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NYC-to-Las Vegas flight diverted over unruly man

By WTOP Staff

NEW YORK (AP) — A hollering, agitated passenger who ignored pleas to calm down spurred a pilot to divert a New York-to-Las Vegas JetBlue plane to Detroit over the weekend, according to the airline and a passenger’s video.

Flight 211 was headed west from New York’s Kennedy Airport when the passenger became unruly, and the captain decided to land in Detroit at around 8:30 a.m. Saturday out of “an abundance of caution,” JetBlue Airways Corp. said in statement Sunday.

FBI Detroit spokesman David Porter said it’s unknown whether the man will face criminal charges, but said the episode “did not rise to the level of threatening the aircraft.” He said, “Flight attendants were able to get a handle on the situation relatively quickly.”

Passengers said the outburst erupted suddenly.

“All of a sudden, this guy who was sleeping just woke up out of nowhere and started flipping out,” Mark Verity told ABC.

Passenger video obtained by ABC News shows a man in a window seat standing, gesticulating and shouting, his remarks unclear.

“Dad, stop it!” a female voice exclaims as the man lurches toward the aisle, where flight attendants subdued him and restrained him with plastic hand ties.

Authorities in Detroit took him into custody, JetBlue said. Porter said that he couldn’t discuss the man’s whereabouts Sunday but that he wasn’t in FBI custody.

After about two hours in Detroit, the plane went on to Las Vegas, arriving at around 11:30 a.m., JetBlue said.

The episode unfolded five days after a woman was nearly kicked off a JetBlue flight after her 3-year-old daughter urinated in her seat because the flight crew wouldn’t let her use the bathroom while the plane was on the tarmac in New York, according to an account the mother gave Boston’s WBZ-TV.

The woman, Jennifer Deveraux, said that when she got up to clean the mess, a flight attendant reported her to the pilot, who announced that the Boston-bound plane was returning to the gate to bring an out-of-order passenger to security officials. She said she ultimately was allowed to stay aboard.

JetBlue later apologized, she said; the airline said employees would undergo sensitivity training, the station reported.

It has been a busy few days for airplane mishaps. A Florida-to-Connecticut JetBlue flight was diverted to Kennedy on Sunday after a mechanical warning light went on, and an Allegiant Air flight Friday from Las Vegas to Missoula, Montana, landed in West Wendover, Nevada, because of a hydraulic system warning light. Both planes landed safely, with no injuries.

A Delta Air Lines ramp worker was injured Friday evening responding to an engine fire in a plane parked at New York’s LaGuardia Airport after all its passengers had disembarked; the airline said the worker was doing well.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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