SEATTLE, WASHINGTON: In a recent incident that has sparked outrage against Air Canada, two passengers on a flight from Seattle to Montreal were forcibly removed from the plane after refusing to sit in seats soiled with vomit.
The incident, which occurred on August 26, has gained widespread attention, shedding light on the challenges faced by passengers and the airline's response to such situations.
Passenger recounts episode with Air Canada
Susan Benson, a passenger on the August 26 flight, shared her harrowing experience on Facebook, which quickly went viral. She aimed to hold the airline accountable for what she deemed an unfair treatment of passengers.
In her post, she detailed the unpleasant encounter, stating that the trouble began when a foul smell permeated the cabin.
"There was a bit of a foul smell but we didn’t know at first what the problem was,” Benson wrote in the post.
She continued, “Apparently, on the previous flight someone had vomited in that area. Air Canada attempted a quick cleanup before boarding but clearly wasn’t able to do a thorough clean.”
According to Benson, the evidence of the previous incident was still glaringly apparent - the seatbelt and seats were visibly wet, and there were remnants of vomit around the affected area.
To mask the nauseating smell, airline staff had placed perfume and coffee grinds in the seat pouches.
Distressed by the unsanitary conditions, the passengers quickly flagged down a flight attendant to raise their concerns. Benson described them as "clearly upset and bothered" but not rude or confrontational.
“The passengers were clearly upset and clearly bothered,” Benson said, adding, “They were not rude, not yelling, not belligerent. They were firm and just insistent that she couldn’t sit in that.”
Benson claimed that the flight attendants were "extremely apologetic" and attributed the issue to a miscommunication with the cleaning crew the previous night.
However, they informed the passengers that all seats were occupied and that there was nothing more they could do.
After some back and forth, the passengers were provided with blankets, wipes, and additional vomit bags, reluctantly preparing for the flight ahead.
The situation took a dramatic turn when the pilot addressed the passengers.
According to Benson's post, the pilot “told the ladies that they had two choices: They could leave the plane on their own accord and organize flights on their own dime, or they would be escorted off the plane by security and placed on a no fly list!”
Security personnel subsequently arrived and escorted the passengers off the flight, leaving fellow passengers in shock and disbelief.
“Air Canada literally expects passage (sic) to sit in vomit or be escorted off the plane and placed on a no-fly list!” Benson wrote.
Backlash against Air Canada
The flight, ultimately delayed by 31 minutes, did manage to reach its destination in Montreal safely. However, the backlash against Air Canada was swift and severe on social media.
"Hey...Air Canada....demote the omnipotent captain and give these two ladies unlimited passes for a year. Then, perhaps, you'll have demonstrated your sincere apologies to the paying public!" one commented on Facebook.
"Totally disgraceful. The whole crew should have been fired and the passengers affected should get compensation," another added.
"Bravo for posting this! I am a retired RN and this is human waste not only is it gross that they could not have cleaned this up better but what about infectious? Seriously Air Canada you are disgusting," someone else wrote.
"Air Canada is an embarrassment. The worst flying experience I had in recent years was with Air Canada. Virtually no pleasant customer service. Unhappy employees I would say, another person wrote.
"I would refuse to sit in those seats. Those ladies deserved to be treated properly. Shame on the pilot and staff," the person added.
Air Canada's statement
Air Canada responded to the mounting criticism with a statement acknowledging that their operating procedures were not correctly followed in this instance.
“We are reviewing this serious matter internally and have followed up with the customers directly as our operating procedures were not followed correctly in this instance," the airline told Insider.
"This includes apologizing to these customers, as they clearly did not receive the standard of care to which they were entitled and addressing their concerns,” they added.
Benson, who shared the incident online and tagged Air Canada, expressed her hope that the airline would take concrete actions to address the issue.
“I really hope they actually do something and not just say they do to keep the peace,” she told USA Today, adding, “(The passengers) weren’t unreasonable at all in my opinion.”
