Dating Coach Faces Qantas No Fly Ban After Business Class Downgrade Dispute
A dating coach who was issued a No Fly ban by Qantas claims she was "shamed and humiliated" when her and her husband's seats were abruptly downgraded from business to economy class. Zaklina Blazeski, 47, who operates under the professional name Jacquie Blaze, was returning to Sydney from a work trip in Italy with her husband Dominic Galati in August 2022.
The Incident at Melbourne Airport
As the couple prepared to board their connecting flight at Melbourne Airport, a Qantas check-in worker allegedly "tore up" their business class boarding passes without explanation. "We were a little bit taken aback by that, especially when you pay that much money," Ms Blaze told news.com.au. "The girl who tore them up didn't even know why - she was just looking at a computer screen."
When Mr Galati approached a manager about the situation, Ms Blaze claims the manager refused to acknowledge them until she attempted to photograph him. "He then jumped over the counter in an attempt to grab my phone, which fell out of my hand," she alleged. Both Mr Galati and the manager contacted police, though no charges were ultimately filed.
Police Involvement and No Fly Ban
Ms Blaze described being "so scared" when a police officer approached her at the scene. "My husband called the Australian Federal Police to report it, and his defence was to say that I threw my phone at him," she explained. That same month, Qantas issued a three-year No Fly ban against Ms Blazeski that remained in effect until August 4, 2025.
"I was treated like a disease and a 'Karen' by the airline," Ms Blaze stated. "I'm not aggressive. I'm very respectful of other people's space. I've replayed the incident in my head so many times."
Conflicting Accounts and Redacted Report
A heavily-redacted Australian Federal Police report obtained through freedom of information laws revealed conflicting narratives about the incident. Airport Uniform Police were initially told that a customer "threw her phone" at a worker and walked away. The report noted officers observed "a small pink line" on Ms Blaze's right hand when she requested they photograph it.
After reviewing CCTV footage, the report stated Ms Blaze could be seen holding her phone at chest height before "moving her right arm in a forwards motion from the elbow" and the phone "leaving her hand." However, the document concluded "it does not appear that an assault has taken place."
Additional Financial Dispute with Qantas
Separately from the airport incident, Ms Blaze has been attempting to secure a refund exceeding $50,000 from Qantas and booking platform Expedia for first class tickets cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Expedia informed her they had submitted seven formal refund requests to the airline since 2021, while Qantas allegedly claimed "no refund requests were received from the travel agent."
"It's not fair that I've had to go through so much, to be shamed and embarrassed and humiliated like this," Ms Blaze expressed regarding both incidents.
Qantas Response and Safety Priority
A Qantas spokesperson told news.com.au that the No Fly ban was part of their standard protocol. "Safety is our number one priority, and we do not tolerate unacceptable behaviour," they stated. "The incident was reviewed at the time in line with our internal processes and resulted in a No Fly Ban being issued to Ms Blazeski." The airline confirmed Ms Blaze requested the ban be lifted in July 2024 but was denied.
