Dating coach who was ‘shamed and humiliated’ after being downgraded from enterprise class to financial system is slapped with a No Fly ban by Qantas… and the battle is not over but
A dating coach who was slapped with a No Fly ban by Qantas claims she was ‘shamed and humiliated’ when she was downgraded from business to economy.
Zaklina Blazeski, 47, who goes by Jacquie Blaze, was travelling back to Sydney from a work trip in Italy with her husband Dominic Galati in August 2022.
As they were due to board their connecting flight at Melbourne Airport, their seats were downgraded from business class to economy, with Ms Blaze claiming the Qantas check-in worker ‘tore up’ their boarding passes.
‘We were a little bit taken aback by that, especially when you pay that much money,’ she told news.com.au on Monday.
‘The girl who tore them up didn’t even know why – she was just looking at a computer screen. She was like, “Oh, OK that’s weird”. We were like: “This must be a mistake”.’
Her husband then approached a manager, who allegedly refused to acknowledge them until Ms Blaze attempted to take a photo of him.
She claimed the manager then jumped over the counter in an attempt to grab her phone, which then fell out of her hand.
Mr Galati and the manager both called the police regarding the incident, but no charges were ever laid.
Jacquie Blaze (pictured) said she was falsely accused of throwing her phone at a Qantas worker at Melbourne Airport in August 2022
Ms Blaze and her husband Dominic Galati (both pictured) were complaining to a Qantas manager after their seats from Melbourne to Sydney were downgraded to economy
‘My husband called the Australian Federal Police to report it, and his defence was to say that I threw my phone at him,’ Ms Blaze said.
‘Police arrived and a six-foot male police officer charged at me… I was so scared because I hadn’t done anything wrong.’
In Ms Blaze’s video, published by news.com.au, Mr Galati is heard speaking to the manager before he extends his hand towards the phone and the video stops.
That same month, Ms Blaze received a three-year No Fly ban from Qantas that was only removed on August 4, 2025.
She claims she was ‘treated like a disease’ and a ‘Karen’ by the airline.
‘I’m not aggressive. I’m very respectful of other people’s space. I’ve replayed (the incident) in my head so many times,’ she told the publication.
An AFP spokesperson confirmed to the Daily Mail that police would take no further action against Ms Blaze.
‘The AFP responded to a request for assistance on 5 August, 2022 regarding an alleged incident at an airline counter at Melbourne Airport. AFP officers conducted enquiries and found no evidence of an offence being committed,’ the AFP spokesperson said.
‘The matter has been finalised.’
Ms Blaze (pictured with actor Jack Black) said she tried to film the Qantas manager so she could then make a complaint
The Daily Mail has also contacted Qantas for comment.
A spokesperson for the airline told news.com.au the No Fly ban was part of its standard system.
‘Safety is our number one priority, and we do not tolerate unacceptable behaviour,’ they said in a statement.
‘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.’
It is understood Ms Blaze requested the ban be lifted but was denied in July 2024.
A heavily-redacted AFP report of the incident, seen by news.com.au after a freedom of information request, revealed Airport Uniform Police (AUP) were told a customer ‘threw her phone’ at a worker and walked away.
At the scene, officers were told the couple were unhappy with the downgrade and were ‘consequently not being allowed to travel’.
‘Blazeski requested that AUP take a photo of her right hand. AUP observed a small pink line on Blazeski’s right hand,’ the report stated.
Ms Blaze said she was rushed by a police officer after the alleged altercation (stock image)
After reviewing CCTV footage, the report noted Ms Blaze could be seen holding her phone at chest height, but the following line was redacted.
‘Blazeski has moved her right arm in a forwards motion from the elbow in response and the phone can be seen leaving her hand,’ the report continued.
‘Blazeski retrieves the phone… before Blazeski and Galati leave the area.
‘It was decided by Qantas that Blazeski would not be allowed to travel (redacted) informed Blazeski and Galati of this.
‘At this time it does not appear that an assault has taken place.’
In addition to the incident at Melbourne Airport, Ms Blaze has also been trying to organise a refund of more than $50,000 from Qantas and booking website Expedia for cancelled first class tickets during the Covid-19 pandemic.
She said Expedia informed her via email it had ‘fulfilled its part by submitting seven formal refund requests to the airline’ since 2021.
Qantas allegedly told her ‘no refund requests were received from the travel agent in relation to the outstanding ticket refunds’.
If Qantas receives a refund request from Expedia, it will then process the application.
‘It’s not fair that I’ve had to go through so much, to be shamed and embarrassed and humiliated like this,’ Ms Blaze said.
The Daily Mail has contacted Expedia for comment.
