June 25, 2018 What Happens When You Try to Join the Mile High Club? By GIGI ENGLE There have been Mile High unsavory behavior is within Club stories for as long as there airlines’ rights. “Airlines can have been airplanes — or at prohibit folks from using their least, it feels that way. [Attorney Norm] services so long as they don’t discriminate for prohibited With so much information Pattis told T+L that reasons, such as age, gender circulating the internet on “how or disability,” he said. “If to” join, it’s obvious people are airplane sex could you’re a victim of airline coitus intrigued by the Mile High Club, interruptus, the airline can issue even if they have yet to join. But you a notice not to return. Most what are the rules on airlines? be considered a courts would enforce the ban.” How much trouble could you get in? While it might sound fun felony offense, Clemens Sehi, a travel writer and exciting, no one wants to get and creative director at arrested for getting busy on a but only if you’re Travellers Archive, brings up plane. a 2015 story, where a flight caught doing it in attendant was charging a fee for When it comes to repercussions entry into the Mile High Club. for joining the club, reports public, as in, in your She wound up making nearly are thoroughly mixed. Just $2,400 per flight by charging for this past March, two strangers seat, in front of sexual services. Upon discovery, met on a Virgin Atlantic she was dismissed from her flight, only to hook up in the duties. This, of course, is an bathroom mid-air. The couple other people. “You extreme case. later got into a squabble back in their seats. Upon arrival in must be caught in Christy* (not her real name), their destination, the female a current full-time flight passenger was detained for the act to make a attendant for a major U.S. behaving, “in an abusive and airline tells T+L she didn’t threatening manner which convincing criminal receive any specific training, “I severely disrupted the flight.” honestly don’t think our airline prosecution. has specific guidelines on this. Norm Pattis, a criminal It’s more of a, ‘If you see it, stop attorney, told Travel + Leisure it,’ kind of policy,” she said. “Of that banning passengers for course, as flight attendants, we 1 Continued on next page Continued from previous page do have the authority to have practices carried out to As far as we can gather from police meet the aircraft. If it’s each airline’s discretion. recent news stories, small indecent exposure, you could get “Interestingly, you do not bathrooms are not going to fined for that. But I don’t believe really have to expect real stop people from trying. If the airline fines passengers for consequences, except a warning you’re looking to get busy on an getting freaky in the lavatories.” and evil looks. While Lufthansa airplane, do it in the bathroom does not rule out that sexual and prepare yourself for possible Is this something flight acts of passengers are reported embarrassment (and a strained attendants are taught to look out because of the violation of back). for as part of general practice? manners, Singapore Airlines By all accounts, the answer handles this differently. If fellow appears to be “No.” passengers feel disturbed, stewardesses simply offer a Brian Palmer addressed drink to the troublemakers to these issues in 2011 Slate get them out of the lavatory.” article: “Apparently the issue isn’t directly addressed in T+L reached out to Lufthansa flight attendant school, but for comment, but received no attendants generally ‘knock, reply. inquire politely, and barge in if necessary.’” Certainly to some Although attempting to join the passengers, this sort of light club in the lavatory is unlikely acknowledgement almost feels to land you in jail, there could like an invitation to press your be serious legal ramifications luck. should you try anything out in the open. Pattis told T+L Here is the bottom line: When it that airplane sex could be comes to the Mile High Club, if considered a felony offense, you’re doing it in the bathroom, but only if you’re caught doing you likely can’t get in any it in public, as in, in your seat, serious trouble. You could be in front of other people. “You banned from the airline, maybe, must be caught in the act to but even that is pretty unlikely. make a convincing criminal prosecution.” While nearly every airline we reached out to declined to Our main question after all comment, American Airlines of this: How do two people fit responded to our query, adding inside an airplane lavatory? a little color to this notably Christy thinks the tiny shady story. Ross Feinstein, bathrooms on airplanes are a spokesman for American no accident. “A senior flight Airlines said, “The only club attendant told me in the old American recommends is the days, when airplane lavatories Admirals Club.” were much larger, it was a very common thing. Downsizing Sehi says there are no official lavatories might be a reason we consequences, only general don’t see it that much anymore.” 2.