Mom Gets Kicked Off Plane After Flight Attendants See What She's Wearing

After her friends pleaded with her to take some time off from her busy schedule, Harriet finally relented. She agreed to go on a short vacation with them to Malaga in Costa del Sol, a seaside community in the south of Spain.

Harriet and her pals were excited for their getaway, which promised to be sunny and warm, unlike the dreary grey weather they were used to. And while Harriet loved her children dearly, she was aching for some time to herself.

The Londoners made the most of their few days in the country, doing touristy activities like sightseeing, swimming, and, of course, shopping. On Harriet’s last day, she and her girlfriends went on what was supposed to be a fun-filled shopping spree. They couldn’t have anticipated the damage it would ultimately do.

The group was strolling through the Spanish streets, admiring the colorful window displays of the various stores, when Harriet saw a piece that caught her eye. In the entrance of a small shop called El Corte Ingles was a shirt that looked absolutely adorable. The young mom just had to go inside.

She walked right up to the clerk and immediately inquired about the price of the beautiful garment. It was slightly sheer, a style that Harriet usually veered away from, but this blouse just looked so perfect. Then she saw the price tag and recoiled.

Harriet sadly admitted that the item, while gorgeous, was simply too far out of her budget to purchase. Still, her friends encouraged her to at least try it on before making her decision. When she looked at herself in the mirror, Harriet was totally starstruck.

She couldn’t remember ever having worn a shirt that was so naturally flattering on her. So, in the spirit of vacation and at the insistence of her pals, the 31-year-old decided to splurge on the expensive garment — a decision she would soon regret.

Before they knew it, it was time to head back to the hotel and pack up their things. While filling her suitcase, however, Harriet was overcome with remorse. She knew she shouldn’t have bought the shirt; it was just too pricey, and when could she even wear it during London’s long, cold seasons?

To help put her disappointments aside, she decided she would at the very least wear the dress on her return flight home; who knew when her next opportunity would be? So, luggage in hand, Harriet showed up at the airport. After making it through security she excitedly sidled up to her gate. She was almost home!

As she was boarding, a stewardess stood by the doors giving each passenger a welcoming greeting as they stepped onto the flight. When Harriet passed by, however, she raised her eyebrows and didn’t say anything to the young mom. While this was rather odd, Harriet shrugged it off and filed down the row to her seat.

She settled in to the flight, but the flight attendants were all crowded together, whispering. What made things even more concerning to Harriet was they seemed to be glancing directly at her.

As the time stretched on, the passengers grew weary. What was the hold up? Then Harriet watched as the same stewardess who had ignored her before walked straight down the aisle towards her, stopping right next to her seat.

”You’re not coming on my plane like that — you need to put a top on," the flight attendant said. Harriet was completely blindsided. At first she thought she must have misheard her. What could possibly be the issue with her shirt?

Sure, it was slightly sheer and exposed a lot of cleavage, but she’d used tape to secure it to her body that morning, just to be extra modest. But before she could even realize what was happening, the stewardess was attempting to cover Harriet up with her hands!

The startled passenger, recovering from the shock of being singled out in such a harsh manner, questioned the airline employee as to why she in particular was being treated in this manner. The woman simply responded that multiple customers had made complaints about her dress. Harriet didn’t believe this for a second.

Despite the absurdity of the information being fed to her, Harriet relented. If acquiescing to this woman’s strange demands meant getting home to her children, she would do it. She stepped off the plane to change into a sweater. This would make everyone happy, right? Wrong.

When she boarded the plane for what she hoped would be the last time, donning her more “appropriate” sweater, she could feel the stares of passengers on her. While she was humiliated, she couldn’t blame them. The scene that had just unfolded was truly bizarre. No one, least of all Harriet, knew it was about to get even worse.

As the problem stewardess passed by her seat, Harriet couldn’t help herself; she gave the woman a piece of her mind, informing the attendant that her behavior was unwarranted, and had made her, a passenger, feel both disrespected and publicly shamed. The attendant merely flashed her a look of shock and retreated quickly to the other employees.

Harriet would soon be in for the biggest shock yet. The stewardess returned to her seat after what seemed like hours, and dropped a major bombshell: the young mother would have to leave the flight entirely. Shocked and close to tears, Harriet left the plane.

