Der Flugbegleiter von Aer Lingus wird beschuldigt, den Passagier zu Tränen gerührt zu haben, indem er ihm die Benutzung der Toilette verweigerte
https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2026/0225/1560364-aer-lingus-worker-accused-of-reducing-passenger-to-tears/
Von expectationlost
30 Kommentare
The restrictive crew member was sacked, this is the proceedings of a Workplace Relations hearing to overturn the sacking.
>Flight attendant Claire Durkan said passengers had been left to wait for the inbound jet in a part of the terminal with „apparently no bathrooms“ available.
>Upon boarding, one passenger asked to use the bathroom. Mr O’Neill refused him on safety grounds as the plane was refuelling, she said.
Ah no id be snapping. Human nature doesn’t just automatically pause if there’s facilities they should be accessible. It wasn’t during takeoff or landing there’s no excuse. Reminds me of the time in school where a teacher flat out refused to let me go to the bathroom I eventually just ignored him and walked out. Had the nerve to lecture me about making a show of him after. If someone has to go don’t block them
I was ready to think it was the usual case of a rowdy passenger, but reading the article it definitely comes off as one flight attendant on a power trip. The fact that colleagues agree the passenger should have been allowed use the toilet tells you all you need to know. Someone that reactive is not a good fit for a job in a confined space in the sky.
If the aircraft is refuelling there is a bigger risk of a fire occurring, as such they must be able to keep an eye on all PAX and evacuate the aircraft as quickly as possible, for this reason PAX are instructed not to fasten their seatbelts or use mobile phones until the refuelling is complete.
If a passenger uses the toilet and an emergency occurs the lav doors (especially AFT) might obstruct access to the exits when they are being opened, during a aircraft fire especially during refuelling when lots of fuel is present and linked to a direct supply every second counts to safely evacuate all passengers and crew on board.
Last time I was on aer Lingus in the summer one of the flight attendants was very aggressive to me the whole 7 hour journey for reasons I couldn’t fathom.
Just her, and only to me?
I was being very polite and friendly, keeping my area clean and doing everything we were asked but she’d go row by row being nice and giggling to all the Americans and then when she got to me it was a scowl, snatching things out of my hands and being curt.
I was sat there wondering did she think she knew me from school ? Did she think I was a traveler because of my surname? Did she just hate her own nationality ?
The whole experience was unnecessary and bizarre, especially compared to the nice woman at check-in who moved me to a window seat on an empty aisle because half the plane was empty.
I had this before. 4yr old went to the toilet just before getting on the plane. They walked around to check if everyone was strapped in then we stand on the tarmac for 45mins finally we go to take off and he wants to go to the toilet. Mind you we were still on the ground. Flight attendant wouldn’t let him go, must have been 30-40 mins later before the seat belt light went off by then he had piss himself and was upset for the rest of the flight
Most pleasant Aer Lingus flight experience
Aer Lingus staff for the most part are fantastic but I encountered some absolute wankers in Tenerife a couple of years ago. Booked their mates onto the flight on standby while we were in the check-in queue then kicked two out of five of us off the flight and had to sleep on airport floor until the next day. They were shouting at me and my wife saying ‘pick a child now and decide which one of you is travelling’ I will never forget it. Complained to Aer Lingus when we eventually got back, still awaiting a reply.
I’ve had the chance to fly with them both in business and (most of the times) in economy. They make sure you notice the difference in treatment and the authentic Irish charm they proudly attribute to themselves is only felt in one side of the cabin.
Aer Lingus staff seem to be stricter than most other airlines on this.
Had a similar experience. Was on a flight with my wife that when we landed there was no gates free, my wife needed to use the bathroom and after waiting there on the landing strip for about 45 minutes I stood up to let her go to the toilet. The air hostess told me to sit down so I told her my wife needed to use the toilet. She said sit down you’re not allowed to use the toilet right now. I was angry and blurted out “so what do you want her to do, piss herself in her seat?” Loud enough for a bunch of other passengers to hear – they all looked at the flight attendant to see her reaction. She looked down at the ground and my wife went to the bathroom. I was surprised she didn’t have a go at me, but I guess the other passengers seeing the ridiculousness of the situation put pressure on her to concede. About 3 others did the same after my wife so clearly my wife wasn’t the only one in this situation. It’s bizarre the power trip some people get in jobs like these
Last time I flew with Aer Lingus I was travelling very light. I had a small backpack. In the boarding queue, one of their lads was doing the rounds in the queue. Absolute prick. He snaps: „You’ll have to put that under the seat in front“ and I goes, yeah no worries I was intending to do that anyway.
