American Airlines Sues Former Flight Attendant

Lawsuit targets release of private flight information

American Airlines filed a lawsuit Tuesday against a flight attendant who was fired last month after making parody videos that poked fun at airline management.

The suit accuses Gailen David of publishing personal flight information for airline executives on his blog and of improperly using airline trademarks -- specifically the letters "AA" on his websites.

"The travel information of American Airlines' passengers is considered both private and confidential, regardless of their relationship to the company," American said in a statement.

The Fort Worth-based airline said it would add current employees to the suit if they are found to be providing confidential information to David and also would take disciplinary action against them, including termination.

David, of Miami, first made a name for himself by posting several home videos -- including some of himself dressed in drag -- that parodied airline management.

The lawsuit filed in Tarrant County District Court did not mention the videos.

"I've kept going with my blog," David said Wednesday. "I've kept talking about things going on with management at American Airlines."

David's blog has publicized personal flight information for current and former airline executives, detailing exactly which flights they were taking.

In some cases, he claimed the executives bumped paying customers from first class to coach, a charge the airline denies.

"The upper management expected me to get tired and stop bringing out the things that are going on with management, and I'm not getting tired," David said.

On his blog, he said the flight information came from "moles."

But in an interview with NBC 5, he denied obtaining the information from employees.

"When it comes out how I was receiving that information, it's going to be very embarrassing to American Airlines because I was never getting information from the company's computers," he said. "No employees were ever furnishing that information to me."

Asked how he did get the information, he said, "I'm not telling that."

David said he would defend himself from the lawsuit and vowed to continue to expose what he considers to be wrongdoing by airline management.

"I will not stop," he said. "American Airlines knows that I am a force to be reckoned with, and they are trying to shut me down."

More: Read the lawsuit
Read American Airlines' full statement on the lawsuit

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