Airline scandal of the week: Southwest ticket trafficking

February 26, 10:45 AMOrlando Airlines ExaminerHeather Mark

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Photo courtesy of Cassiopeia Sweet, Wikimedia Commons.

While this scandal isn't as deranged as this one from last April, it certainly represents bad news for Southwest Airlines.

A federal grand jury indicted 10 people involved in a weird Southwest Airlines ticket scalping scheme. They've each been accused of one count each of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aiding and abetting wire fraud.

From what I gather, it all stems from the underhanded actions of Althea Jackson, a Southwest Airlines administrative assistant who allegedly stole over 5,600 non-revenue must ride passes in a two year period. That's like stealing eight tickets every single day for two years! Althea Jackson would then give the tickets to her now ex-husband James Jackson, a former bailiff at the Bexar County Courthouse in San Antonio, who would sell them for $120 apiece. Some of the people who bought them then turned around and re-sold them.

One of the men who was indicted is Mark Gudanowski, a driver and investigator for Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reed. Gudanowski allegedly re-sold the tickets to Reed and Bexar County judges. Neither Reed nor the judges are being prosecuted.

Indictment Roll Call

• Bexar County sheriff's deputy Mark Edward Kedrowski
• Bexar County bailiff Pedro Martinez Jr.
• Former juvenile jail security officer DeWayne Clayton
• James Jackson's cousin, Mattie Laverne Epperson who worked at SBC, now AT&T
• Tasha Mathis, a woman James Jackson met online
• Former SBC employee Luis Vasquez
• Two of James Jackson's friends from Houston, Lance Williams and David Anderson III
• A woman named Deborah Robinson.

What is a Non-Revenue Ticket Anyway?

There are three types of non-revenue tickets, non-revenue space available, non-revenue positive space, and non-revenue must ride. Space available means the ticket will get you on the flight if there is an empty seat after all the paying customers have boarded. Positive space non-revenue tickets allow a passenger to check in and board like a paying customer, but if the flight oversells (too many paying customers and not enough seats), the traveler will have to give up his seat to a paying customer. A must ride allows the traveler to check in and board just like everyone else, and entitles him to denied boarding compensation and some lost or stolen baggage coverage.

It is clearly printed on every non-revenue ticket that it has no cash value. Regardless of what type of non-revenue ticket a passenger holds, it is worth exactly $0, which is what makes the Althea Jackson's actions so despicable. Must ride passes are typically reserved for distressed customers, charities and other community outreach projects.

Source: My SA News