Woman Kicked Off Flight In China After Refusing To Put Her Louis Vuitton Bag Under Seat — Could All This Be Avoided With A Simple Solution?

A woman in China was kicked off a flight — all because she refused to stow her Louis Vuitton handbag under the seat in front of her for takeoff. The brouhaha caused a one-hour flight delay as the plane, which was about to depart the airport, had to return to the boarding gate for the police to escort her off the plane.

The passenger had insisted on keeping her Louis Vuitton handbag next to her on the seat and did not want to put the designer bag under the seat in front of her on the plane floor, despite flight attendants requesting her to do so. The flight's one-hour delay also caused disruptions for subsequent flights, according to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report.  

A video of the incident, which reportedly happened in Chongqing on Aug 10 on a China Express Airlines flight, has since racked up 4mil views on Douyin. 

The passenger who uploaded the clip said that the woman was seated in Economy class, and because of this incident, the plane which was ready for departure had to return to the boarding gate. Passengers were seen applauding as she was escorted off the plane by the police. 

The viral incident has sparked outrage and mixed reactions among Chinese netizens. While some criticised the woman for not complying, one Douyin user stated: “The flight attendant could have offered her a bag to put her handbag in. Is it really necessary to waste an hour and kick her off the plane?”  

It’s unknown if that option was brought up during the incident, but it should have. Seasoned travellers know having an extra packable or foldable bag comes in handy on travels — use them for extra shopping, or as a protective cover for your designer bag on the plane, if you so wish.

Like these foldable ones from Japan, which don’t take up much space and look fab too.