Alaska Air CEO’s 23-Hour Zoom Call Ends When Flight Attendant Reminds Him He’s Still On The Plane
SEATTLE — In what internet historians are already calling the most relatable corporate fail of the year, Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci inadvertently became the face of “working from literally anywhere” after a viral video captured the moment a flight attendant tapped his shoulder mid-earnest safety demonstration to ask, “Sir, have you considered that you are the aircraft?” The CEO, who had been live-streaming a 23-hour budget review from seat 2A, reportedly did not notice the plane had landed, deplaned, been cleaned, refueled, and taken off again with him still aboard, all while the call’s 47 attendees politely “held their questions.” Meme historians note the irony: the same airline that once asked a passenger to cover a window leak with a sticky note now has a leader who didn’t realize he was still inside the leak. As the clip reached 10 million views, analysts praised the CEO’s “unprecedented commitment to vertical integration,” while passengers demanded compensation in the form of one free legroom. The real kicker? The Zoom background showed a generic airplane cabin.