A woman suffering from an “upset stomach” claims she was reduced to tears after she was booted off a plane for visiting the toilet “too many times” before take-off.
Joanna Chiu had to make a number of trips to the loo on a WestJet plane before it left the runway after a Mexico trip left her with a bug, for which she had medication for. She claims that the staff didn’t like her frequent trips and thought she was too sick to fly, asking her to leave the flight.
On social media site X, she wrote: “Just got kicked off a @WestJet flight from Mexico because I had an upset stomach and was going to the washroom too much before take-off. No promise of a hotel or rebooked flight. I had meds and was on the mend. Some customer service.
“In my rush to get off the plane alone, I left my money with travel companions and a WestJet supervisor refused to pay for my taxi to a hotel 20 min away.” Joanna said she burst into tears following an encounter with a member of staff.
Although she said another airline employee was “much nicer”, the company still refused to give her a booking reference number for a rebooked flight and told her to come back to the airport the following day and ask at the counter, Joanna claimed.
After getting back, the writer shared tips to avoid such trouble. “My last word: 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, medications.
“Duolingo proved useful and off-line translation apps. If staff are abusive, ask for another to help you,” she said.
Westjet told Global News: “We sincerely apologize to Ms. Chiu for the inconvenience and discomfort she experienced during her recent travel experience, including the communication delay that occurred as she awaited an appropriate re-accommodation option.”
They added: “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. 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 are trained to make difficult, but required decisions in the name of safety.”
Westjet also mentioned they got in touch with Ms. Chiu after hearing about her bad time, and added: “Upon learning of Ms. Chiu’s experience via X last week, our Social Care team immediately reached out directly to her to ensure she was provided with a re-accommodation option and to receive any feedback on her experience.”
Airlines have the authority to prevent passengers from flying if they believe they are too sick. According to Fit For Travel, “the airline you plan to fly with needs to make sure it is medically safe for you to fly, so you might need to tell them about any health condition you have.”
If airlines worry that a passenger’s medical condition could worsen during the flight or potentially infect others, they may refuse to let them board.
“Restrictions and rules can vary between airlines, so if you are in any doubt, you should seek advice from the medical department of the airline. Most airlines have a medical advisory service, details of which can usually be found on their website,” the NHS information website adds.
