A woman was forced to sit in vomit for eight hours on a flight after flight attendants refused to clean her seat.
A woman recently had a terrible experience on a long flight when she was forced to sit in vomit for eight hours.
This shocking incident happened on a flight operated by Qantas Airlines.
The woman, Keira Connell, was traveling with her husband and their five-year-old daughter.
They were returning home to Sydney after a weeklong vacation in Singapore.
The start of the journey
The trouble began when their flight left London and made a stop in Singapore.
When Keira and her family boarded the Airbus A380, they noticed an awful smell in the cabin.
Keira alerted the flight attendants immediately, saying the plane “absolutely stinks.”
The crew responded that the aircraft had been deeply cleaned and sprayed before their departure.
“I said to staff straight away that the plane absolutely stinks and they told me it was subjected to a deep clean and also sprayed,” Keira said.
However, Keira soon found out that the situation was worse than she thought.
As the plane was taxiing to take off, she felt something wet on her leg.
At first, she believed it was water spilled by her daughter.
When she asked her husband, he confirmed there was nothing spilled. Curious about the wetness, Keira got up to check her seat.
Female passenger stuck in vomit-soaked seat for eight hours after flight attendants refuse to clean her seat
When Keira looked closer, she was horrified.
She discovered that the substance on her leg was not water; it was vomit.
She said, “I feel disgusting saying this.” The vomit had splattered on her from the floor after a previous passenger had been sick.
Keira rushed to the bathroom to clean her hands and found that the carpet was also wet and smelled terrible.
when I pulled the back of my skirt to the front to see what It was, I noticed I had something pink on me and when I looked at my hand my husband said ‘that’s vomit’.
“That person’s vomit must have hit the floor and splattered up.
“I went to the bathroom to wash my hands and the carpet was all wet and the bathroom also stunk.”
Keira quickly informed the cabin crew about the vomit on her seat.
However, the flight attendants told her they could not clean it because it was considered a “biohazard risk.”
One crew member explained that due to this protocol, they were unable to address the mess properly.
“She (a crew member) said the biohazard protocol doesn’t allow them to clean it.”
Reaction of flight attendants
Keira noticed that the crew looked stressed and upset about the situation.
Although they were professional, they seemed overwhelmed.
One of the crew members sprayed the vomit with antibacterial spray but did little else.
Keira felt the response was inadequate for the disgusting situation she was in.
As the flight continued, Keira faced more issues. She mentioned that there were not enough meals available on the flight.
Additionally, her entertainment system was not working, making the long journey even more uncomfortable.
To make matters worse, she found used earplugs and candy wrappers in her seat, adding to her frustration.
Qantas issues response after the incident
After the flight, Qantas Airlines issued an apology to Keira for her uncomfortable experience. They offered her a refund for her ticket.
A spokesperson from the airline explained that a passenger on the previous flight had become ill, and the cleaning service in Singapore had not done a thorough job.
They acknowledged that the cleaning of the seat and surrounding area did not meet their standards.
As part of the apology, Keira was also given 10,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer points.
“We have apologised to the customer for what would have been a very uncomfortable flight and have offered to refund her flight,” the spokesperson said.
“A passenger on the prior flight was feeling unwell and was subsequently sick on the seat and surrounding area.
“Our cleaning supplier in Singapore conducted a deep clean of the seat prior to the next departure, including using disinfectant in the surrounding area, but it was clearly not up to standard.”
However, she expressed disappointment that her husband and daughter did not receive a refund as well.
She felt they also deserved compensation for the unpleasant experience.
Keira and her family fell ill
Almost 24 hours after arriving back in Sydney, Keira, her husband, and their daughter all fell ill with gastroenteritis.
Keira was grateful for the airline’s response but felt that the ordeal was far from over.
The combination of sitting in vomit and then getting sick made her vacation end on a very sour note.
This incident has sparked conversations about airline cleanliness and passenger treatment.
Many travelers expect a certain level of hygiene and care during flights. Experiences like Keira’s raise questions about how airlines handle situations involving illness and cleanliness.