Two Air Canada customers were reportedly taken off the plane after refusing to sit on wet, vomit-covered seats.
Susan Benson, a fellow passenger on the trip from Seattle to Montreal on August 26, was sitting near the vomit. She documented the situation in a now-viral Facebook post in order to hold the airline accountable for being unjust to the passengers.
“There was a bit of a foul smell at first, but we didn’t know what the problem was,” Benson wrote in the post. “Apparently, someone vomited in that area on the previous flight.” Air Canada attempted a brief cleaning before boarding but evidently was unable to complete a full cleaning.”
The seatbelt and seat were still noticeably moist, and there was vomit residue around the seats, according to Benson. Vomit smelled like perfume and coffee grinds, which were placed in the seat pouch to conceal the odor.
The passengers approached a flight attendant and told her they couldn’t sit in such seats for the five-hour flight, calling the act “unacceptable,” Benson told USA TODAY over the phone.
“The passengers were clearly upset and bothered,” stated Benson. “They were not obnoxious, screaming, or belligerent. They were clear and unwavering in their belief that she could not sit in that.”
According to Benson, the flight attendants were “extremely apologetic” and stated that “it was a miscommunication with the cleaning crew the night before, and the seat didn’t get cleaned properly.” They also informed the passengers that there was nothing they could do because all of the seats were already taken.
Following some back and forth, the passengers were given blankets, wipes, and additional vomit bags before settling in for the journey.
The pilot then approached the passengers and “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!” according to the post.
Soon after, security arrived and took the women off the plane. “Air Canada literally expects passage (sic) to sit in vomit or to be escorted off the plane and placed on a no-fly list!” Benson put pen to paper.
The flight was delayed by 31 minutes but arrived in Montreal safely.
Benson told USA TODAY that she documented the incident and tagged Air Canada so that “they would do something about it.”
Air Canada did not immediately reply to USA TODAY’s request for comment, but told Insider, “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.” This involves apologizing to these clients and resolving their complaints, as they plainly did not receive the standard of care to which they were entitled.”
“I really hope they actually do something and not just say they will keep the peace,” Benson remarked. “(The passengers) weren’t unreasonable at all in my opinion.”
