During the pandemic airlines emphasized their cleaning protocols – even after it was clear that Covid-19 was primarily being spread via aerosols rather than fomites. Hotels had expanded cleaning protocols between guest stays.
Just like hotels now clean rooms less with cutbacks in housekeeping, airlines have reverted to their earlier dirty ways as well. Usually you can’t tell unless you rummage through the seat back pocket in front of you. Other times it’s literally staring you in the face.
When I flew American Airlines first class from Los Angeles to Sydney in June, the flight attendant recommended putting the mattress pad on our seats prior to departure, even while the seat was in the upright position. The pad came in shrink wrapped plastic, and – she said – would be a lot cleaner than the seats. In her estimation, first class doesn’t get cleaned better than coach.
A business class passenger on an American Airlines flight to Tokyo on Thursday boarded and found blood-stained women’s underwear at their seat. On a flight departing Tokyo I’d expect outstanding cleaning. But even departing the U.S., we’re talking about a “Flagship” international premium flight. The standard of cleaning, based on this passenger’s account, is appalling.
@garyleff in all my travels, nothing prepared for me what I found next to my seat on my @AmericanAir business class seat to Tokyo yesterday. I looked down and saw a dirty/bloody woman's underwear 🤮🤮. I mean come on pic.twitter.com/RxACZliuwt
— Officially (@get0ffdanutzz) September 1, 2023
For domestic flights the rush to get planes out exactly on time frequently means not bothering to clean in between takeoffs and landings. The expectations for long haul international are, I think, different.
Historically cleaning was one of the first things to get cut during challenging economic times. Airline ‘deep cleans’ used to happen just every year or year and a half which is just gross.
To be clear it’s the passengers who make the messes and we should all be more mindful, too. But I’m paying for a basic product from an airline that at a minimum includes safe, clean transportation. Even if the airline isn’t the one making the mess, they’re the one selling the product.
The bloody thong underwear is just really gross.
Weird story. Period.
😉
It’s American Airlines. They may consider it a part of the amenity kit.
This is a reminder to take disinfectant wipes and clean your tray table…because the people turning the plane around probably didn’t. Especially on short flights, when the plane might have flown four flights that day already, which means four passengers who might have sneezed on that tray…
There’s far, far less excuse on long haul flights or if the plane has been parked overnight.
I have had issues along these lines. I soap and rinse the uh… evidence and take it with me. I will be taking disinfectant wipes and spray with us on the next flight.
The last seat occupant was HEAVY FLO
I guess someone forgot to pack tampons……
Somebody forgot that travel stress can cause certain things to happen prematurely…and should have packed accordingly. But leaving them on the plane, especially as it’s not that hard to get the blood out…just eww.
How do we know this wasn’t intentional? This was a flight to Tokyo, and middle-aged Japanese businessmen are often into weird stuff like that…
AA’s “something special in the air” jingle applies here! And not flagship service, but ‘ragship service’!
I would agree with the middle aged Japanese salaryman comment, however no self respecting.Japanese salaryman would stoop as low as flying a US airline.
The passenger faced with the blood stained underwear should have called the police!
Oh, never mind, we only do that when someone takes their overhead bin space! LOL.
In defense of the cleaning crew, I’m sure that they are being hurried and that they don’t get any where near $95 an hour. I’m also not sure that there isn’t more to this story because the underwear seem so obvious. However, this is the product that American is selling. I always take Asian carriers across the Pacific and have done so for years.
Nasty!
Gross and a health hazard, AA needs to do much better.
It might help if they paid lower level employees more, making it a job that people competed for and made sure the quality was A++, and higher level employees less, but that will never happen.
Something seems amiss in this findings~~~how could cabin service cleaning crew or flt. crew not see this before boarding?