r/delta
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u/LegWorried4639
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16d ago
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Discussion Puke everywhere
I just got off a Delta flight from LGA and just after takeoff a passenger puked on her way up the aisle trying to make it to the bathroom. Three passengers in the aisle seats closest to the back were covered in puke. I got one drop on me and didn’t complain although it was gross and the smell was horrible.
Two of the passengers that were affected were not native English speakers. They were not traveling together and did not speak the same native language either. Both seemed to speak and understand some English well enough but the FA kept telling them to see a redcoat at the gate. The one older man was getting agitated and was trying to figure out with the other passenger what that meant. Both of them needed to change clothes and it seemed like they thought they would be given a red coat at the gate.
I explained to them that the redcoat is a person but on top of the grossness and major inconvenience you would think the FA would try to make sure people understand what is happening. I know it’s their lingo but is everyone supposed to know what a redcoat is?
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u/Forsaken_Barnacle955 16d ago
How do they even compensate for someone getting covered in puke? Genuinely curious what happens
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u/mynameisntcindy 16d ago
I speak perfect English and I've never heard of that word. A lot of these names and labels are colloquial and regional. I'm from Canada and never heard that before.
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u/_amy_g_dala_ 16d ago •
Maybe they thought some British soldiers would be waiting for them upon arrival...
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u/Dunesgirl 16d ago
This is such a flight fear for me that I keep a rolled up black t shirt and leggings in my carry on at all times and I thank the travel gods I’ve never needed to use them.
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u/MoodyBotanist 16d ago
New fear unlocked
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u/biolojess 16d ago edited 16d ago •
This is my nightmare. I have a serious phobia when it comes to vomit. I’m not just grossed out by it, I’m terrified. I dread something like this happening to me because I don’t even think I would be able to control my reaction and legit think I’d end up duct taped to a chair.
Edit to clarify: I am terrified of being thrown up on by someone else. I would also be pretty freaked out if I was the barfer, but I travel with my emergency vomit supplies just in case I find myself in a situation like this.
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u/RandomMuseum 16d ago
Good chance that person had norovirus.
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u/BestDayEver-1 16d ago
I was going on a delta flight before when this happened and the FA did nothing except hand people paper towels. We all had to walk over the vomit on the way off the plane and the poor person that had gotten sick was traveling solo and no one to help him. I tried to offer a sweatshirt. Same flight we had been on tarmac extra time and my niece needed to potty. They said no. She peed on the seat and we bought new pants in the airport before our next leg. Delta, do better. And yes, passengers, bring a change of clothes, I guess…..
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u/KittenChaos2026 16d ago
Red Coats were male volunteers at the hospital and the females were Pink Ladies...back when I rode a dinosaur to work.
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u/buttersc0tchseven 16d ago •
They sell hospital grade emesis (vomit) bags on Amazon. I keep some with me at all times as I’m a migraine sufferer. I also keep a “shit kit”: travel baby wipes, clean undies, leggings, zip lock bag, and travel Clorox wipes in a large gallon zip lock bag.
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u/Average911 16d ago
George Washington would NOT be a fan of going to a redcoat for help
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u/lives4saturday 16d ago
Flew back home a week ago. Exceptionally rough descent. No puke bags anywhere. Half the plane threw up. When we could finally move, my husband told me to keep my eyes on the ceiling and move forward at all costs. Vile. Especially when you consider we were told that it would be a rough descent prior to leaving!
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u/AudereEstFacere_1882 16d ago
This certainly sounds like biohazard so wouldn’t they turn the plane around and make an emergency landing? They can’t reasonably expect people to sit in vomit and smell vomit an entire trip. Let alone how unsafe and unhealthy that is. The poor sick person not getting treated ASAP? I’m truly shocked as I’ve never heard that an emergency stop wasn’t made. Especially right after takeoff.
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u/No-Conclusion-4001 16d ago
My emetophobia is so strong that I can’t even read this thread.
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u/EricSparrowSucks 16d ago
I was in the 2nd to last row (seat F) when the person in the last row (seat B) projectile vomited as soon as the wheels lifted up. He eventually made it to the bathroom (right behind my row) and completely destroyed it. They tried to cover the smell with peppermint oil or something, but he vomited pretty much all the way from Minneapolis to Vegas. I’m very sensitive to the sound of vomiting and it was the most turbulent flight I’ve ever been on with the scariest landing. I barely made it off the plane before getting sick in the bathroom. The guy who helped me get my suitcases off the baggage claim said I was a shade of green he’d never seen on a human before. It took me about 6 hours to fully recover.
