Here’s how a Florida man scammed various airlines, took over 120 free flights before getting caught

Alexander booked flights with several major airlines, including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Spirit Airlines. In one case, he flew 34 times on a single airline, using 30 different badge numbers and fabricated hire dates to impersonate flight staff and access their benefits.

He also allegedly posed as a flight attendant for three other carriers to continue travelling for free. These flight privileges, commonly referred to as non-revenue travel, allow airline employees, and sometimes their family and friends, to fly standby without paying, based on seniority and seat availability.

According to the charges issued against Alexander in October 2024, he had falsely claimed that he had been employed by an airline “from on or about November 30, 2015, and continuing through the present.” However, it was found out that he was never employed as a flight attendant or pilot at any of the airlines involved.

Arrested in March, Alexander’s sentencing is scheduled for August 25 in the court for the Southern District of Florida, the report stated.

A similar incident happened in November 2019, where a 48-year-old man from Delhi was caught for impersonating a Lufthansa pilot. Rajan Mahbubani was arrested at Indira Gandhi International Airport. According to CNN, Mahbubani wore a fake pilot uniform and used a fake ID to gain access to airport lounges and bypass security checks. He was nabbed after authorities tried to verify his identification documents.