British Airways Steward Wins £30,000 Payout After Unfair Dismissal for 'Mile High Club' Comment

A former British Airways steward has been awarded nearly £30,000 in an unfair dismissal case after being sacked for asking a female colleague if she wanted to join the 'mile high club.' Charly Mateo, 37, was dismissed in July 2024 following an incident on a flight where he allegedly touched a colleague's leg and told her 'sexual stories.'

An employment tribunal found that while the airline had a genuine belief that Mr. Mateo had made inappropriate advances, the dismissal was substantively unfair due to an inadequate investigation. The tribunal determined that the airline did not conduct a thorough enough inquiry into the allegations before dismissing Mr. Mateo.

Allegations and Investigation

The incident occurred during a flight, where a female colleague reported that Mr. Mateo had disturbed her during a break behind a privacy curtain. According to a colleague's report during the investigation, Mr. Mateo asked the complainant if she wanted to be part of the 'mile high club.' The woman stated she felt 'extremely uncomfortable' and that her 'privacy was totally invaded.' She further indicated she did not wish to work with Mr. Mateo again.

British Airways' investigation found that Mr. Mateo had 'purposely touched' the colleague's leg and had also allegedly told her 'sexual stories' about other women. The airline expressed concern that these actions occurred while Mr. Mateo was on a flight, even though he was not actively performing cabin crew duties at that precise moment.

Mr. Mateo, who worked for British Airways at Heathrow Airport from September 2018 to July 2024, had a clean disciplinary record prior to the incident and had received commendations for his service. He earned a basic annual salary of £21,833, along with duty allowances and bar commission.

Tribunal Findings

Employment Judge Anna Macey ruled that the dismissal was unfair because British Airways interviewed Mr. Mateo before obtaining a full account from the complainant and did not sufficiently question her about the allegation that he had touched her knee. The judge concluded that Mr. Mateo's conduct, including disturbing the complainant during her break for a non-work-related conversation, was 'blameworthy' and an 'invasion of privacy.'

Despite finding the dismissal unfair, the tribunal rejected Mr. Mateo's bid for reinstatement. Judge Macey stated that the airline held a genuine belief that trust had irretrievably broken down due to the seriousness of the allegations. The judge added that there was insufficient evidence to conclude that Mr. Mateo would repeat the alleged misconduct or the blameworthy behavior that the tribunal had concluded he committed.

Mr. Mateo was awarded £29,195 for unfair dismissal. Following his sacking, he traveled to the USA to be with his wife, who was working as a postdoctoral research fellow at New York University. He later returned to the UK, obtained a work permit, and applied to be added to his wife's visa as a dependent.