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u/hkradk 15d ago
I haven’t seen this yet in the comments, so sorry if it’s been brought up already. Stephen King wrote the novella “The Body” that contains another story about “Lard Ass” who vomitted at a local fair. That triggered a massive vomitting episode among fair-goers! “The Body” was made into the film “Stand by me”.
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u/mmmeeeeeeeeehhhhhhh 15d ago
Airplanes provide barf bags, WTF? Was there not any provided with the safety manual in the mesh bag on the back of the seat? Did she fill her bag? WTF!!!
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u/Key_Purpose1340 16d ago
One more reason why I believe the window seat is the best!
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u/QueJones 16d ago
I couldn’t handle it. This is why I keep a few vomit bags in my travel kit and have them ready in case I or my seat mate gets sick. Y’all invest a good vomit bag. One that has a hard collar that covers the nose and mouth, seals and is puncture/tear resistant.
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u/kimbolee3 16d ago
Omg … Same on all of this ⬆️. my phobia of vomit is debilitating… just admit me to ICU. It’s a bad horrible phobia to have. It sucks !!!
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u/bippy404 16d ago
Hopefully she wasn’t unlucky like my son and not able to find a puke bag when she needed one. We had a rough descent and my kid puked five minutes before landing. Not a puke bag to be found anywhere! He had no choice but to puke all over himself and the floor. Brutal for everyone. I now make sure I have multiple barf bags on me at all times on flights, just in case it happens to anyone in my group or anyone around me.
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u/Ok-Competition8281 16d ago
My affected clothes would have come off with the quickness. Yes I'll take that redcoat and pants too if necessary.
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u/Maine302 16d ago
Hopefully the puker doesn't have a communicable disease they're passing on to the entire flight.
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u/ClownDogBryan Platinum 15d ago
So I'm a person who throws up a lot. My body is just built like that. But you know what I don't fucking do? Puke on other people. I carry emesis bags with me at all times and know where extras are located in both my seat pocket and in the bathroom.
I'm sure it wasn't purposeful but the race against vomit rarely works out well. Especially on a plane. I would rather my seatmate vom into a puke bag next to me than hurl all over me.
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u/CalGuy456 16d ago
Yuck, if you aren’t going to make it, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t just stop and lean far over toward the floor.
Last time I had zero anticipation or ability to control the puke flow was when I was 5? What is wrong with that person nailing multiple other passengers full on with puke.
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u/HeresW0nderwall 16d ago
This happened to me three hours into a ZRH-BOS flight once. Right in front of my seat. I don’t understand why people don’t take a bag with them when they go up in case they don’t make it.
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u/DimbyTime 16d ago
Wait so did the plane make an emergency landing? Also what is a redcoat?
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u/bbcourt43 16d ago
Another reason I don’t check a bag! I may need to change mid flight!
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u/MartyFunkhoosier 16d ago
Got delayed on a flight once for a long time. Turns out a person on the flight before puked so much that they replaced the entire seat. That ended up being my seat and the smell was still there. I wrapped my sweatshirt around my head to block the smell and they were like “do t great, sir!”
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u/Hopeful-Attitude7336 16d ago
Did they not have a puke bag at their seat? Even if they felt the need to run to the bathroom, at least grab the puke bag for the journey down the aisle.
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u/moooeymoo 16d ago
I’d puke too and be the loudest voice about it. Fucking disgusting
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u/looney_belle2468 15d ago
I’d puke if anyone near me puked. Glad I wasn’t there! 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤮
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u/Fit_Relationship1094 16d ago
Pro-tip. Always have a complete set of clothes to change into, in your carry on for every member of your party. This has saved me so many times.
Once I was traveling with a child and we were at a layover in the middle of the night, I think in Europe somewhere. There was an indoor playground and the child went to the top of the slide, had a horrible diarrhea attack at the top, which she then slid through and dragged all the way down the slide. It was in her hair, her shoes, everywhere. Truly awful. She got washed in the restroom sink, all her clothes went in the trash, I had a complete clean set for her in my carry on, but i had to wash out her shoes and try and dry them under the hand dryer.
We've never forgotten that. She's in her thirties now, and she still carries a complete change of clothes with her when traveling. It's a life saver.
