DL F/A Charged With Stealing/Reselling MiniBottles

wjcandee · Sat May 14, 2016 6:07 pm

She is charged with regularly pilfering the little liquor bottles after her flights, and reselling them on Craigslist in Memphis for $1 each. Accused of taking 1,500 bottles.

Interestingly, it was the Tennessee Liquor Commission that busted her, apparently after investigating where they were coming from. DL's inventory managment system, such as it is, obviously didn't pick this up.

http://nypost.com/2016/05/13/flight-...ling-1500-stolen-airplane-bottles/

cessna2 · Sat May 14, 2016 6:15 pm

She is not a DL F/A. She works for 9E, which is one of their regional partners.

flyby519 · Sat May 14, 2016 6:19 pm

If she was smart she would buy minis from a regular liquor store and then sell them on the plane! I know a few have been busted for this before.

smokeybandit · Sat May 14, 2016 6:22 pm

$1? Seems like a lot of effort for a max take of $1500.

Then again petty criminals don't tend to think things out.

lightsaber · Sat May 14, 2016 6:36 pm

Everyone needs a hobby.

Quoting flyby519 (Reply 2):

If she was smart she would buy minis from a regular liquor store and then sell them on the plane! I know a few have been busted for this before.

LoL. That makes business sense!

I swear half the TSA liquid rule is political to increase airport and BoB concessions.

Lightsaber

910A · Sat May 14, 2016 6:40 pm

Quoting lightsaber (Reply 4):
I swear half the TSA liquid rule is political to increase airport and BoB concessions.

I think you're on to something.

Why did it take six months to indict her? Wheels of justice must be slow in Tennessee.

[Edited 2016-05-14 11:44:44]

wjcandee · Sat May 14, 2016 6:50 pm

Quoting cessna2 (Reply 1):
She is not a DL F/A. She works for 9E, which is one of their regional partners.

Interesting. It's funny, just from a personal grooming level in the published photo, I had asked myself whether she was mainline or regional. I know that sounds odd, but I actually said to myself that her presentation didn't seem typical of a mainliine F/A. And then I wondered what it was that made me think that. Like I can form the impression, but I can't point to anything specific that gave me that impression. Huh.

NWAROOSTER · Sat May 14, 2016 7:05 pm

It is easier to take the mini bottles of the aircraft than bring them through security for resale. Either way it is really not worth the risk. Especially by waving a Red Flag on Craigslist and also getting robbed or raped by a so called purchaser.
People do the dumbest things…...

910A · Sat May 14, 2016 7:34 pm

Quoting wjcandee (Reply 6):
I know that sounds odd, but I actually said to myself that her presentation didn't seem typical of a mainliine F/A.

Remember the photo shown in the article was a booking photo that was taken when she was first arrested and not on duty, although she looked like a regional f/a, she looked older than her stated age.

[Edited 2016-05-14 12:36:31]

RDUDDJI · Sat May 14, 2016 7:44 pm

I've often wondered why this doesn't happen more often. I dated an FA many years ago. Her liquor cabinet was full of minis. Friends that came over used to think that was hilarious. I never really thought about how illegal that was (I'm assuming she didn't buy them).

Quoting 910A (Reply 8):
Remember the photo shown in the article was a booking photo that was taken when she was first arrested and not on duty, although she looked like a regional f/a, she looked older than her stated age.

I thought maybe they were mistakenly referring to the picture of Hillary lower on the page.

Couldn't resist...

bennett123 · Sat May 14, 2016 8:00 pm

Clearly, there will be some breakages. I exect DL factor this in.

However, you can only have so many breakages before someone smells a rat.

DTWPurserBoy · Sat May 14, 2016 8:02 pm

It is just not worth the risk--especially internationally. I know businessmen that think it is great sport to replace hotel minibar vodka with water and weak tea for scotch. It is not just f/a's.

eBay will not sell alcohol and I am surprised that Craigslist does. Too many state laws.

Crew members that want a beverage for their layover carry their own from home in a flask or empty Evian bottle.

