Woman claims she was barred from a flight for being too sweaty

A Jet2 passenger flying from Newcastle International Airport on a trip with her husband has claimed she was prevented from flying for being too sweaty.

Helen Taylor, a 56-year-old woman from Durham in the United Kingdom, was planning a mini getaway to Rome when she was told she was “unfit” to fly.

The $3500 trip hit a road block when Taylor returned from the toilet just before boarding.

Taylor, who has type 2 diabetes and is going through menopause, said she needed to go to the bathroom and was told it was “no problem” by an airport worker.

“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,” Taylor told Chronicle Live.

“All I need is to sit down and have a drink of water and I will be perfectly fine.”

She told the flight attendant about her menopause and that it makes her sweaty. She added that in two minutes she’ll be “right as rain”.

But the flight attendant wasn’t having it and told Taylor that she needed to have a medical examination. 10 minutes afterwards, Taylor was allegedly told she couldn’t fly as she was a “flight risk”.

She claimed that the captain assessed her and thought she was fine to fly, but was approving of the crew escorting her off the flight.

Taylor described the scenario as “ridiculous” and called the crew’s treatment of her “absolutely insane”.

Following the ordeal, her and her husband had to return their duty-free purchases and received questioning by border control before heading home.

A Jet2 spokesperson told Chronical 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 apologise and to refund her holiday as a gesture of goodwill,” the spokesperson added.

Taylor dug into the airline staff’s decorum again, saying cabin crew shouldn’t be able to make such decisions.

“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.”

(Featured Image: Helen with her husband by Jet2 plane)

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