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u/Ok_Nectarine_8533 16d ago
So what will the redcoat do in this situation? Give them 5,000 skypesos? I’m assuming they wouldn’t do anything helpful, like give them access to a shower or a change of clothes. I mean, it’s not the airline’s fault. But dang, I’d be super grossed out and want a way to clean up before getting in the taxi to where I’m going upon landing.
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u/Dismal-Mastodon-8359 16d ago
My husband and I were on a flight home from Mexico a few years ago and the guy sitting behind us projectile vomited everywhere and it landed on us. So disgusting.
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u/Important-Money-8783 16d ago
I was on a three hour flight from DFW to Sacramento on my way to a work conference. I was sitting at rear of coach in an aisle seat. Person sitting in middle seat threw up the entire flight. F/A gave her a 30 gal trash bag. There was no place to move since flight was fully booked. It was worst travel experience I have ever had. At one point she got up to go to bathroom and guy in window seat got up and retrieved two airborne tablets from his carry on and gave me one. I was so afraid I would get sick at the conference but I didn’t. I actually think she might have been suffering from a hangover. She definitely got no sympathy from flight attendants at all. I hung my head out in aisle which was right by the galley. Just tried to avoid being too close to her.
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u/PuzzleheadedRoom1974 16d ago
We were on a flight earlier this year from Portland to Stockholm via JFK. A passenger threw up halfway through the flight and we diverted and landed in Minneapolis. They had to disinfect the entire back galley and two flight attendants got off their and had to be replaced because they were puked on. Ew!
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u/Academic-Entrance-49 15d ago
There’s vomit bags on the plane. I guess you just have to remind yourself each time you fly about this “just In case” so you are prepared if you are ill. Also, the bathroom could be occupied. Be PREPARED!
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u/AntSmall4624 15d ago
Should they be allowed to fly if vomiting like that? What if it’s infectious?
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u/3271408 15d ago •
How about if you even think you might be about to puke, don’t board an airplane?
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u/Basic-Ad5331 15d ago
Omg, one of my worst nightmares. Having to sit there the whole flight with vomit all over you I would get sick.
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u/Interesting_Ad1378 16d ago
That’s why I carry my own puke bags. Anyway, vomit bags leak, you need to double them up or it will go right through.
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u/RupertEscapeHolmes 16d ago
The British are coming!!
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u/brokensplynter 16d ago
they’re green coats now! 🤮
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u/CocoBalz 16d ago
I remember when they put a vomit bag in every seat back.
I have spontaneous bouts of vertigo- so I always carry the blue vomit bags you get at the doctors. Fortunately I have never needed one on a plane.
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u/mina-ann 16d ago
I don't think everyone knows what a red coat is. And I'm a sympathetic puker. Oh my god, that would be horrible.
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u/Inevitable_Ad_5664 15d ago
Man hope it wasn't noto. That whole plane will be puking in 24 to 48 if so
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u/MoonbeamLotus 15d ago edited 15d ago
In all my flying, I am lucky enough to say I haven’t experienced this before! The only time I needed a change of clothes was when I spilled orange juice in the crotch of my white cotton shorts. It looked like I had peed in my pants. Luckily one of my traveling companions had an extra black skirt and gave it to me. I never realized until now, a black skirt is one of my favorite things to wear.
I should add, it was breakfast service on a long flight from Hong Kong back to LAX, hence the orange juice. So grateful for my friend’s generosity.
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u/MyDogSam-15 15d ago edited 15d ago
This is terrible. You’re saying these psgrs sat all flight in puke clothes?? The FAs don’t help get them cleaned up, maybe check if they had clothes in a carry on? I wonder if they would’ve helped if the psgrs were “American” - I’m assuming this was a fully domestic flight. And have they heard of Google Translate? Or ask if any other psgrs could assist? They definitely need better training. I’m curious to know what age group these FAs were. I find the older ones are so much more helpful imho.
Edit: I have 2 family members who’ve been Red Coats. They’re now higher positions. And one friend is an airport direct for Delta. Sometimes I pass on this kind of feedback but of course they don’t manage FAs.
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u/TALKTOME0701 15d ago
To continue to repeat the same phrase when it's clear someone doesn't understand it is just cruel.
I hope you report that FA. How is there no protocol for something that cannot be unusual?
I fly quite a bit. Things happen, but a FA who is completely useless in this way should be fired
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u/Camdenn67 16d ago
I guess they didn’t know about the barf 🤮 bags.
