Last week, a random Amazon package arrived at my apartment.
15.09.2023 - 16:35 / insider.com
An Air Canada passenger's social media post about a vomit-covered seat became a viral news story earlier this month, and she is now speaking about the power of social media when it comes to holding airlines to account.
On August 26, Susan Benson was on board a flight that was about to take off from Las Vegas to Montreal when she witnessed two passengers being escorted off the plane after complaining that a seat had vomit on it.
Benson, 57, told Insider that after boarding the flight, the two passengers complained about the vomit to two crew members on the plane and were told that staff had tried to clean the seat, which meant it was still wet. After negotiating for blankets to sit on and more wipes to try to clean the area themselves, the passengers were then confronted by the pilot. According to Benson, the Air Canada pilot told them they were being rude to the flight attendants, and would either have to leave the plane voluntarily or be escorted off.
According to Benson, another passenger tried to intervene and tell the pilot the passengers were not being rude about their complaints, but security still escorted the two passengers off the flight.
Benson believed the two passengers were treated unfairly so she decided to share the details about what she witnessed in a Facebook post on August 29.
The post quickly gained traction, receiving 3,900 reactions and 6,500 shares. It also made national news headlines, including ones on Insider.
In a new interview with Insider, Benson reflected on what it was like for her to experience the power of the internet, and her story to go viral. She said she wants the encourage more people to post about their travel nightmares to hold airline companies accountable.
Benson told Insider her intentions behind her Facebook post were to tag the airline in the hopes that it would make them aware of what had happened.
She wrote in the post that she would like "as many people as possible to share" it — she later told Insider she thought that more shares might increase the probability of the airline seeing her complaint and responding.
Benson said she did not expect her post to receive as much online attention as it did. She thought the post would remain within her circle of family and friends, but it ended up receiving thousands of comments, many from people who said they were appalled by her story.
The 57-year-old said she has since taken part in over 25 media interviews about her post. She previously spoke with Insider's Jordan Parker Erb in an article that included a statement from Air Canada about the matter, saying they were reviewing the situation and had apologized directly to the two passengers involved.
Benson told Insider she's glad she spoke out on social
Last week, a random Amazon package arrived at my apartment.
If you sail into British Columbia’s Desolation Sound Marine Park on a slightly smoky afternoon, as I did recently (there were still more than 900 wildfires burning across Canada), make sure you watch out for the huge tides and the weather. B.C.’s largest marine park might have the warmest water north of Baja, but here nature still rules.
Nestled between the majestic Coast Mountains and the shimmering waters of the Pacific Ocean lies Vancouver, Canada. Beyond its natural beauty and multicultural vibrancy, Vancouver has emerged as a paradise for travelers seeking natural landscapes and diverse culinary experiences. At the heart of the city is a thriving Airbnb scene, offering visitors an array of accommodations from cozy urban lofts to secluded houseboat retreats.
While you might expect to come into contact with germs when flying in close quarters on a plane with hundreds of people, it’s fair to assume that being exposed to blood, vomit, and diarrhoea is not something most people are prepared for.
Between record-high passenger volumes, a pilot shortage and weather-related disruptions, it’s been a rough year for air travel. So what does that mean for the airport experience?
Royal Caribbean canceled or delayed three back-to-back Alaska voyages on the Radiance of the Seas cruise ship in September, throwing a wrench into the (often expensive) travel plans of hundreds of customers.
In what he describes as an “ambitious but achievable” target, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has revealed that he is pushing for 500,000 visitors to Jamaica from Canada by 2025. Minister Bartlett made the disclosure today (September 19) ahead of his departure to the North American country, where he will be joined by senior tourism officials on a five-day ‘winter marketing blitz’ as Jamaica seeks to engage critical travel partners in the Greater Toronto Area.
A passenger on a United Airlines flight that dropped 28,000 feet in around 8 minutes last week told The New York Post that she sent a text to her daughter because she thought she was going to die.
About 20 minutes west of Niagara Falls, Canada, is a house built on eight pine trees set 10 feet off the ground.
It appears some people just get to start their vacations earlier than others, like the one dad TikTok is taking to task. In early September, TikTok user One Tough Mother posted to the platform with a quick snippet of a flight from Las Vegas to Vancouver, Canada, and a tale that had everyone up in arms. «I was seated next to a mom who had a baby in her lap and a toddler beside her. It was a lot,» Kristine Sostar McLellan, the woman behind the account, wrote in a now-viral TikTok video. «I offered to switch seats with the dad, who was a few rows up, so he could be with his family. He says 'Great, thanks' AND SENDS OVER ANOTHER SMALL KID TO SIT WITH THE MOM. He enjoyed a kid-free flight.»
Air Canada has issued an apology after two passengers were told to sit in poorly cleaned seats that had been covered in vomit on a previous flight.
If you’re heading to Brazil in the new year, there’s an extra step to add to your to-do list. Beginning January 10, travelers from the United States, Canada, and Australia will need to acquire an e-visa in order to enter the country. Until then, citizens of these countries will be able to visit Brazil—for business as well as pleasure, per a press release—without these short-term visitor visas (so long as they are staying for no more than 90 days.)