Airline passenger allegedly forced to sit in and clean vomit-covered seat

Cleaner's hand in yellow rubber protective glove holding plastic spray bottle on blue background. General or regular cleanup. Commercial cleaning company. Empty place for text or logo.

A United Airlines passenger claims he was forced to sit in a vomit-covered seat before being given paper towels to clean it by a flight attendant.

The New York Post reported that Sam Trail and his wife found his seat and the back of the seat in front of him were soiled by vomit on a recent flight with the US airline.

buffy ew gif

Trail alleges he alerted cabin crew of the situation, but said they were more focused on the flight taking off on time.

The pair were reportedly flying from Vancouver to Houston on United Airlines flight 2057 on Sunday 18 August.

“I was told, ‘Oh, yeah, we can get a cleaning crew, but you’re going to be the reason this flight is delayed,’” Trail told click2houston.com.

A flight attendant then allegedly handed Trail paper towel to clean the vomit before a cleaner boarded the plane, reportedly with a spray bottle and towel. He said the vomit wasn’t cleaned properly.

“There’s gotta be some limitations. I mean you have to provide a sanitary environment and there should be an apology,” he told click2houston.com.

United Airlines said it had reached out to Trail about the incident, and that it was “disappointed that this aircraft did not meet our standards for cleanliness”.

“Once the issue was brought to our crew’s attention, cabin cleaners were called on board to clean the seat prior to departure,” the airline said in a statement to click2houston.com.

In a separate statement, United told The New York Post denied that Trail was forced to clean anything. The airline also said it was unclear whether it was actually vomit.

Latest News

  • Health & Wellness

Bannisters by the Sea unveils retreat style package for new mothers

Boutique hotel Bannisters by the Sea has revealed a brand-new package for new mothers – Bannisters Mummymoon – right in time for Mother’s Day. Designed to nurture and rejuvenate new mothers, this luxurious escape prioritises postpartum self-care and wellbeing in a serene coastal setting. Reconnecting and Recharging: The two-night Mummymoon allows mums to reconnect with […]

  • Destinations

APT offers destination incentives to enjoy the Best of Asia

APT Luxury Travel launches has launched its Asia Sale featuring 20 trips, with journeys through Vietnam and Cambodia as highlights, as well as opportunities to explore Japan, South Korea, India and Sri Lanka. It’s ‘Spiritual Cambodia and the Mekong’ land and river cruise tour for example takes guests on an all-inclusive 11-day journey through Vietnam […]

  • Travel Agents

Disney Days returns with Inside Out 2 showing in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Auckland

Time is running out for agents to register their Expression of Interest to an exclusive screening of the much-anticipated Disney and Pixar film, Inside Out 2, hosted by Disney Destinations Australia/New Zealand team and partner United Airlines. Places are limited and applications must be in by 17 May. In addition to the screening of the […]

  • Cruise

Aranui Cruises slashes prices with No Single Supplement and Half Price offers

French Polynesian cargo cruise line Aranui Cruises is slashing thousands off its 2025 Austral and Marquesas Islands cruises with an autumn sale offering 50 per cent off the second guest in a twin share room and no single supplement for solo travellers. On sale until June 21, 2024, Aranui’s 12-day roundtrip voyage from Papeete to […]

  • Destinations

Raes on Wategos celebrates 30th birthday and guests get the presents

World famous luxury boutique hotel Raes on Wategos, in Byron Bay, has launched its 30th birthday celebrations with a Raes Indulgent Escape package. Available for all stays of two nights or more, from June to August, the curated package offers an invitation to indulge in a shared celebration of Raes 30th birthday, whilst revelling in […]