American Airlines flight attendants have been warned about dating apps

American Airlines flight attendants have been advised to exercise extreme caution when using dating apps following two recent violent attacks on crew members in Jamaica.

American Airlines flight attendants have been warned to be careful with dating apps

While the memo specifically mentions the recent violence in Jamaica, it urges flight attendants to exercise caution when using contact or dating apps wherever they are in the world, even in the “least suspicious” parts of the US:

Crime and violence are possible wherever we travel, even in the least suspicious areas of the United States. That’s why we ask for more caution than ever before with every transfer.

Recently, two of our APFA colleagues were victims of violent crime while in Jamaica, and this follows an uptick in activity against foreign visitors to the country.

The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica has been notified of several crimes committed against U.S. citizens through dating apps. These apps are used to meet foreign visitors in public places such as hotels, restaurants and bars, and later attack, threaten and/or rob the victims. In these cases, local officials often do not arrest or prosecute the attackers.

Please never reveal the name and location of our transfer hotels on social media or dating apps. Inviting strangers into the private and safe space of your hotel room can open the door to an unsafe and possibly life-threatening situation.

Flight crews and American tourists are often the targets of foreign crime, but even in the United States, transit security should not be taken lightly.

Please be careful when leaving your hotel rooms, lock your belongings in the hotel safe and always ensure that someone from the staff knows your contact details if you decide to leave your holiday.

Please use extreme caution when venturing out alone and consider letting a crew member know your plans.

A dear friend’s brother was murdered in Jamaica. This country continues to be plagued by violent crime. But the violence isn’t limited to Jamaica, and taking strangers into your hotel room (what the AA calls a “safe space”) is a bad idea, wherever you are in the world, flight attendant or not.

CONCLUSION

American Airlines flight attendants have been warned to be extremely careful when using dating apps. This is good advice for anyone, maybe right now in Jamaica, but wherever you find yourself in the world.

(photo: Ivan Radic / Flickr // H/T: PYOK)