It’s normal to get the “travel bug” and have a sense of wanderlust. What’s not normal is to pretend to work for an airline to travel for free as a result.
A Florida man was convicted by a federal jury of wire fraud and entering into a secure area of an airport by false pretenses earlier this month after he booked over 120 free flights posing as a flight attendant.
From 2018 to 2024, Tiron Alexander, 35, booked free flights on an airline carrier’s website that were only available to pilots and flight attendants, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
As a result, Alexander flew on 34 flights with the airline carrier without paying for any of them, as the airline was under the impression that he was an employee. He did this by claiming that he was a flight attendant and provided a badge number and date of hire.
Alexander claimed that he worked for seven different airlines and used 30 different badge numbers and dates of hire.
That’s not all. The investigation showed that Alexander posed as a flight attendant on three other airline carriers.
He ultimately booked over 120 free flights this way.
The case was investigated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
"TSA is pleased to receive a guilty verdict on all five counts against Tiron Alexander. His conviction is the result of support provided to the Department of Justice by TSA's Investigations Office, as well as strong partnerships with industry and law enforcement,” the TSA Atlanta Field Office told CBS Miami.
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“While Alexander was able to board flights by fraudulently obtaining a boarding pass, he underwent all applicable TSA security procedures, including ID verification and physical screening, and did not pose a threat to other airline passengers. TSA remains dedicated to the security of the flying public and will continue to support the prosecution of those who break air travel laws," the agency added.
U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra is scheduled to sentence Alexander on August 25, 2025.
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