I am not surprised that her airline did not catch her--as far as they were concerned they were used and therefore trash. However auditors do fly around unannounced counting how much alcohol was sold on a segment and the f/a had better have the right amount of money. A mini is $8.00 now. When I started they were $1.50. An astute manager would notice that sales on a particular flight were unusually low and start tracking the f/a working those trips. Just a matter of time before you get caught.

N1120A · Sat May 14, 2016 8:06 pm

Quoting flyby519 (Reply 2):

If she was smart she would buy minis from a regular liquor store and then sell them on the plane! I know a few have been busted for this before.

This is a part of why they don't accept cash on mainline anymore.

Quoting lightsaber (Reply 4):
I swear half the TSA liquid rule is political to increase airport and BoB concessions.

Half? Try nearly all. Note the one exception they have made over the years is for duty free.

wjcandee · Sat May 14, 2016 8:43 pm

Quoting N1120A (Reply 12):
This is a part of why they don't accept cash on mainline anymore.

They can thank their Altanta neighbor Airtran for this. When Airtran went cashless, a lot of people thought they were crazy, that sales would take a big hit. Indeed, the number of bottles consumed by the airline, based upon draws from inventory, went down somewhat. This would be expected because people who didn't have a credit card or didn't want to use it suddenly couldn't/wouldn't buy a cocktail.

The amount of money taken in and deposited by the airline, however, DOUBLED. (All of it now in credit card charges.)

This is why cashless has now become a common practice.

(This doesn't mean it was all theft. There are stories of F/As who were too tired to turn in the cash and paperwork for their flight one day, and expected the airline to pester them about it. When it didn't, they stopped bothering to turn the envelope in when they were tired, and accumulated many such envelopes in their closet. They didn't touch it; they just never did anything with it, and were ultimately afraid to turn it in, lest an investigation be launched. I suspect that where verification wasn't meticulous, this was a more common problem than most executives thought.)

caleb1 · Sat May 14, 2016 8:56 pm

Quoting wjcandee (Reply 6):
Interesting. It's funny, just from a personal grooming level in the published photo, I had asked myself whether she was mainline or regional.

Where is the published photo of her in the link above? I only saw a picture of a DL 747-400.

mayor · Sat May 14, 2016 10:33 pm

One of the things they pointed out to us, in DL's orientation class in '71 was that you never messed with DL's booze, money, ticket stock, etc. I'm sure the other workgroups got the same admonition.

wjcandee · Sat May 14, 2016 10:50 pm

Quoting caleb1 (Reply 14):
Where is the published photo of her in the link above? I only saw a picture of a DL 747-400.

Yeah. Sorry. The Post version didn't have it.

Here she is: http://wreg.com/2016/05/13/memphis-f...nt-indicted-for-mini-bottle-theft/

bohica · Sun May 15, 2016 5:00 am

Quoting DTWPurserBoy (Reply 11):
eBay will not sell alcohol and I am surprised that Craigslist does.

Craigslist relies on users to report any prohibited items or services being listed. As long as nobody reports you, you can sell almost anything on Craigslist. In most cases, if you are reported, the worst that happens is your ad gets deleted.

BTW alcohol sales are prohibited on Craigslist.

RWA380 · Sun May 15, 2016 7:39 am

Quoting smokeybandit (Reply 3):
$1? Seems like a lot of effort for a max take of $1500.Then again petty criminals don't tend to think things out.

That was just plain stupid for this person to do, $12,000 you'll be paying back, the loss of your job & the myriad of benefits, as well as the attention from family & friends for $1500.00? Wow, just Wow! Dum, dum, dum, dum, dum, dumb.

Quoting mayor (Reply 15):
One of the things they pointed out to us, in DL's orientation class in '71 was that you never messed with DL's booze, money, ticket stock, etc. I'm sure the other workgroups got the same admonition.

Having worked closely with blank ticket stock almost my entire career, I know they don't just let anyone handle the blank stock.

I know before today's thermal issued tickets, it was far easier to fraudulently use hand write tickets from the back of the box of 50, leaving days to months before it was found missing, tickets & PTA's were the things some people misused. A hand validator with any airline validation plate & an agency or airline identifier plate in the top right corner.

