Ida Gomez Llanos joined Delta Airlines in November 1962 as, what was then likely termed, a ‘stewardess’. She was reportedly the highest-ranking flight attendant in Los Angeles before she was fired in June this year by Delta Air Lines after 57 years with the company. The 79-year-old former flight attendant is suing the airline who accused her of stealing a carton of milk and other food items from her flights.
Gomez Llanos however, claims she was the victim of a smear campaign by other flight attendants who were jealous of the perks her seniority afforded her and of her US $250,000 salary.
As for the airline, she reportedly claimed, “They want to get rid of the older flight attendants. I think they put us on a 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.”
Her lawsuit, filed in a Los Angeles court, claims Gomez Llanos was “such an outstanding flight attendant that Delta honored her with numerous awards over the years, including perfect attendance awards, commendation luncheons for a short list of the finest flight attendants (top 1%), and nominations as an honoree of the annual Delta Chairman’s Club.”
Gomez Llanos says she was “harassed” and “bullied,” and that the spreading of lies led to her being penalized and eventually terminated.
The lawsuit states, “Despite blatantly contradictory statements from employees, defendants falsely determined that Ms. Gomez stole two cartons of milk, two (or nine) of ten (or 12) bowls of cereal, two (or three) bags of chocolates, yogurt, all of the espresso, and an entire pizza, all during a single flight. Also, somehow, no catering items were missing, and plaintiff was not witnessed stealing anything. However, the flight attendant who accused Ms. Gomez of stealing two cartons of milk, three bags of chocolate, nine bowls of cereal, all of the espresso, and a whole pizza provided pictures of cereal in an aircraft closet, as if that were conclusive proof that Ms. Gomez was a thief (and she is not).”
Colleagues also claimed Llanos put Bailey’s Irish Cream in her coffee!
This is a copy of the actual lawsuit. It makes interesting reading. If any of it is accurate, the treatment of Gomez Llanos by her colleagues and by the airline is inexcusable.
However, Delta is standing by its decision to terminate Llanos.
“In determining the appropriate action for Ms. Gomez, multiple people considered all of the relevant factors and made the difficult decision to terminate her employment,” a spokesperson said. “Delta firmly believes that its decision to terminate Ms. Gomez was appropriate and entirely lawful.
“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.”
Llanos described her firing as a devastating blow.