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Sometimes your read something and you snap your head back and scratch your head, then re-read and lo-and-behold what you read is true. In January 2019, American Airlines asked a family to disembark from one of their flights because of their repugnant body odor.
According to media reports, the couple and 19-month old daughter were asked to step off the plane from Miami enroute to Detroit. When they cleared the gangway, the door closed. They were told, “people have complained of your body odor.”
The family claims they were ejected from the flight for religious reason, the airline stands by their rationale: Their body odor. Though they were not told which of the family members had the body odor which was found offensive. They were not able to determine if traveling with a toddler may have been the culprit.
American Airlines sent media outlet WPLG a statement saying:
“Mr. Adler and his wife were removed from the flight when several passengers complained about their body odor. They have been booked into a hotel for the night and given meal vouchers. They have been rebooked on a flight Thursday.”
Is American Airlines alone in their policy of removing malodorous condition? No, Delta and United each have a “malodorous condition” policy which allows for removal.
Often times one’s diet can cause body odor issues. Every school child knows that if you eat asparagus your urine may smell different in an hour or two, and if you put a piece of garlic in your shoe, by dinner time you will be tasting it in your mouth.
The University of Houston advised their international students to be cognizant of cultural differences and norms, when traveling in the United States, so that they would not fall victim the “you stink, so get off the plane,” caused by their diet.
That said, all airlines will remove the passenger who lacks personal hygiene. Though I do recall a flight intra-India from Bombay (now Mumbai) to Delhi when a rather odoriferous passenger boarded and brought his four goats on board the plane and proceeded to his row — now that was a stinky flight indeed — though the year was 1994, and not 2019.
For the record, American Airlines banned goats in 2018 from riding in the passenger compartment.
Here is the video taken by Yossi Adler, the individual who was removed from the American Airlines flight.
