Trending

Passengers chip in to pay for plane's repairs

We know flying comes with extra costs. A pillow, blanket or even meal now come with price tags on top of your fare, but when did having to pay for repairs to the plane start being added to the tab?

A LOT Polish Airlines flight that was scheduled to take off from Beijing Capital Airport couldn't get into the air when it needed a new pump for the hydraulic system, Metro reported.

A Boeing repair person at the airport wouldn’t take the airline’s bank transfer and would only perform the work if they got the cash in hand.

An airline spokesperson said the two companies are supposed to have non-cash transactions only, RT reported.

Passengers were asked to pass the plate by a member of the airline staff, RT reported.

>> Read more trending news

The effort collected almost $340 to pay for the repair and get the flight in the air.

One passenger on the flight to Warsaw told Metro, “We are at the international airport. I cannot believe that transactions take place here in cash under the table with the mechanic standing next to the plane. Incredible.”

A spokesperson with LOT Polish Airlines told Metro the employee at the Beijing airport refused all payment methods other than cash, leading to confusion.

The passengers who chipped in got their money back when they landed in Warsaw. They were also given vouchers and may get compensated for the 10-hour wait they had as the repair was made.

As for the employee who asked the passengers for the donations, the company spokesperson said he or she will face disciplinary action, Metro reported.

"There are no circumstances that justify asking money from passengers," Adrian Kubicki told Metro.