Don’t Vape on Planes, or This Could Happen to You
While e-cigs are not currently banned from carry-on luggage in the United States, their use in flight is. A Spirit Airlines passenger found this out the hard way.
The 30-year-old passenger was on flight NK 985 from Detroit (DTW) to New Orleans (MSY) last week when he was caught vaping in-flight. Moments after being reprimanded for using the e-cigarette, the passenger went to the lavatory to continue vaping there, where he triggered the smoke detector. NOLA.com reports that the passenger was also caught hiding and drinking several bottles of alcohol that he brought on board, which is not allowed either.
Although the plane didn't divert, pilots had to descend the plane to 35,000 feet to shut off the alarm. A deputy sheriff met the plane when it landed and reported that the passenger was highly intoxicated and smelled of alcohol. The passenger reportedly denied smoking in the bathroom and claimed that he was unaware that it wasn't allowed on planes. The passenger was not arrested, but Spirit banned him from the airline for life. If you remember Danielle Bregoli, better known as the ‘Cash Me Ousside Girl,’ you'll know that this isn't the first time a passenger was banned from riding Spirit for life.
Related: How to Travel With E-Cigs
While you can bring e-cigs on board, you're not allowed to charge them in flight or pack them in checked luggage due to their lithium batteries. This is because they can pose a fire hazard like in the case of an American Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Chicago and a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu to Kahului. So, even if being banned from Spirit doesn’t seem like that a horrible of punishment, let this serve as a reminder to resist the urge to vape on your next flight.
