A passenger on a recent United/Mesa Airlines flight claims that the plane’s cabin crew refused to let her use the restroom, forcing her to urinate in a cup. However, the airline contends that staff never made this demand.
KCTV 5 reports that the woman was on a Mesa Airlines-operated flight from Houston to Kansas City, MO, when she alleges that the cabin crew would not let her access the lavatory, leaving her with no choice but to pee in a cup.
The woman, who recently shared the story on Facebook after she says she couldn’t get a United rep on the phone, claims that about 30 minutes into the flight she was told to sit down when she attempted to visit the lavatory because of expected turbulance.
In a statement to KCTV5, United contradicted this claim and taking issue with the alleged timing of the incident. According to the airline, the passenger tried to use the restroom while the plane was making its descent into Kansas City.
“Initial reports from our flight attendants indicate that [the passenger] attempted to visit the lavatory on final descent and was instructed to remain seated with the seat belt fastened per FAA regulations,” United said in a statement.
The passenger maintains that the first refusal occurred earlier in the flight, noting that the cabin crew started beverage service after they allegedly told her she couldn’t use the bathroom. She says she tried again to access the lavatory and was directed to sit down for a second time.
“She told me very rudely it was not allowed to get out of my seat,” the woman tells KCTV5, noting that the situation was urgent as she has an overactive bladder.
At that point, the woman claims she told the flight attendant she would need a cup, which she was given.
She says that she then urinated in two cups with the assistance of her husband. When she was done, the flight attendant allegedly told her to go empty the cups in the bathroom. The flight attendant then allegedly shamed the woman for her actions.
In a statement to KCTV5, United says that based on initial reports from Mesa at “no point during the flight did flight attendants suggest that [the passenger] use cups instead of the lavatory.”
While the woman says she repeatedly attempted to contact United in the weeks since the flight, she says that she never heard back, prompting her to share the story on Facebook this week.
“United Airlines refuses to take my call, now I can’t sleep and just keep thinking about how wrong this is,” the passenger wrote in the post.
Despite this, United says in its statement that it has reached out to the woman and its flying partner Mesa Airlines to better understand the situation.
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist