Members of a popular internet forum were dismayed after one traveler detailed their recent run-in with an overzealous airline employee.
In a viral Reddit post published on r/MaliciousCompliance, Redditor u/EmperorButtman (otherwise referred to as the original poster, or OP) said they were accused of violating an unnamed airline’s baggage policy but detailed their satisfaction upon proving they had followed the rules to a tee.
Titled, “Petty airport security overdoes it,” the post has received more than 11,000 upvotes and 440 comments.
“My bff and I travel on a budget,” OP began. “The nameless budget airline in question has as strict 1 bag, 1 personal item per person policy when you don’t check a suitcase.”
Continuing to explain that their outbound flight went off without a hitch, the original poster said they made it through security for their outbound flight before they were confronted for supposedly having improper baggage.
“We have security in our face telling us we’re violating policy,” OP wrote. “We each have one bag and only one of us has a personal item – a tote bag we had on our flight there with the same airline.”
“Man’s clearly got a problem and when I cite the actual policy he insists it’s a baggage item,” OP continued. “So I do what any normal person would do: don the bathrobe and cat themed neck pillow (only items in the bag), fold up the tote and stick it in one of our bags.”
“He now sends us to another colleague to measure our bags [and] they fit the measurements perfectly,” OP added. “Was satisfying to see the guy bite his tongue from the other side.”
Airline ticket prices reached astronomical heights in 2022.
Despite reported cost increases between 40 and 50 percent, travelers capitalizing on relaxing COVID restrictions have pushed air travel statistics close to pre-pandemic levels.
And for those looking to catch a flight without breaking the bank, booking trips with budget airlines has become an increasingly popular option.
There are no concrete parameters for an airline to qualify as budget airlines, but earlier this year, Reader’s Digest bequeathed the “budget” label on Southwest, JetBlue, Spirit and newcomers Avelo and Breeze.
Spirit—arguably the most talked-about budget airline—allows passengers one free personal item but requires additional payments for carry-on luggage and other checked bags.
JetBlue offers multiple tiers to accommodate passengers’ unique needs and at Southwest, customers’ first two bags famously fly free.
Because no two baggage policies are alike, even the most well-versed travelers are prone to slip up. Considering their proclivity for nitpicking and racking up fees, however, it’s not implausible that certain airlines view borderline baggage violations as dollar signs in the making.
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Throughout the comment section of the viral Reddit post, Redditors warned the original poster of this predatory behavior and informed them that the man who confronted them about their luggage was likely an airline employee and not a power tripping security agent.
“That’s not security,” Redditor u/Diberries wrote in the post’s top comment, which has received nearly 4,000 upvotes. “That’s an airline employee being a dummy.”
“For the record, that individual is not [security],” Redditor u/bstrauss3 echoed, receiving more than 1,500 upvotes. “They’re hired to enforce…rules as a money grab for the airline.”
“Had a similar thing happen to me when boarding,” Redditor u/Slokunshialgo chimed in. “I had a backpack and a (nearly empty) courier bag with me [and] when I went to board I was told it was two bags, and I was only allowed one.”
“I undid the flap on my backpack and half-a**edly stuck the courier bag in the flap. It was now one bag, they were content, and I was free to board,” they continued.
Newsweek reached out to u/EmperorButtman for comment.