Looks like Delta Air Lines has found itself in a little turbulence—again. For the second time in less than a month, an unticketed passenger managed to board one of its flights, raising the question: Is “stowaway” the hottest new trend in 2024 travel?

(Source: Giphy) 

This time, the stowaway issue unfolded on Christmas Eve, when an uninvited guest decided to hitch a ride from Seattle to Honolulu aboard Delta flight 487. The unidentified individual somehow bypassed both the TSA security checkpoint and Delta’s boarding gate ticket check—a security breach so absurd, it feels like something out of a friggin’ Carry On sequel.

(Source: NPR) 

The stowaway was discovered as the plane taxied out from the gate, forcing the flight to return to the terminal. After being removed, they fled the scene (bold move, honestly) and hid in an airport restroom before being apprehended by Port of Seattle Police. The charge? Trespassing, of course. The flight eventually left for Hawaii after a two-hour delay, presumably with passengers automatically profiling everyone else sitting next to them on the plane. 

Naturally, Delta issued their version of a mea culpa, saying, “As there are no matters more important than safety and security, Delta people followed procedures to have an unticketed passenger removed from the flight and then apprehended.” Translation: “Yeah, this happened again. We’re working on it.”

(Source: MSN) 

But let’s rewind—how TF does someone waltz through a TSA checkpoint without a boarding pass? According to a TSA spokesperson, the individual was “properly screened” but somehow managed to sidestep the whole “having a ticket” part of air travel. TSA is now conducting its own review, because nothing says “we’ve got it under control” like the phrase “internal investigation.”

Now what’s crazier, is if this sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Just weeks ago, Delta dealt with another stowaway fiasco when Svetlana Dali, a 57-year-old Russian national (let me say that again… a RUSSIAN national), snuck onto a JFK-to-Paris flight during the Thanksgiving travel rush. Dali reportedly blended in with the flight crew, skipped security, evaded Delta’s gate staff, and hid in the lavatory mid-flight. (Honestly, that’s some Mission Impossible level commitment.) She was arrested in France, only to return to the U.S., cut off her ankle monitor, and attempt to cross into Canada. Spoiler: She didn’t make it.

(Source: Giphy) 

But, but, but… if you thought this incident was the cherry on top of the holiday travel chaos, think again. On the same day as the Seattle stowaway drama, a United Airlines flight landed in Hawaii with a far more tragic discovery: the body of a stowaway in the plane’s wheel well. WTF. Obviously, I’m not going to go into detail about that because, well… that’s just nasty. 

However, the real takeaway here is that Delta and TSA need to tighten up their operations, like, yesterday. The fact that two stowaways managed to board flights in such a short span is a bad look for both airline and airport security. And while Delta is busy apologizing to customers for delays and safety concerns, one has to wonder if this is a systemic issue or just a string of bizarre coincidences.

(Source: Giphy)

For now, Delta’s official stance is that they’re “investigating,” but if you’re flying anytime soon, you might want to double-check who’s sitting next to you—or hiding in the lavatory. Or you know, maybe just stick to road trips until Delta figures out how to make “having a ticket” a non-negotiable part of air travel LOL.

In the meantime, we are living in some crazy times I tell ya, but while the world around us continues to burn… stay safe and stay frosty, friends! Until next time…

P.S. Like I said above, we’re living in some crazy times—and while the world continues to burn around us, why not try to make some money before sh*t really hits the fan, amirite? Click here to check out Stocks.News premium and discover how our members just witnessed a 310% BANGER… 

Stocks.News holds positions in United Airlines as mentioned in the article.