Jump Seat Blues

A NYC man is suing JetBlue Airways for more than $2 million because he says a pilot made him give up his seat to a flight attendant and sit in the lavatory (toilet) for more than three hours during a flight from California to NYC.

According to Gokhan Mutlu's court filings, the pilot told him to "go hang out in the bathroom" about 90 minutes into the JetBlue flight from San Diego to NY because the flight attendant complained that the jump seat (the ones that fold out from the wall) was uncomfortable.

You see, Mutlu was flying on a "buddy pass," a standby travel voucher that JetBlue employees give to friends on February 16, 2008 and returned to NY on February 23. He was allegedly told that the flight attendant would be taking the last seat and he would have to wait for the next flight, but then the flight attendant decided to take the jumpseat, thus allowing Mutlu to have the last "regular" seat... at least until the flight attendant complains.

The pilot told Mutlu to give up his seat for the flight attendant and also that he could not sit in the jumpseat because only JetBlue employees could sit there. To make matters worse (or more funny), the aircraft encountered turbulence during the flight and all passengers were directed to return to their seats, but Mutlu had no where to go except to brace himself against a nasty toilet seat.

The basis for the suit filed in Manhattan's state Supreme Court alleges that JetBlue negligently endangered him by providing him with a safety belt or harness, in violation of federal law.

And they promised humanity...way to follow through on that one.

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