Influencer Banned From Flying Jetstar and Qantas After Inflating Life Vest As A Joke

An Australian influencer/content creator has been banned from flying on Jetstar and Qantas after inflating his life vest during the aircraft safety demonstration.

In a video which has since garnered almost 18 million views on Instagram, Hugh Lovett, decided it would be a smart idea to actually inflate his life vest as a joke on a Jetstar flight from Sydney to Adelaide. The video then cuts to another scene showing him being escorted from the aircraft by four police officers.

Lovett is one of four brothers that make comedic content on social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube. In a statement to Yahoo News Australia, Lovett said:

“Honestly, I was just having a bit of fun. They did make it very clear not to put it on or pull it until you’ve left the aircraft. I just don’t listen very well.”

Immediately after inflating the vest, Lovett said he knew he made a big mistake, and was quickly approached by crew members asking him why he activated it. As the flight was not full, Lovett was moved to another seat with an uninflated vest. They allowed him to continue his journey as the airline is only legally required to have one vest per passenger on board.

Once the aircraft arrived in Adelaide, Lovett was stopped by the pilot and later escorted for further questioning by local police. He later received an email from Jetstar, informing him that he is banned from traveling with the airline for the foreseeable future, with that ban also extending to Qantas (Jetstar’s parent company).

In a statement to local media, the Australian Federal Police said that, “inquiries remain ongoing and further comment will be provided at an appropriate time.”

Never in a million years would I think someone would be silly enough to inflate a vest as part of a social media stunt, and it’s even funnier that The Lovetts’ Instagram page only has 21,000 followers. Sure, they may have gained a few hundred followers (possibly a few thousand before the video dies down), but was being banned from not one, but two airlines worth it?

Sign up for the free Gate Checked newsletter here sent three times weekly.

View All and Comment