Later, when boarding, same thing again. Absolute growls at me about the bag. I didn’t reply, just silently rolled my eyes.
Get on the flight and an attendant at my seat sees me and goes „ah you can throw your bag in the overhead there pet, aren’t YA GORGEOUS“
I find a lot of Aer Lingus staff see themselves as a relic of 1980s Ireland. The most glamorous people in the country, jetting off to New York, Rome and Paris while everyone else goes to Mosney.
Even the language they use is OTT. “Would you care to purchase drinks or snacks from the bar?” Translates to “do you want buy a 330ml of Heineken and a small pipe of Pringles for €12 from this little trolley?”.
At least Ryanair acknowledges that they’re doing it all for the common man.
Last time I flew Aer Lingus they wouldn’t let anyone use the toilet for over an hour after take off due to ‚turbulence‘ which never materialised. Old people were desperate to use it and you could tell the staff were enjoying the power trip.
Never fly Aer Lingus.
For the most part I have had very lovely experiences with Aer Lingus but I have come across a number of very rude cabin crew and they are always the same demographic.
Older man or woman who have been working for Aer Lingus for 30+ years. Senior cabin crew that have this air about them like they are better than their colleagues. It’s weird.
I feel for that passenger. Being brought to tears. I have IBS and I’ve been stuck in situations with long waits to get to the toilet. It’s horrible. Not helped by the poor availability of toilets in Ireland.
Literally weeping for a shite.
I find Aer Lingus cabin crew can be the bitchiest I’ve come across. I’ve had one or two of encounters that I never experienced on Ryanair or other airlines.
Never had a bad experience with Aer Lingus myself, but no doubt you get wankers in all walks of life.
It’s alwys good to hear of bullies who get tripped up by their own ego though.
Reading the article it sounds like this moron would have gotten away with it, if his moron brain hadn’t decided to have a go at the passenger in the terminal after landing, while in uniform.
Then he went telling all his colleagues that the passenger had attacked him and and another colleague, even when that was verifiably false.
What a gobshite.
I’ve lived in the US for over a decade and fly home to Ireland at least once a year. Compared to the other “grown up” airlines of the world (as in, not the Ryanairs), Aer Lingus flight attendants can have the worst attitudes. Many of them are absolutely lovely, but theres a trend of them condescendingly talking down to their passengers, as if the passengers are lucky to be there. So I feel like this incident is an extreme manifestation of a wider cultural problem.
ETA: the quality of their long-haul economy service also leaves a lot to be desired. Seats and seat pitch are more suitable for short-haul and the food is mediocre.
Bring back CityJet – that was an absolutely great little airline with nicest crews I’ve ever come across.
What an absolute power tripping cunt. Going on again after the flight is insane behavior.
Some are great and some are just bellends. There is an approved harness for kids if they have their own seat and are under 2 so they dont have to sit on their parents lap. All was cleared and confirmed with Aer lingus before we travelled and it was exactly the approved belt.
Get on and „nahhh never seen that thing before, you cannot“ showing them the mails / confirmations and even the part of the aer lingus site made zero difference. They just decided to be a dick about it and that was that.
That said there has been some absolutely lovely folks on other flights so I guess its like all industries, there is dickheads everywhere.
MADAM, I AM TOUCHING CLOTH!
I’ve been allowed to use the toilet before take off. I was told I needed to wait until fuelling is complete but they let me know when i was good to go before take off.
The man said ffs probably because he really needed to go and wasn’t able to use toilets in the airport and was frustrated and in pain.
Am I reading that correctly. The flight attendant squared up to him in the car park? Not the other way around?!
I wonder who won the fight in the car park after.
Ah for fuck sake. He said “ah for fuck sake” not even directly to the head crew member. As everyone knows, this a such a common phrase in Ireland that people don’t even hear the swear word. We also all know the type of utter gobshite that would take offence at it.
Flew on a night flight couple of months ago with Aer Lingus, told the flight attendant I didn’t want the breakfast they offer or a drink as I am just going to try get my head down for a bit. I fell asleep shortly after take off and woken by said attendant offering me a drink, told her no thanks and reminded her I’m trying to get some sleep. Woken again by same person when she knocked my arm off the arm rest so my head drops down and wakes me. Woke me again to say here your breakfast is served and finally woke me one last time to check my belt was fastened.
I will never use Aer Lingus ever again, they’re a piss take.
> You can’t go to the toilet. I’ll tell you whenever you can go to the toilet.
Wtf?
Denying toilet use as punishment (and in public) until you cry is the kind of carry on that requires a conversation about limits and a safe word. Didn’t know Aer Lingus was branching out into pro domming.