A male passenger had his $250,000 lifetime first-class ticket revoked after causing an airline to lose $21 million in costs.
American Airlines gave passengers an intriguing offer to raise fund
In an unusual story about air travel, a man named Steven Rothstein lost his lifetime first-class ticket after causing American Airlines to lose over $21 million.
In 1981, American Airlines faced financial troubles.
To raise money, they offered a unique chance: for $250,000, someone could buy a lifetime pass for unlimited first-class flights.
This offer attracted many buyers, and a total of 66 people took the plunge, purchasing what was known as the AAirpass.
The passenger bought a lifetime first-class ticket and traveled on 10,000 free flights
Rothstein bought his pass in 1987. Over the next 21 years, he flew an incredible 10,000 flights, traveling a staggering 30 million miles, all for free.
His extensive flying quickly became a problem for American Airlines.
Initially, the airline thought the offer would bring in extra cash, but Rothstein’s travels turned out to be a financial disaster.
Passenger revoked $250K lifetime first-class ticket after causing airline’s $21M loss
By 2008, American Airlines realized Rothstein alone cost the business over 21 million dollars in profits.
The airline decided it was time to revoke his pass. In a surprising move, they cut him off in the middle of a travel day.
This action left Rothstein unable to board his flight to Bosnia, causing a major disruption to his plans.
American Airlines didn’t just stop at revoking his ticket; they also sued Rothstein.
However, the lawsuit was not just about his excessive use of the AAirpass.
The airline accused him of fraud, claiming he booked flights for fake passengers.
Some of these names included “Bag Rothstein” and “Steven Rothstein Jr.”
Additionally, they alleged that he booked tickets for flights he never intended to take.
Rothstein had his personal reason for taking multiple flights with lifetime first-class ticket
Despite the lawsuit, Rothstein defended his actions, stating that he often helped others by giving away his tickets.
He mentioned that he had given tickets to people in need, including a man traveling to his father’s funeral.
Rothstein described these acts not as charity but as simply doing good deeds.
“I gave a man in Seattle a ticket to go to his father’s funeral. I gave many people tickets to visit ill family members.
“Tbh, I don’t view that as philanthropy, I view that as good deeds,” he explained.
After some legal battles, Rothstein and American Airlines reached a settlement outside of court.
Despite the issues with American Airlines, Rothstein has since chosen to fly with United Airlines for his travels.