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In 1987, Steven Rothstein received unrestricted travel privileges following his purchase of an AAirpass.
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EXPLORE MORE: Ways to benefit from the advantages of the hidden, highly exclusive air travel privileges
A former
American Airlines
The boss disclosed the genuine cause behind the airline's decision to cancel a passenger's 'lifetime' first-class travel privileges, following the individual's actions that resulted in significant financial losses for the company.
Steven Rothstein, a businessman from
Chicago
, purchased an exclusive £190,000 AAirpass ticket in 1987, which granted him unlimited first-class flights for life.
Aside from the AAirpass, Rothstein also spent an additional £115,000 on a companion pass, which enabled him to have a guest join him during his travels.
At the time, Rothstein was 37 years old and considered the AAirpass to be a savvy investment, given his frequent business trips.
Over the following two decades, Rothstein flew approximately 10,000 times, travelling more than 30 million miles.
His extensive flying habit, reportedly cost American Airlines a staggering $21 million (£16 million).
The businessman's former wife, Nancy, told reporters at the time that Rothstein 'got on a plane like most people get on a bus'.
Despite his regular and lavish travel, Rothstein's golden ticket came to an abrupt end in December 2008.
Speaking to the
Guardian
in 2019, he recalled the moment he was informed of the termination.
He stated: "I approached the ticket desk, checked in my baggage bound for London, made my way to the boarding gate... and right as I stepped onto the aircraft, they presented me with a letter revoking the AAirpass."
'I wonder why they allowed me to reach the gate. It would have been more considerate of them to inform me from the start.'
But Rothstein's journey didn't end there: American Airlines soon launched a legal battle against Rothstein, claiming he had abused the scheme by making a series of 'speculative bookings' for non-existent passengers.
According to the airline, Rothstein booked 14 flights under names such as 'Bag Rothstein' and 'Steven Rothstein Jr', which they argued violated the terms of the AAirpass.
In his defense, Rothstein claimed that the sole directive he received was never to let anyone else utilize the AAirpass system.
He also claimed he turned down offers from people willing to pay him thousands of dollars a week for the privilege of using it.
The stockbroker's spouse and child also contended that he had 'never touched a computer' and asserted 'all of his reservations were made through an American Airlines staff member who was compensated for their time.'
Rothstein stated: "When I purchased the AAirpass, they explicitly informed me that the sole regulation was not to transfer the AAirpass to anyone else. Those times were before airlines required passenger identification."
American Airlines went on to accuse several other flyers of breaching their contracts by either offering strangers a seat reserved for their companion, or keeping it empty entirely for more space.
Rothstein hit back against the travel giant's accusations by countersuing, accusing the company of violating the terms of the ticket by revoking it.
Nevertheless, the disagreement was ultimately resolved outside of court, and the pass has subsequently been discontinued.
Bob Crandall, who served as the chairman and CEO of American Airlines from 1985 to 1998, subsequently stated
Los Angeles Times
that the permit, introduced in 1981, was
originally imagined to 'be something that firms would buy for top employees'.
He added: 'It soon became apparent that the public was smarter than we were.'
It comes after budget airline
Wizz Air launched a new 'all you can fly' deal
for just £426-a-year with customers able to jump on unlimited flights.
The subscription service, priced at €499 (£426) for a short time in August 2024, allows passengers to fly as far as the Maldives for a flat fare of £9 per hop.
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