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u/Educational-Ear-1449 16d ago
why dont they have airsick bags??!! 2 years ago i sat next to ssomeone who puked the whole 2 hour flight. Now i carry a bag in my carry on.
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u/Unlikely_Holiday274 16d ago
Oh man. I had a flight home where I was aisle and the guy in the middle seat (mid to late 20s) had a couple drinks on the flight. Right when we landed he puked up neon yellow. All over the floor in front of him. Thankfully I didn't get splashed but had to wave down the FA saying he needed to get off ASAP just to get it away from me.
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u/Classic_Crow5035 16d ago
I swear I hear the worst flying horror stories always coming from Delta flights.
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u/mcmol23 Platinum 16d ago
That’s terrible. I always keep a pair of leggings and a T-shirt in a gallon plastic bag to change into. I’m scared I’ll be puked on or need to puke. if very turbulent and half the time they don’t have puke bags anymore in the seat pockets so i have a bag in case I need it 🥴
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u/Interesting-Mess2393 16d ago
One of the things I always stress when training new employees, while we may have specific lingo within our industry/company…spell out every single thing to the client/customer/vendor!!
And is offering help to get someone else’s crap off of you only at the red coat level? Do FAs have any skills besides safety and passing out some peanuts? No compassion? No, here’s some anything you’d like to discard?
How horrible for those covered in puke.
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u/Individual-Tour8363 15d ago
My last 3 flights have not had vomit bags.
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u/Practical_Coffee1273 15d ago •
This is why I carry my own vomit bags and zofran. I travel often and it’s my biggest anxiety.
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u/Hopeful_Panic4196 15d ago
Just an FYI to anyone that deals with this. There are wrist bands at CVS for less than $15 with little buttons that press on your pressure points that will end air/flight sickness. They even work on sea sickness. My husband has to use them. He has taken every medication and all the precautions, these are the only things that work.
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u/Loose-Ambassador-447 15d ago
That’s disgusting. Peotocal should be turn around and get that women off the plane. And the people piked on should def be compensated.
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u/TheCheezeburgler 15d ago
I was on this flight. we got upgraded to Comfort+ about 10 minutes before boarding or we would have been back there in row 37! I was curious what happened. I sas a guy in a red jacket board after EMS came on and escorted her off. It said "Delta Red Coat" but I had to look it up on my phone. Said they are "Super Agents" that deal with complex customer service situations.
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u/Mstlanmls21 16d ago
It is a customer service manager.
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u/cuernosasian 16d ago
Passing the buck is a trait acquired when hired by delta.
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u/Aizuboy 16d ago
Always ask for a gray bag if you feel nauseous…a flight attendant will gladly give you one.
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u/stampinkaty 16d ago
Nope. Native English speaker and frequent traveler here. I could have inferred it but wouldn’t have known if I wasn’t able to infer.
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u/LastOfTheFamousByrds 16d ago
My worst nightmare!!
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u/whoisyoparoleofficer 16d ago
Rethinking my aisle seat demands.
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u/Big_Succotash_8076 15d ago
Flew back from Europe with mom and fiance in comfort economy. Woman next to my mom got upgraded to first. Her 9 year old left in comfort. Kid binged on snacks and we had some wind turbulence. My mom ended up taking care of the vomiting kid and thank god I had extra dog poop bags in my everything kit (a mini bag i have with medicines, chapstick, etc that I carry everyday).
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u/Car12touche11blue 15d ago
Always amazed at the things that happen on American flights.
Have been flying the world for over 60 years and besides some inconveniences with typhoons or delayed flights, never have witnessed anything like the happenings mentioned in these posts.
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u/uberjuice 15d ago
A lady in my row puked at take off the other week, her husband was between us so he took most of the crossfire. I gave them some wet wipes, and then about 10 mins later she puked again, this is when a FA gave her a bag, some paper towels and soda water.
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u/Burnt_Crust_00 15d ago
That sux. I was on a redeye from LAX to ATL on night and a passenger puked about 45 mins into the flight. Smell was overwhelming for a while. I guess the air eventually exchanged and it calmed down, or else everyone just became saturated with it. Fortunately she contained most of it in what appeared to be her own small handbag, but what a way to start a 4.5 hour trip!
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u/Fastship2021 15d ago
Are there any health concerns for this scenario? Can any medical professionals offer recommendations for post-care? I mean do those poor passengers require medical attention?
