Passenger Claims Airline Canceled Her Connecting Flight In A Random City Because Her Scared Kitten Pooped In Its Carrier During A Rough Landing
Accidents happen, and she handled it the best she could.
Oleg Batrak | Shutterstock Flying during the holiday season is an inherently stressful endeavor and adding a pet to your travel plans makes things even more difficult.
One woman tried to get home after the holidays with her kitten in tow but instead got stuck in a "random city" after her cat had an accident in his carrier.
The passenger claimed that the airline canceled her connecting flight because her scared kitten pooped in his carrier during a rough landing.
The woman, Alex, shared her frustrating travel story to X where she is known as @barelyyalex.
While aboard a SouthWest flight to California, she and her 7-month-old kitten, Oni, experienced a rather rough landing. Since he was anxious, the kitten defecated in his carrier.
"I take Oni to the airplane bathroom quickly to wipe up what I think is just pee," she wrote. "I quickly realize it is poop and pee and after wrapping the dirty paper towels in another clean one, I dispose of them in the trash because I am worried about if they can be flushed and expect they take out the trash between flights."
Alex asked flight attendants for an additional garbage bag as she cleaned out Oni’s carrier, explaining to them what had happened. “They are very sweet and understanding and I finish cleaning up and put the rest of the trash in the garbage bag for them to easily get rid of,” she recalled.
However, as she deplaned, Alex overheard one of the flight attendants whisper to another that they were out of air freshener.
Once Alex was off the plane, she realized that her connecting flight was on the exact same aircraft and she needed to reboard.
“Oni and his carrier are fully cleaned and there is no trace of the incident. No odor at all,” she noted.
However, once she reboarded the plane, Alex discovered that the flight attendants never changed the bathroom garbage bag in the bathroom. A new crew had also taken the previous attendants' place and they were far less understanding of the situation.
“The flight attendant approached me in a hostile manner saying they were agitated because they had to close that bathroom for the flight and questioned me,” Alex recounted. “I am very stressed and overwhelmed and apologetic because I genuinely thought they would change the trash but they did not and have no spray to assist with the smell.”
Alex said that the flight attendant continued to berate her and insisted that the bathroom “wasn’t her cat’s litter box.”
“I say ‘I know, I have a portable litter box and have a flushable litter. He’s just a baby and had an accident,’” Alex wrote.
Despite her apologies, the flight attendant continued to chastise Alex, bringing her to tears.
“I sit down, crying, overwhelmed, embarrassed, and stressed,” Alex admitted. A few minutes later, a different flight attendant kicked her off the flight.
After being escorted off the aircraft, Alex and Oni were given a new flight, one that required several hours of waiting and another layover. As she didn't plan for such a prolonged travel day, Alex had to "ration" food and litter for Oni. “My original arrival time at LAX was 5 p.m. and now it is after midnight,” she added.
Thankfully, Alex and Oni made it onto their new flight with no issues. The pair celebrated by reuniting with Oni’s dog brother and enjoying Taco Bell.
The flight attendants’ treatment of Alex and her kitten was unacceptable.
Many commenters shared their opinions on the situation, with some encouraging Alex to reach out to the airline. Although she received a $200 voucher for a future flight, some insisted she was entitled to full compensation.
"I'd put in a formal complaint to the airline about how they handled it," one X user advised. "It's not ideal, but kids' diapers do this too! They could've spent a third of the time changing the actual trash bag. [It's] is gross they don't clean it between fights with new full-paying passengers."
According to AN Aviation, turnaround cleaning, which occurs during short layovers, should include "waste removal, wiping down visible dirt, and ensuring lavatories remain hygienic." They further noted that lavatories should be cleaned with strong disinfectants between each flight and waste generated during flights should be disposed of upon landing.
While it is not strictly necessary for flight attendants to change the bathroom garbage between every flight, a hygienic environment is required.
It is unfair and unsanitary to expect passengers to deal with uncleaned feces in restrooms when it is an airline's job to clean them — not just spray air freshener. It is also unfair to blame Alex for what was clearly an accident.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.