Man posed as Lufthansa pilot to get free flights

A passenger has been arrested after attempting to impersonate a pilot to get a free flights.

The man claimed to be a pilot for Lufthansa while boarding an AirAsia flight at Delhi Airport, The Sun reported. According to the Times of India, he was caught wearing a Lufthansa pilot’s uniform and carried an identity card while travelling on an AirAsia flight in India. A source told the newspaper AirAsia contacted the local office for the German airline to confirm his credentials. “Lufthansa immediately sent its team to contact this person at Delhi Airport,” the source said. “When confronted by Lufthansa officials, the male person admitted to the impersonation.” Lufthansa staff  allegedly revealed he used the fake ID card several over the past six months after buying it in Bangkok. The man also said he used it to identify as a Lufthansa consultant before pretending to be an actual pilot. An AirAsia spokesperson told the Times of India: “The individual in question was impersonating as an employee of Lufthansa airlines. “He was handed over to the airport police, and an investigation has been ordered. “We would like to emphasise that we stand by all security policies and (until) the time the investigation is completed, we would be unable to provide specific details with regards to this.” The daring attempt mimics the 2002 film "Catch Me If You Can" starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, is based on the true story of Frank Abagnale*, who pretended to be a pilot on more than 250 flights in the 1960s. The prank has been attempted a number of other times as well.  A 32-year-old man attempted the same move with Lufthansa in 2012, while a 61-year-old French man also pretended to be a pilot on a US Airways flight in 2013.

Story sourced from here (but with additions)
https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/10379109/fake-pilot-lufthansa-free-flights/

*Abagnale impersonated a pilot to look more legitimate when cashing checks. He obtained a uniform by calling Pan American World Airways (Pan Am), telling the company that he was a pilot working for them who had lost his uniform while getting it cleaned at his hotel, and obtaining a new one with a fake employee ID number. He then forged a Federal Aviation Administration pilot's license. Pan Am estimated that between the ages of 16–18, Abagnale flew (as a passenger) more than 1,000,000 miles (1,600,000 km) on more than 250 flights and flew to 26 countries by deadheading.  As a teenager, he noticed that his hair was greying, which he parlayed into his pilot persona by giving the appearance of being older and having more professional credentials than he did.  As a company pilot, he was also able to stay at hotels free during this time. Expenses such as food or lodging were billed to the airline company. Notably, however, Abagnale did not fly on Pan Am planes, believing his charade could potentially be identified by real Pan Am pilots or employees who would be asked for genuine identification or proof of employment.  Abagnale stated that he was often invited by pilots to take the controls of the plane in-flight. On one occasion, he was offered the courtesy of flying at 30,000 ft (9,100 m). He took the controls and enabled the autopilot, "very much aware that I had been handed custody of 140 lives, my own included ... because I couldn't fly a kite."