Breast-pumping Mom Says United Flight Attendant Abruptly Barged into Lav
Jeff Edwards May 25, 2017
A passenger claims that a United Airlines flight attendant unlocked and opened the plane’s restroom door while she was pumping breast milk during a recent flight.
A Florida woman alleges that a United Airlines crew member burst into the lavatory where she had been pumping breast milk for about ten minutes. The passenger says that she had her shirt off and had “pumping gear on” when the restroom door was unexpectedly opened by the flight attendant.
The unidentified flyer told Fort Meyers ABC News affiliate WFTX that she at first thought an impatient flyer was annoyed and felt that she taking too long. The breastfeeding mother says she never thought a crew member would be the one to invade her privacy in such a dramatic manner.
“Oh my gosh, is this really happening?” she recounted thinking. “Is someone really opening the door on me, when I’m in the bathroom, while I’m pumping breast milk?”
When she later complained, the passenger reports that the crew member readily admitted to being the one who opened the lavatory, but did not offer an apology. For its part, the airline is defending the flight attendant’s actions.
“After multiple attempts by the crew to solicit a confirmation from the customer occupying the lavatory of her safety and wellbeing and getting no reply, a flight attendant unlocked the door to ensure the customer was okay,” United Airlines spokesperson Jonathan Guerin told the television station in a statement. “We are currently reviewing the situation and have reached out to our customer.”
The passenger says she sympathizes with the need for security, but believes that the airline could take a more reasonable approach in such situations. “I understand, but you don’t ever unlock the door and open the door on somebody,” she told ABC News. “I didn’t hear anybody ask me if I was okay, I didn’t hear anybody say, ‘Knock back if you’re alright,’ That would have been acceptable.”
[Photo: Shutterstock]
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And now it happens, passenger dies in lav: http://www.flyertalk.com/articles/aa-passenger-dies-after-falling-unconscious-in-lavatory-during-flight.html
United Airlines: We hate our customers
From: https://www.babycenter.com/404_how-long-does-pumping-take_8916.bc "If you have a good pump and let down fast, it should take you about 10 to 15 minutes to empty both breasts using a double pump and 20 to 30 minutes if you are pumping each breast separately. A good pump will cycle (suck and release) as quickly as a baby does, approximately every one to two seconds." Sorry, but unless the airline does not permit pumping at her seat, this is too long to tie up the lav. Board the aircraft wearing clothing that will allow you to be discreet. (front button, nursing bra) and if anyone complains, remind them that the alternative is to tie up the lav for a half hour. And if you KNOW going into lav that you are planning to tie it up for a half hour, alert the flight attendant BEFORE you go in and avoid the trauma.
"Why can't I get into the lav?" FA: "Its full of bodies from people who died that we didn't want to disturb. Sorry for the inconvenience."
I was flying overseas on United. Had to use the lav right after boarding, walked in locked & the door. About a minute into my business there was a knock on the door. I called out "Just a Minute!", still the FA, unlocked the door, Maybe she didn't hear me. Maybe she was thinking that the lav door had still been locked prior to boarding. The door was opened by the FA who then saw me doing my business (fortunately my back was to her), to which I yelled "Occupied!". She slammed the door shut and I re-locked it. Afterwards, I washed my hands and went back to the seat. The FA didn't apologize and I didn't make a stink of it. These things happen. But it seems like with United's recent troubles there always a PAX looking for their 15 minutes of fame, or some sort of compensation from the airlines for even the slightest issue.