A woman has claimed she was kicked off a flight for sweating.
Helen Taylor, from Durham in the UK, was traveling to Rome with her husband for a mini getaway when she was told she was “unfit” to fly.
The pair had spent $3,500 on the trip and were due to fly out on October 2 from Newcastle International Airport without any issues, but things took an unexpected turn when Ms. Taylor returned from the toilet just before boarding.
The 56-year-old, who is currently going through menopause and has type 2 diabetes, said she was just desperate to go to the loo and was told it was “no problem.”
But when she came out, she began to sweat and feel a little dizzy.
“The air stewardess saw and asked, ‘Are you alright?’ and I said, ‘I am perfectly fine, I had just eaten after not eating all day and I have type 2 diabetes, so it is just my blood sugars releveling,” she told local publication Chronicle Live.
“All I need is to sit down and have a drink of water and I will be perfectly fine.”
Ms. Taylor told the flight attendant she was also going through menopause which makes her sweat, adding that two minutes later she was “right as rain”.
However, the flight attendant allegedly told Ms. Taylor she needed to have a medical examination and about 10 minutes later she was told she could not fly because she was a “flight risk.”
Ms. Taylor also claimed the captain assessed her and thought she looked fit to fly, even though he approved of his crew guiding her off the flight.
Ms. Taylor described the ordeal as “ridiculous,” saying how they were treated was “absolutely insane”.
She said on their way out they had to return their duty-free purchases and undergo questioning by border control, before collecting their bags and getting an Uber home.
A Jet2 spokesperson told Chronicle Live that after liaising with independent medical aviation specialists, “our crew took this decision as the health, wellbeing and safety of our customers is always our first priority”.
“However, after investigating further as a matter of absolute priority, we have been in touch with Ms. Taylor to apologize and to refund her holiday as a gesture of goodwill,” the spokesperson added.
Ms. Taylor slammed the airline, saying cabin crew should not have been able to make such a decision.
“They were making a decision on unsubstantiated evidence because they were not doctors,” she told Chronicle Live.
“They didn’t provide any medical or mobility assistance getting off the plane, on the tarmac, or going through the airport. Or any assistance with the bags. And this is when they said I am unfit to fly.”
News.com.au has contacted Jet2 for comment.