ThePointblank · Sun May 15, 2016 7:59 am

Quoting RWA380 (Reply 18):
Having worked closely with blank ticket stock almost my entire career, I know they don't just let anyone handle the blank stock.

I know before today's thermal issued tickets, it was far easier to fraudulently use hand write tickets from the back of the box of 50, leaving days to months before it was found missing, tickets & PTA's were the things some people misused. A hand validator with any airline validation plate & an agency or airline identifier plate in the top right corner.

I remember when I was handling opening up bid documents from vendors for the first time when I worked in the government.

First, the envelopes or boxes that had the bid documents were placed in the bid documents room, unopened from the mail carrier or courier.

Second, two people had to be in the room at all times, with one of them being a manager from the procurement department, the other from the department that created the bid, and sign off that they were in the room to open a certain bid document.

The bid documents had to be opened by both people at the same time, and the contents of the bid document noted in a file. Once everything is in the clear could the bid package be removed from the room by both people, and both also needed to sign out of the room and lock the door.

N1120A · Sun May 15, 2016 10:25 am

Quoting wjcandee (Reply 13):
This doesn't mean it was all theft.

Yup. Actually, most of the breakage on cabin sales was simply negligence, and not theft. It also costs more, in total, to handle large amounts of cash securely than to simply take cards and pay a negotiated fee with the payments processors.

DTWPurserBoy · Sun May 15, 2016 5:05 pm

Quoting RWA380 (Reply 18):
Having worked closely with blank ticket stock almost my entire career, I know they don't just let anyone handle the blank stock.

Quoting RWA380 (Reply 18):

Quoting mayor (Reply 15):One of the things they pointed out to us, in DL's orientation class in '71 was that you never messed with DL's booze, money, ticket stock, etc. I'm sure the other workgroups got the same admonition.
Having worked closely with blank ticket stock almost my entire career, I know they don't just let anyone handle the blank stock.

I think most carriers are the same. NW and DL both were adamant about messing with their money or their booze. My agent friends said that when they still used paper ticket stock and MCO's (Miscellaneous charge orders) the serial numbers were accountable at the beginning and end of each shift, I have known a few over the years that got caught with their hands in the till or the duty free cart.

In DTW Duty Free was contracted to an outside company. We would seal the carts with these heavy wire seals, record those and the dollar amount and turn it in. Usually he Duty Free clerk was waiting on the jet bridge to verify the seal numbers.

One day I had worked a FRA-DTW DC-10 trip and she was there to meet us. Next morning I get a phone call from management asking me how many carts there were on the plane. I answered "Two" and promptly reminded them that I had properly turned in my money and paperwork prior to leaving for home. About 3 months later I get ANOTHER call--this one from MSP Internal Security (Bad guys--you do not want to hear from them!) asking me how many carts were on the FRA flight. Again I said two. He told me the day before a smashed cart had been found on the outskirts of the airport--totally empty, of course--and they were trying to figure out how it got there. I suggested they start with the catering guys that offloaded it. I also gave him my personal guarantee that none of the flight attendants had humped a 300 pound duty free cart off the plane and through customs. At least he laughed.

ltbewr · Sun May 15, 2016 5:39 pm

I wonder if this f/a did this to offset their likely low pay, perhaps she had a drug or money problem ? I would also note what are apparently poor procedures as to handling of alcoholic beverage inventory and sales by the airline involved.

doug_or · Sun May 15, 2016 10:41 pm

Quoting ltbewr (Reply 22):
I would also note what are apparently poor procedures as to handling of alcoholic beverage inventory and sales by the airline involved.

How do you propose they inventory drinks poured in F? As RDUDDJI implied above, taking catering home with you isn't a 9E thing, it is an airline thing.

RWA380 · Mon May 16, 2016 12:37 am

Quoting doug_or (Reply 23):
How do you propose they inventory drinks poured in F?

