After working 57 years with the company, a 79-year-old Delta Air Lines flight attendant was fired for allegedly stealing a milk carton and additional items. Now she is fighting back by filing a lawsuit against the airline.
Ida Gomez Llanos is accusing both Delta and her coworkers of orchestrating what she calls a “smear campaign” against her because of her $250,000 salary, which is approximately four times more than the average flight attendant salary of $56,000.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Llanos confirmed that she had been employed with Delta since 1962 until she was fired this past April. She stated that before she was let go, she was ranked as the Number One flight attendant in the Los Angeles area and ranked fifth in the country.
Her rank as the most senior flight attendant in LA came with great perks that other flight attendants did not have, including priority overtime shifts. She said her colleagues “grew envious,” which is part of the reason why she believes they started a “smear campaign” against her.
“They accused me of sleeping, of taking chocolates, not doing a good job – but my letters from passengers proved that wrong,” Llanos said. “They accused me of not being able to arm or disarm the doors. But we all go through training every year, and we have to pass that training or we do not fly.”
According to Llanos, one flight attendant put Bailey’s Irish Cream in her coffee and accused her of taking a chocolate bar. But Llanos denies the allegations stating that she “avoids sugar” because she predisposed to diabetes as a result of her family’s health history.
The lawsuit describes Llanos as an “exemplary employee” who received many company awards and positive reviews from Delta customers.
“I haven’t called in sick for thirty or forty years,” she told DailyMailTV. “Every year they had a banquet for the top 1% who had the most letters from the customers. I went to that three times. I was nominated by the chairman’s club. I’ve had Flight Attendant of the Quarter; you get a little statue.”
She added that despite her record and awards, her bosses came up with false claims because it would save the company money.
“They want to get rid of the older flight attendants,” she said. “I think they put us on higher surveillance. It’s because they have to pay us so much because we’ve been there forever and your pay scale goes up each year. I think they can hire four newer flight attendants for what they pay me.”
A spokesperson from Delta told DailyMailTV, “when a violation of company policy is identified or inappropriate conduct is reported, Delta conducts a thorough investigation to determine the appropriate course of action – considering many factors, including the employee’s overall performance record and length of service. Decisions like these are not made lightly or without a comprehensive review by many.”
