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Pretend pilot busted for impersonating Lufthansa crew - taking free flights

Nov. 21, 2019
•
2 min read
Hong Kong International Airport
Pretend pilot busted for impersonating Lufthansa crew - taking free flights
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We're all about the free flights here at TPG, but sometimes others take it to a whole new level. This story is so absurd we couldn't make this up if we tried. As first reported by The Times of India, a man attempted to board an AirAsia flight in Delhi, claiming he was a Lufthansa captain, in order to fly for free.

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The man, identified as Rajan Mahbubani, 48, was wearing a pilot's uniform from Lufthansa and also carried an ID, though when staff attempted to verify his claim he was caught red-handed.

A swiftly dispatched team from Lufthansa's staff at the airport confronted him and he crumbled, admitting that he'd bought the ID in Bangkok six months earlier and had been using it ever since to game his way onto flights without paying. He also stated that he'd previously used the fake pilot ID several times.

The deputy chief of police at the Delhi airport, Sanjay Bhatia, was quoted in the Times of India as saying that "there are pictures in his phone of him posing as an Army colonel" and that he had posted videos to TikTok "wearing different uniforms."

His arrest shouldn't have come as a surprise, as he allegedly bragged about his exploits on social media, even photographing himself in different uniforms and attempting to impress friends and family. He'd also evidently leveraged his loophole in order to score free seat upgrades and priority boarding.

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Maybe someone should have told him about points and miles?

Feature photo by Marcio Rodrigo Machado/S3studio/Getty Images.

Featured image by Getty Images

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
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  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
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