Provide the empty bottles as part of your liquor count, easy & done. Airlines pour wine down the drain when half empty bottle are left before landing, as many countries will not allow a foreign flight to keep open containers.

falstaff · Mon May 16, 2016 1:08 am

Quoting DTWPurserBoy (Reply 11):
It is just not worth the risk--especially internationally. I know businessmen that think it is great sport to replace hotel minibar vodka with water and weak tea for scotch. It is not just f/a's.

I like to take items from the mini bar and replace them with identical items from a local store. Most are easy, but occasionally I run into one that has switches that rest on the items and register a sale when the switch is tripped. In that case I just hold the switch down ( or up ) with a pencil and remove the items. I have never been "caught". Why do I do it? I enjoy the challenge.

coolian2 · Mon May 16, 2016 1:27 am

Quoting falstaff (Reply 25):

The switch option is just rude. I've been done once for having a look through the fridge (given I had hotel lounge access, I was hardly going to pay for shit I could for free).

Went to read the information on the back, put it back. The next day? Hello! Charged for some weird drink I'd never seen before. I was nosey.

b727fa · Mon May 16, 2016 4:46 am

Quoting DTWPurserBoy (Reply 11):
Crew members that want a beverage for their layover carry their own from home in a flask or empty Evian bottle.

I am not surprised that her airline did not catch her--as far as they were concerned they were used and therefore trash.

Exactly. Crew who enjoy a cocktail on an overnight don't have to steal to make it happen. RE: FC, there is no inventory so no "accounting" to be had.

Quoting N1120A (Reply 12):
This is a part of why they don't accept cash on mainline anymore.

That's not the reason.

apfpilot · Mon May 16, 2016 12:25 pm

Quoting ThePointblank (Reply 19):
The bid documents had to be opened by both people at the same time, and the contents of the bid document noted in a file. Once everything is in the clear could the bid package be removed from the room by both people, and both also needed to sign out of the room and lock the door.

Wow, that is quite the process. I submit bids to DHS regularly and it is usually just done through an email with an acknowledgement from the KO that they have received it.

G-CIVP · Mon May 16, 2016 12:49 pm

All I can say is the FA must have been hard up and desperate.

ThePointblank · Tue May 17, 2016 5:18 am

Quoting apfpilot (Reply 28):
Wow, that is quite the process. I submit bids to DHS regularly and it is usually just done through an email with an acknowledgement from the KO that they have received it.

At most, we spend 5-10 minutes going through the process, and most of that is just fumbling around trying to move boxes and open them.

When we're dealing with bids that have a value of half a million dollars or more, the process controls are naturally tighter.

apfpilot · Tue May 17, 2016 11:47 am

Quoting ThePointblank (Reply 30):
At most, we spend 5-10 minutes going through the process, and most of that is just fumbling around trying to move boxes and open them.

When we're dealing with bids that have a value of half a million dollars or more, the process controls are naturally tighter.

Sure that makes sense. How long ago was that (or is it current?) I wonder if it is just that different governmental departments have different processes.

OB1504 · Tue May 17, 2016 8:54 pm

Quoting RWA380 (Reply 24):
Provide the empty bottles as part of your liquor count, easy & done. Airlines pour wine down the drain when half empty bottle are left before landing, as many countries will not allow a foreign flight to keep open containers.

I think that would introduce more hassle than it's worth to prevent an issue that is fortunately a very rare occurrence.

Dalmd88 · Tue May 17, 2016 11:38 pm

I really don't think the airlines pay that close attention to the inventory on each flight. I worked line mtc for years. Catering does not decater the flight before the cabin crew leaves in most cases. Planes overnight are left at gates with full galley carts for hours sometimes. A lot of people have access in that time. Mtc, cleaners, and gate agents
all have access and could slip a few bottles every night. They could never expect to catch pilferage through inventory control unless they controlled the access better.

What keeps most from doing it. We know it will cost us our job if we get caught. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I remember seeing an aircraft cleaner on the subway one night. He had a trash bag full of half full wine bottles with him. I'm pretty sure they came off some airplane. Selling the nips on Craigslist is what got this one caught. That is real dumb. Selling alcohol is tightly watched by state regulators. Advertising like that is just asking to be caught.

