimenez requested help. The Lovins told the gate agent that they decided to upgrade themselves as a result of an earlier flight delay. If you want to learn more about Google, you may also read about Military Aircraft Sent To South Texas After the Feds Detect UFO.
In response to the gate agent’s explanation that self-upgrades were not allowed, Mr. Lovins became enraged (at this point, he was also slurring his words). The gate agent told the Lovins that they would have to get off the plane and couldn’t fly to Houston if they didn’t move.
The gate agent was then repeatedly punched by Lovins after she rose up to attack her (United’s statement on the incident below confirms this; Jimenez claimed it was a flight attendant). In the front galley, he pulled open an emergency exit door and prepared to jump (to his de@th or at the very least, break some bones) when he was pulled back to safety by other passengers.
A United Airlines spokesperson confirmed the incident:
“On Sunday night, our team at San Francisco International Airport immediately contacted law enforcement after a disruptive customer assaulted one of our customer service employees during boarding. This customer’s behavior was unacceptable, he has been banned from future United flights, and we are working with local law enforcement in their investigation.”
It is not clear if the gate agent was injured, but she was certainly battered. It also appears to me the gate agent may have been male, though Jimenez has repeatedly stated it was a female United employee who was attacked. We also covered some latest news about the Texas House Passes Harris County Election Chief Elimination Bill
CONCLUSION
This is a horrible incident. While I can understand the frustration of a flight delay, you cannot just help yourself to a first-class seat and then attack a gate agent. A permanent ban is a good start, but Lovins should face prison time and a steep fine for his poor conduct onboard.
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