The free flights scam that landed US man in jail

Fake IDs are apparently not just for liquor stores and bars anymore; some travellers have been using them to illegally gain free flights. A Houston man who US attorneys say manufactured, used and sold fraudulent airline-employee ID cards to gain free-flight privileges on Spirit Airlines was sentenced on Wednesday to 30 months in prison by a US district judge in California. The man, a former Mesa Airlines employee who had legitimate access to the Spirit Airlines flight privileges as a work benefit until 2015, allegedly started the scam after Mesa Airlines terminated him in 2015. Officials said Hubbard Bell, 32, made the fake Mesa Airlines credentials using actual employees' personal information. The fake ID ring ran from early 2016 to late 2017, and it resulted in 1953 known flight bookings reserved for someone whose name did not match the Mesa Airlines employee used to book the free flight. Personal information including employees' names, dates of hire and employee identification numbers were allegedly sold in the scam. In September, Bell pleaded guilty via remote video conference to one count of conspiracy to commit wire forgery. In addition to his prison sentence, Bell has also been ordered to repay US$150,000 (NZ$208,04) in lost ticket charges to Spirit Airlines.<br/>