Woman Kicked Off Flight For 'Using The Bathroom Too Much' Before Takeoff
She says that she contracted a stomach bug while traveling and was feeling ill before the flight.
jakubgojda / Canva Pro Joanna Chiu has an important message for anyone who frequently travels by plane: if you have to use the restroom before takeoff, it is best to hold it until you’re up in the air.
Her warning comes after she was booted from a flight after flight attendants took note of her frequent trips to the restroom.
Chiu shared that she had an ‘upset stomach’ and was in and out of the plane's restroom before takeoff.
According to Chiu, she had contracted a stomach illness while traveling in Mexico. When she boarded her WestJet flight home, she made multiple trips to the bathroom on the plane to relieve her symptoms.
The flight attendants noticed her frequent restroom use, and when they approached her about it, Chiu confessed that she had an upset stomach.
Despite being on the mend and taking medication, Chiu was kicked off the plane.
“Just got kicked off a @WestJet flight from Mexico because I had an upset stomach and was going to the washroom too much before takeoff,” she revealed in an X post. “No promise of a hotel or rebooked flight. I had meds and was on the mend. Some customer service.”
In the rush to deboard the flight, she left all of her money with her travel companions. Unable to pay for a taxi or hotel in the area, she alerted a WestJet supervisor about her unfortunate situation.
Photo: Yuri Acurs / Canva Pro
However, according to Chiu, the supervisor was hostile to her and refused to assist her.
When she began filming the heated exchange, the supervisor informed her that she would be unable to board another flight and he called security to intervene.
Thankfully, the guard was able to assess the situation after an overwhelmed Chiu burst into tears and she was able to seek help from another employee.
“She was much nicer but refused to give me a booking reference for my rebooked flight. She told me to just come back to the airport tomorrow and ask at the counter,” Chiu shared. “WestJet DM’d me my booking reference number after I had asked for it repeatedly at the airport. I ended up getting in the taxi because I was legitimately worried about getting arrested.”
Fortunately, Chiu was able to make it home safe and sound two days later.
“Really was my fault not realizing I had to be extra careful this year as a [dragon],” she joked, noting ancient Chinese astrology.
She also advised others to research potential illnesses they could contract in certain areas before traveling.
“Check whether your destination is known for stomach bugs. Take probiotics etc. If you're asked to deplane, take the time to gather your wallet, passport, [and] medications,” she shared.
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Chiu also warned travelers if they board the flight with an upset stomach, it is best to keep the information to yourself. “If you go to the washroom before a flight, and the flight attendant asks if you are sick, say you just have a small bladder,” she added.
While Chiu is happy that she was able to make it home, she found it “sad” that she wasn’t able to receive any help until she aired her story publicly.
People were split on whether Chiu should have been booted from the flight in the first place.
“Getting kicked off a flight for using the lavatory? That's what the lavatory is for,” one X user noted. “This is outrageous. That’s what the onboard toilet is there for!” another user commented.
However, others argued that flight attendants made the right decision by kicking Chiu off. They pointed out how traveling while ill could put other passengers at risk and that it would be unfair to them if she was in the restroom for most of the flight.
“As a former flight attendant, they made the right call. I can't vouch for how they communicated to/with you, but the decision wasn't wrong,” one X user shared.
“The passenger was ill and as such should not have been flying. Sounds like this problem could have resulted in the passenger needing to occupy the lavatory for the entire return flight, or at times when ‘in-seat’ is required for safety,” another user wrote.
In a statement to People, the WestJet representative apologized to Chiu for the inconvenience but supported the airline’s decision to have her removed from the flight.
“We sincerely apologize to Ms. Chiu for the inconvenience and discomfort she experienced during her recent travel experience. Ensuring the wellbeing and safety of our guests and crew is our number one priority and therefore we take any health-related concerns very seriously,” the rep shared.
“While unexpected illness can occur while traveling, maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all guests and crew members is paramount. In circumstances where a guest is deemed unfit to travel due to illness, our crew must make difficult decisions in the name of safety.”
Photo: waku / Shutterstock
Traveling while ill is generally a bad idea.
Although every airline policy is different, they have the authority to refuse boarding or remove passengers from a flight if they are deemed unfit to travel due to illness or if their condition poses a risk to other passengers or crew members.
While it may be inconvenient for the ill passenger, and they certainly cannot help falling ill, the decision to have them removed is usually made with the safety and well-being of everyone on board in mind.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.