Man Who Sneaked Onto Philly Flight Must Pay $59,143

A Philadelphia man who sneaked onto an American Airlines flight in June 2024 was on Tuesday ordered to pay $59,143 in restitution—a sum equal to what canceling the flight cost the airline. A press release from the US Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, states that Jonathan "Jon" Beaulieu, 32, approached a female security guard at Philadelphia International Airport's Terminal C exit lane at 12:12am on June 26 of last year.

She was tasked with keeping people from entering and said Beaulieu claimed he had left his phone in the airport and needed to retrieve it, Business Insider reports. She explained that wasn't possible, and says Beaulieu placed a $50 bill on her desk in an apparent attempt to change her mind. It didn't, and after several minutes of arguing, she says Beaulieu walked around her and into the "sterile area." She called police, and surveillance footage showed Beaulieu had boarded a plane at Gate A-20.

By the time police made it to the gate, the doors were closed and the plane was readying for departure. It was brought back to the gate, passengers were removed, and Beaulieu was arrested. "Due to the boarding of an unscreened passenger, the entire plane had to be searched, resulting in the flight's cancelation," per the release. In addition to the restitution, Beaulieu was sentenced to a year of probation.