If you are lucky enough to fly in Business or First Class, most airlines will give you a glass of champagne to welcome you. But at the very front of the plane, alcohol is strictly prohibited. Last year, a pilot of Korean Air saw this differently.
Before the captain was set to take off from Seoul on December 30th with passengers to Amsterdam, he tried, according to Korean media, to grab a glass of champagne. It was available as a welcome drink for the Business Class guests. A member of the cabin crew stopped him and reminded the pilot not to drink alcohol.
Pilot only reprimanded verbally
During the flight, however, the captain tried again. He allegedly asked for a glass of wine. The request was again denied, as the reports say. The flight attendants reported this to their boss. Also, the copilot was informed about the incident. The problem hereby: He told his colleague and superior, although the cabin crew had asked him not to. The result was obviously a dispute between flight attendants and pilots.
After landing, the cabin chief reported the incident to Korean Air. By now, it became clear what the consequences were. The reporting person was warned and professionally downgraded, reports the newspaper Korea Times. The pilot got away with a verbal warning. The reason, according to the airline: The cabin crew was responsible for the situation escalating. It is true, however, that the captain showed "controversial behavior" but according to Korean Air‘s reasoning did not cause "real problems". The cabin crew, on the other hand, is responsible for ensuring that passengers are also aware of the situation.
Misunderstanding
In a statement Korean Air said: "We found out that there was a misunderstanding between the captain and the flight attendants", the airline said. The Department of Transportation is investigating the case and they are fully cooperating.
