An American Airlines flight attendant was found dead in a Marriott airport hotel room near Philadelphia International Airport (PHL ) on September 25, 2023.
The flight attendant has been identified as Diana Ramos, aged 66. Ramos’ death and the circumstances in which she was found has been described as “suspicious” by Philadelphia authorities.
Ramos, who worked for American Airlines for 25 years, was found with a piece of cloth inside her mouth. There were no signs of forced entry or breakage in the hotel room. No weapons were found, but several sealed prescription bottles were in the room.
Questions raised
While homicide investigators are looking for further clues and angles that could solve the case, members of the airline community are concerned over details that transpired before Ramos was found in the hotel room.
Many want to know, specifically, why it took two days before a hotel housekeeper discovered Ramos’ body.
An American Airlines flight attendant told Fox News that Ramos was supposed to head a flight to Los Angeles Airport (LAX) on September 25, 2023.
The flight attendant said that because the accommodation was very close to the airport, no shuttle was needed to get to the airport. The flight crew, therefore, agreed to meet at the airport gate.
The flight attendant, who wished to remain anonymous, said that when the crew reached the gate and found that they were missing one flight attendant, one of the crew called the hotel twice to get them to check on her.
The Daily Mail reported that another American Airlines flight attendant said that “everybody” is still trying to figure out what happened, and why “her crew just left her.”
‘A Fly Guy’s Cabin Crew Lounge’, a Facebook page for airline professionals with over 1.3 million followers, has been vocal about the valid concerns and frustration over American Airlines’ failure to perform a welfare check on Ramos after she was reported missing by her colleagues.
“Airlines have a duty of care for their staff and are responsible for following up on situations when crew members fail to report for their flights away from their bases. Many also question why it took the hotel two days to check the room after Ramos failed to check out. NO CREW MEMBER SHOULD BE LEFT BEHIND. THE AIRLINE MUST DO BETTER,” the Facebook page posted.
American Airlines, meanwhile, has released a statement prior to Ramos being identified as the flight attendant.
“Our thoughts are with the family and colleagues, and we’re doing everything we can to ensure all affected have the support they need during this difficult time.We will continue to cooperate fully with local law enforcement in their investigation,” the statement reads.
