Woman gets kicked off flight for having an 'upset stomach' before takeoff
Topics: Health, News, Social media, Travel, Plane Etiquette
Jess Hardiman
Featured Image Credit: x/@joannachiu
Topics: Health, News, Social media, Travel, Plane Etiquette
A woman has revealed she was kicked off flight for having an ‘upset stomach’ before takeoff, saying she ended up in tears over the experience.
Author Joanna Chiu took to Twitter to reveal what had happened to her on a recent WestJet flight from Mexico, saying she’d not been feeling well and needed to go to the bathroom several times before takeoff.
She claims she ended up being ‘kicked off’ for using the facilities ‘too much’ and was forced to pay for a hotel as she awaited another flight the next day.
In a series of tweets, Chiu explained: “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.
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“No promise of a hotel or rebooked flight. I had meds and was on the mend." Some customer service.
“If you’re sick before a flight, hold it in…
“In my rush to get off plane alone, I left my money with travel companions and @WestJet supervisor refused to pay for my taxi to a hotel 20 min away.
“He called a guard over to intimidate me but when I burst into tears the guard assessed rightly that Westjet dude was the a**hole.”
Chiu went on to say that another ‘nicer’ employee told her to return to the airport the next day, however, refused to give her a booking reference for her rebooked flight.
“It is sad that I wasn’t able to get any help unless I publicly aired my experience,” she said.
“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.”
In a closing tweet, Chiu advised others to ‘check whether your destination is known for stomach bugs’ so that the same thing wouldn't happen to them.
“If you're asked to deplane, take the time to gather wallet, passport, medications,” she warned.
“Duolingo proved useful and off-line translation apps. If staff is abusive, ask for another to help you.”
Regarding Chiu’s claims about her treatment and experience with the airline, WestJet said in a statement to LADbible Group: "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 statement continued: "While unexpected illness can occur while travelling, 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.
"Upon learning of Ms. Chiu’s experience via X last week, our Social Care team immediately reached out directly to the guest to ensure she was provided with a reaccommodation option and to receive any feedback on her experience.
"We apologize for any communication failures throughout her journey and are reviewing our procedures to ensure any guests in a similar situation in the future receive the appropriate support and guidance."
Let’s hope her next trip is less stressful!