- A woman on a WestJet plane said she was kicked off the plane for using the bathroom excessively before takeoff.
- Following the description of the incident on Xu, users were divided on whether the airline’s actions were justified
- In a statement to PEOPLE, WestJet shared that if a passenger is ill, the airline has the right to remove them in order to preserve the health and safety of fellow passengers.
A WestJet passenger claims she was kicked off a flight for excessive use of the bathroom before takeoff.
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), user @joannachiu revealed that it was forced to leave the plane after frequent trips to the bathroom due to “stomach problems”.
“They just kicked me out @WestJet flight from Mexico because I had an upset stomach and went to the bathroom too much before takeoff. No promises of a hotel or rebooked flight. I took medicine and recovered. Some customer service,” she wrote about the incident that happened earlier this month.
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In the thread, she adds that she accidentally left money on the plane while she was in a hurry to leave, and the airline “refused” to pay for her taxi to the hotel.
After she “burst into tears” when a WestJet airport supervisor started bothering her, she says, another employee was nicer but still refused to give her a reference number for her rebooked flight the next day, instead telling her to return to the airport and ask the attendant.
When she started recording the employee who refused to give her the number, she says she was told that “if I don’t delete the video, I won’t be able to make my flight tomorrow.”
She eventually got a number, but only after posting about her experience on X.
“It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t get any help if I didn’t go public with my experience. WestJet DM sent me my booking reference number after I asked for it multiple times at the airport. In the end, I got into a taxi because I was justifiably afraid of being arrested,” the passenger wrote.
This airline currently weighs passengers before boarding as part of the security protocol
In responses to her post, other X users were outraged at the way the Canadian airline treated the woman.
“What the hell! How many times does going to the toilet get you a boot?” one person wrote. Another added: “This is outrageous. That’s what the toilet on board is for!”
Meanwhile, other users feel that the crew members acted fairly.
“The passenger was ill and as such should not have flown. It sounds like this issue could have resulted in the passenger having to use the lavatory during the entire return flight or while ‘in the seat’ [required] for security. Good call, bad communication.”
Another shared: “As a former flight attendant, they made the right decision. I cannot vouch for how they communicated with you, but the decision was not wrong.”
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Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/Getty
In response to the incident, a WestJet representative shared a statement with PEOPLE.
“We sincerely apologize to Ms. Chiu for the inconvenience and discomfort she experienced during her recent trip. Ensuring the well-being and safety of our guests and crew is our number one priority and therefore we take all health concerns very seriously.”
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The representative continues: “While unexpected illness may occur during travel, 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.”
She adds that WestJet’s welfare team “reached out immediately” when they read about Chiu’s experience on Xu, and that they are revising procedures to ensure that guests in a similar situation receive the appropriate support.
The WestJet incident comes a month after a passenger was reportedly removed from another flight because he was extremely gassy.
A passenger on a flight from Phoenix to Austin shared on Reddit that a fellow flyer repeatedly gave him gas and bragged about it. As a result, the aircraft was forced to return to the exit, and the passenger was removed.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education