August 15, 2024, 5:35 p.m. IST
A Chinese woman had to be escorted off a plane because she refused to stow her designer bag under the seat in front of her
A Chinese woman had to be escorted off the plane because she refused to put her designer bag under the seat in front of her, as is customary on most flights. The woman’s refusal to put her Louis Vuitton bag on the floor caused a one-hour delay, and passengers applauded as she was thrown off the plane, the South China Morning Post reported.
The incident went viral after a fellow passenger shared a video on Chinese social media platform Douyin, where it garnered over 4 million views.
The passenger who shared the video on social media said the unnamed woman was sitting in economy class on a China Express Airlines flight and was asked to put her Louis Vuitton bag under the seat in front of her, but the woman insisted on leaving the bag next to her.
The incident occurred on August 10 at an airport in the Chinese city of Chongqing. The woman’s refusal caused a long delay for other passengers who were only too happy to see her get off the plane.
According to reports, the flight was already departing and had to return to the gate so that the unruly passenger could be escorted off.
Fair or not?
China Express Airlines declined to comment on the incident or reveal the passenger’s identity. However, the video sparked mixed reactions on Chinese social media. While some users criticized the woman for holding up the flight and harassing other passengers, others said they understood her reluctance to put an expensive designer bag on the floor and said a compromise should have been found instead of throwing her off the plane.
“The flight attendant could have offered her a bag to put her purse in. Is it really necessary to waste an hour and throw her off the plane?” asked a Douyin user.
“The flight attendant didn’t insist on this rule for nothing. The woman should care more about her own safety and that of the other passengers than about her bag,” another replied.