This wouldn’t be the end of her troubles; because she’d splurged so much on the trip, she couldn’t afford a last minute hotel and was forced to sleep on the cold, hard floor of the terminal. The next day she boarded her flight without any trouble, but she was determined to have the last word on this subject.

Upon touching down in London, Harriet got straight to work phoning various news outlets about her traumatizing ordeal. Almost overnight, her story had gotten so much traction that it was being discussed worldwide. A rational person might expect a company on the receiving end of so much bad PR to cut their losses and apologize...right?

Let’s just say EasyJet didn’t take the high road. Instead, they doubled down, implicating Harriet. Still, nobody enjoys the stress of flying, but some airlines, and even passengers, are at least making efforts to make others feel more at home.

Shaina Murry was one such kind passenger. She was among hundreds of people waiting for her American Airlines flight at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Eager to return home to her husband and tired from her travels, she found her gate and sat down — and noticed something unusual.

A man lay sprawled out on the airport floor. "It was clear something was wrong," Shaina recalled later in a post on Facebook. "I just didn't know what." So, she rushed over to find out.

Shaina asked the man, whose name was Will, a few questions. She never shared exactly what he told her, but after their conversation, she knew there was something she needed to do: call for medical assistance.

Then, Will shared something else with her. Over and over again, he told her he was "afraid he was going to miss his flight while waiting for the airport medical team to come assist him," Shaina wrote. That's when she realized exactly what was going on...

Will was autistic, Shaina determined, and the overwhelming stress of traveling alone had made him very uncomfortable. This realization "triggered me to switch gears," she wrote.

Most other people would have left Will waiting for the medical team, but not Shaina. Instead, she assured her new airport pal that all was well: she'd make sure he boarded his plane before takeoff—and she didn't stop there.

Together, the duo called Will's mom "to let her know he wasn't feeling well and seeing the medical team at Dallas Airport," Shaina said. Will's mother explained that her son was indeed autistic, confirming Shaina's hunch.

When the medical team arrived, Will, Shaina, and the staff at American Airlines discussed the best way to make sure Will was in good condition to continue with his flight. Unfortunately, they were concerned about his health—and his ability to remain in such a cramped space.

"The medical team said he needed to eat and have something to drink," Shaina wrote, "and they were worried he would get sick again and didn't know if he should fly." Did this mean Will would miss his flight?

If your typical stressed-out, in-a-hurry traveler had been the one to first talk to Will, he might've ended up grounded. Shaina, however, was no ordinary traveler—and she wanted to make sure Will was safe. Although she was tired and eager to see her husband, Shaina was prepared to do whatever it took to get Will home safe.

"I worked with American Airlines and the medical team at Dallas," Shaina said, "and told [them] I would change my flight, grab some lunch with him, and make sure he got on his flight okay."

In response, American Airlines helped out by facilitating Shaina's flight transfer free of charge. "American didn't charge me a dime for the flight change," she wrote. The airline took another above-and-beyond action, too...

Shaina added that American Airlines "even called me when [Will] and I were eating lunch together to let me know his gate changed." Everyone with the power to help came together to make sure one frightened Will made his flight!

Finally, after a meal and pleasant conversation, Shaina walked Will to his gate. American Airlines took over from there, and the gate clerk "made sure he boarded safely to go see his Mom for Christmas."

Just as Shaina—pictured here with her husband—promised, Will made his flight! Later, she beautifully reflected on her hectic day at the airport. "Today was not at all what I pictured it to be," she wrote. "It has turned out so much better..."

Her account of the day continued: "I had an amazing lunch with a wonderful young man from Louisville, Kentucky. While I don't know him well, I know he has a heart of gold and a wonderful mother and sister, who he loves very much."

Of course, Shaina couldn't have done it alone, and she acknowledged everyone who played a big role in getting Will on his flight. "American Airlines handled the situation with such professionalism and care," she wrote. "The medical team [was] also just as amazing."

Most importantly: Shaina acknowledged a truth everyone could stand to hear. "Every once and awhile we all need a little help. Regardless of disability, age, or social status. Thanks for making my day Will!"

Although Shaina wouldn't likely ever see Will again, the day she spent with him might have changed her whole life—and his. Their story was printed in the book Love What Matters as an example to all that a little kindness and sacrifice can go a long way!