A few months in the past, I wrote about how Qatar Airways reportedly banned a YouTuber after he shared a unfavourable evaluation of a flight. Nicely, that very same YouTuber has now discovered himself in an excellent worse state of affairs with one other airline.
Aero Dili posts Josh Cahill’s passport on-line
This incident entails Josh Cahill and Aero Dili. For context, Josh Cahill is a well-liked YouTuber who critiques flights, whereas Aero Dili is a small airline primarily based in East Timor, which was based in 2017.
In September 2023, Cahill took a flight on Aero Dili from Bali to East Timor, which he posted about on YouTube. He described the flight as a “catastrophe,” as he had points at check-in, after which he claims he acquired “the worst meals poisoning” from the flight.
Lately the nation supervisor for Aero Dili, Acacia Mota, made a publish on Fb about Cahill with some wild claims. He states that Cahill reached out earlier than his flight, asking for a free flight, free lodging, a meals allowance, and $50,000 in money, in trade for a constructive evaluation.
These are some outrageous claims, so what proof did Mota present? Nicely, as an alternative of sharing a screenshot of the alleged extortion try, he shared an image of Cahill’s passport, with all the small print exhibiting. Cahill isn’t certain how he acquired that image, although it could have been from throughout check-in (given that there have been points), or from his arrival within the nation.
Cahill reached out to the airline relating to his passport being posted on-line, however the airline by no means responded. So Cahill then reached out to regulation enforcement in East Timor, and was knowledgeable that the nation has no information safety legal guidelines, so what the airline was doing wasn’t unlawful, and subsequently the airline was inside its rights.
Cahill states that the airline may publish the passport and bank card particulars of any passenger on-line with none punishment. Aero Dili is meant to start out flights to Singapore shortly, so Cahill is asking his viewers to achieve out to Singapore’s Minister of Transport to encourage him to dam this flight, given the disregard that the airline has for primary information safety requirements.
You possibly can watch the 10-minute video about what occurred beneath…
My tackle this Josh Cahill & Aero Dili state of affairs
Not solely is Aero Dili being extremely unethical right here, however the airline’s conduct can also be past silly. Right here you have got a YouTuber with a big viewers who can capitalize on this sort of stuff, and also you’re going to provide him this sort of bait? And the airline thinks it’s going to come back out of this trying good?
Assume what you might of Cahill, however I 100% imagine him when he says that the accusations by the airline are utterly baseless. C’mon, he needed a free flight, a meals allowance, and $50,000, in trade for a constructive evaluation, from a small, nationwide airline? No, that’s completely made up. And I really like how the “proof” offered comes within the type of utterly violating his privateness. That is absurd, plain and easy.
Now, I’m certain individuals can have combined opinions right here, so let me acknowledge a few issues. To start with, I feel those that say that Cahill is usually overly dramatic and is searching for out drama aren’t off base, to place it politely. However that’s all of the extra purpose the airline shouldn’t do one thing so extremely silly, which is able to solely bolster his reputation and backside line.
Having gone again and watched the unique evaluation, I don’t assume Cahill comes out trying good with how he interacted with the station supervisor, as he was fairly aggressive and pointing his finger. Whereas I perceive his frustration, that’s by no means the way you get what you need. Regardless, that it no approach excuses what the airline did.
Backside line
YouTuber Josh Cahill had a nasty expertise flying with Aero Dili, and posted a evaluation about it. The airline took revenge on him by claiming he demanded a $50,000 bribe for a constructive evaluation, and supported that declare by posting a full image of his passport. Regardless of how dramatic Cahill could also be, that is utterly unacceptable conduct from an airline.
What do you make of this example between Josh Cahill and Aero Dili?