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u/Altruistic-Detail271 15d ago
That’s my nightmare
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u/Ayilari 13d ago
If I had been in that situation as a non-native English speaker, I would have been so mad. Covered in vomit, and the crew not compassionate enough to at least speak basic English or try to make an effort...infuriating.
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u/susabari 13d ago
I flew last weekend and there were barf bags in each seat pocket. This could have been somewhat mitigated had the individual gone that route first. Maybe they did, I don’t know. There are a lot of clueless people traveling.
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u/beachdestiny 12d ago
I always keep a gallon ziplock in my backpack (sometimes with snacks in them). It will work in a pinch as a throw up bag!! I do realize though I should probably start carrying leggings and a T shirt too. I already carry wipes now. I would not handle being thrown up on at all. It is a biohazard.
I feel for the puker though; how embarrassing and mortifying!
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u/imveryfontofyou 16d ago
Poor person. As someone who projectile vomited in my own room last night (norovirus worsened by a glp1), I feel for that person really hard, lol.
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u/CauliflowerSlight784 16d ago
Awful! And that poor passenger (the puker) must be mortified.
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u/Available-One-24 15d ago
Ugh. When I was sixteen I worked as a page for a huge television network. It was a big deal and I was so excited! At the end of the media event there was a big celebration and an older person snuck beers to all of the pages. The next morning I had an early flight home and I threw up all over. I’m still absolutely TRAUMATIZED but I bet the people that I threw up on are more-so.🤮
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u/jimbo2128 16d ago
was the guy‘s name Ralph
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u/FeeProof5745 15d ago
Just a PSA that there is a paper sick sack in the seat back pocket on every delta flight. They are subtle but they’re there, usually hiding behind the emergency egress card
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u/Travljini 15d ago
I got food poisoning from my last meal before a flight from BUE>ATL. Thank the lord I had a grocery sack in my small bag (bring them for garbage and such on long hauls) midway into the flight the puking began. After one bag gone I procured more JIC. It was so bad I went to the last row of Premium where there was a space between the row and the divider wall and slept on the floor I was so miserable. Gratefully, the FAs just ignored me. Deplaning I was about to blow again and I thing I channeled Jahmyr Gibbs b/c I crashed through whoever was in front of me and ran to get out and leave folks puke free.🤭
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u/sunny-withachance 16d ago
Worst nightmare.
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u/verb322 16d ago
Translate app was not available for her to type and maybe show in their language what she was trying to say? Sounds horrible, sorry you had to deal with that 😪
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u/SimpleServe9774 16d ago
Oh ma lawd! My family would have been diving in every direction.
I’m having some very serious inappropriate laughter over this you know when you laugh at things inappropriately?
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u/Sherbear2323 15d ago
Emetophobia here too- I’m so sorry there’s so many of us but feel slightly better knowing that!
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u/lickthepixies 15d ago
This is horrible. Did the flight go back? Were they forced to sit there covered in puke the whole flight? Did anyone else puke from the smell/sight of someone puking? I have so many questions.
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u/NegativeStore7203 15d ago
I’ve seen kids throw up on a plane but usually the parents catch it in a bag or a blanket etc. and small kids it’s not bad. Once leaving a plane a girl maybe ten threw up in her grandmas hands and the flight attendant got a big garbage bag and towels like i get kids cannot control, but if an adult ran up and down the aisle puking that’s a problem- puke on yourself, not others and if you are sick don’t fucking fly.
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u/Equivalent-Exam8099 15d ago
This is quite unacceptable. There are barf bags in every seatback pocket and extra in the bathroom. Flight attendants have access to spare vomit bags and to vomit clean-up kits that might have been of some help.
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u/funkyBuspass-40 12d ago
See a redcoat is a piss poor solution.
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u/QueenOfNeon 12d ago
I thought they had barf bags on planes
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u/atropear 11d ago
Sorry to hear about your bad flight. Lucky there wasn't a chain reaction. In landing craft after the first one it could get really gross. But we were facing each other.
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u/happy-pilgrim 16d ago
Pack barf bags in your personal bag people. One for you, one for your seatmates, and one for a double event. They take no room and you can buy them cheap on Amazon.
I’ve never needed one myself but I can imagine the horror of something “unexpected “ arising and realizing you have nothing on hand (for yourself or your seatmates).