PEK777 · Wed May 18, 2016 12:22 am

theft under a thousand, so she cant go to jail. still pretty greasy...

BobbyPSP · Wed May 18, 2016 1:15 am

All this for a buck? You'd think she would have sold them to friends/family for $2 a piece

WaywardMemphian · Wed May 18, 2016 1:30 am

Quoting wjcandee (Reply 6):
Interesting. It's funny, just from a personal grooming level in the published photo,

I doubt she was "done up" for her mug shot. I imagine she was having a bad few days. That said, she'longer probation and have a hard time getting a job. The term to be applied here isn't criminal, she is now "judicially involved."

womenbeshopping · Wed May 18, 2016 2:04 am

Quoting Dalmd88 (Reply 33):

I really don't think the airlines pay that close attention to the inventory on each flight. I worked line mtc for years. Catering does not decater the flight before the cabin crew leaves in most cases. Planes overnight are left at gates with full galley carts for hours sometimes. A lot of people have access in that time. Mtc, cleaners, and gate agents
all have access and could slip a few bottles every night. They could never expect to catch pilferage through inventory control unless they controlled the access better.

What keeps most from doing it. We know it will cost us our job if we get caught. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I remember seeing an aircraft cleaner on the subway one night. He had a trash bag full of half full wine bottles with him. I'm pretty sure they came off some airplane. Selling the nips on Craigslist is what got this one caught. That is real dumb. Selling alcohol is tightly watched by state regulators. Advertising like that is just asking to be caught.

This is 100 percent true, I worked at a major us airport where there were mainline flights and also regional carriers who used mainline gates, those planes were left unattended beverage carts waited hours for catering to come empty them. It was common for people including managers to come onto aircraft and get sodas and of course the minis. None of the carts were ever locked, half the time you would walk into a RON aircraft and there would be people sleeping/eating/ hanging out sitting in the first class seats. Things may have changed but this was a very very very common scene in 2010-2013 in a hub city of an airline that is no longer operating under its old name, but the cheesesteaks are still wonderful!!

mayor · Wed May 18, 2016 2:33 am

Quoting womenbeshopping (Reply 37):
This is 100 percent true, I worked at a major us airport where there were mainline flights and also regional carriers who used mainline gates, those planes were left unattended beverage carts waited hours for catering to come empty them.

DL always had cabin service handle the liquor (except wine & beer, which catering handled) which was locked in the booze carriers, either in a cage at cabin service or locked in their trucks.

ThePointblank · Wed May 18, 2016 2:38 am

Quoting apfpilot (Reply 31):
Sure that makes sense. How long ago was that (or is it current?) I wonder if it is just that different governmental departments have different processes.

It was roughly 7 years ago when I worked as a junior administrative assistant. That was just the rules of my particular office, as my office in particular primarily dealt with construction and engineering contracts. Often, those bids would have trade sensitive information in them.

mayor · Wed May 18, 2016 4:01 am

Quoting N1120A (Reply 12):

This is a part of why they don't accept cash on mainline anymore.

I think it was more of not wanting to handle cash, at all, and the burdens it causes. They've done the same thing with cargo......no more cash transactions and especially C.O.D. shipments.

Dalmd88 · Wed May 18, 2016 9:10 am

Quoting mayor (Reply 38):
DL always had cabin service handle the liquor (except wine & beer, which catering handled) which was locked in the booze carriers, either in a cage at cabin service or locked in their trucks.

Not the DL I have worked at. Seen them unattended in both line and hangar aircraft. Beer, wine, and minis just sitting around. In the hangar they could sit for days.

litz · Wed May 18, 2016 6:45 pm

Many years ago, when Eastern was liquidating, they had a huge auction at MIA basically selling off anything not nailed to the floor (and even then, some stuff that WAS still nailed to the floor).

Among this plethora of ... stuff ... were carts removed from both airplanes and storage.

You bid on the cart. There was no inspection time, and no way to know what was in it.

Some people got carts with nothing in them. Some people got carts with catering in them (ewwww). Some people got carts with soda cans in them. Some people got carts with lots of little liquor bottles in them.

The latter were very, very popular with U. of Miami students.

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