A woman with stomach issues who was kicked off a flight has taken to social media to rant about the way she was treated.
Joanna Chiu, a renowned political journalist, was booted off the Canadian airline West Jet for using the toilet one too many time before take off.
"Just got kicked off a @WestJet flight from Mexico because I had an upset stomach and was going to the washroom too much before takeoff," Chiu wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "No promise of a hotel or rebooked flight. I had meds and was on the mend."
"If you're sick before a flight, hold it in..." she added.
In follow-up tweets, she also talked about how she was treated by the supervisor who allegedly refused to be any of any help during what was clearly a difficult time for the writer.
"In my rush to get off plane alone, I left my money with travel companions and @WestJet supervisor refused to pay for my taxi to a hotel 20 min away," she wrote. "He called a guard over to intimidate me but when I burst into tears the guard assessed rightly that Westjet dude was the a******."
Chiu went on to state that the only reason she had to "air" this "publicly" was because she didn't get the help she needed at the time which included no booking reference, or transport to a hotel.
The post received mixed reactions, with some stating that the airline did what was right, while others weren't too fond of their treatment of the author.
"As a former flight attendant, they made the right call. I can't vouch for how they communicated to/with you, but the decision wasn't wrong," wrote one user, while another harshly added: "If you’re sick before a flight DON’T FLY. Period. You are one incredibly selfish person."
A third also agreed, writing: "I'm hopeful the lesson learned here is not to fly if you are ill. Diarrhea can cause low blood pressure at higher altitudes due to fluid losses. Plus the risk of transmission to others. Definitely the right call by WestJet!"
However, not everyone was siding with the airline, with this user commenting: "What?!? Getting kicked off a flight for using the lavatory? That's what the lav is for..."
"Oy. Sorry that happened to you. Yikes," another user added.
The airline has now responded to the drama in a statement to TooFab, apologizing to Chiu for the way the matter was handled.
"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," the statement read.
"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," the statement continued. "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 added that they immediately reached out to Chiu after learning about her experience via X.
"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," WestJet concluded.