Grabbing a drink at an airport bar, or even on a flight, is fairly common, especially among frequent or anxious flyers. And, for most people, there’s a large gap between having a drink and being so obnoxiously drunk that they shouldn’t be on an airplane. But one TikToker says she was removed from an Alaska Airlines flight after a flight attendant found out she’d had a drink, and now she wants answers.
“I’m flying Alaska Airlines, and they just pulled me off of the plane. We were literally about to take off, and the lady comes up to me … I’m thinking she’s going to tell me to put my backpack under the seat ’cause I had it in my lap. She tells me, ‘You have to get off the plane. You have to come with me,’” Kandace (@kandace_h) recalled.
The TikToker said she had one and a half mimosas at an airport bar before she and her coworkers headed home to Las Vegas on separate flights. She used the airplane bathroom before takeoff—while on the phone with her coworkers—and had to ask a flight attendant for help because the light wasn’t turning on.
When she came out, she thanked the employee for her help and made an offhand comment about how “that drink went through me.” The flight attendant asked if she was going to be sick, but Kandace told her she was fine and didn’t think anything of it until a few minutes later.
“She literally calls the fucking attendant here, and the lady pulls me off the plane. She pulled me off the plane and she told me that the flight attendant told her that I was slurring my words and that I told them, ‘Oh, I’m drunk. Shh.’ I never told her to shush. I never shushed her. I don’t have a problem with saying I had a drink. I’m not belligerent. I’m not drunk,” she said. “I literally thought it was a joke.”
@kandace_h SPREAD THE WORD ! @alaskaair THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE !! I AM LIVID !!! The flight attendants on flight #714 from Portland to Vegas need to be fired !! I was BLATANTLY lied on & removed from the plane…UTTERLY embarrassed by your staff !!! I have flown with this company too many times & have only had pleasant things to say about it, until today ! #pdx #alaskaairlines #discrimination #foryou #fyp ♬ original sound – Kandace H
Kandace wasn’t slurring, belligerent, or acting otherwise intoxicated in the video she recorded at the airport and uploaded to TikTok. However, it isn’t immediately clear how much time had passed since she had been kicked off the plane.
Still, in a follow-up video, she said that even the person who removed her from her flight initially thought she was speaking to the wrong passenger because Kandace seemed fine. The employee had to come back after confirming with the other flight attendant that Kandace was the passenger who needed to be removed.
Kandace also claimed that the stranger seated next to her and a woman seated behind her both attempted to defend her, but the employee said nothing could be done because the call to remove her had already been made.
@kandace_h Still didn’t say EVERYTHING cause i only had 3 minutes 🙄 Regardless, the ppl being accusatory in the comments are still going to feel a way, but idc. I SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN REMOVED & IMA STAND ON IT ! Wasn’t tryna make it about race, but idk what else to think…she wasn’t that friendly to begjn with, but WE deal with that often, i was in a great mood & didn’t think about things escalating the way they did. #alaskaair #discrimination @alaskaair #fyp #kandac_h #foryou #airline #pdx ♬ original sound – Kandace H
“The fact that the lady thought she had the wrong person, the fact that, when I got off the plane, the lady at the gate even explained like, ‘Oh, if you were like, slurring your words or stumbling, it’s my job to not even let you on the plane … You were fine to me,’” Kandace said.
In the comments section, several viewers chimed in with stories about how much alcohol they’ve had or seen other people consume on planes without getting kicked off, agreeing with Kandace’s assessment that her situation seemed outside of standard airline procedure.
“I get on planes all the time tipsy!” wrote @t_rain39. “As long as you aren’t causing a disturbance, you shouldn’t have been escorted off.”
“Shouldn’t have told her anything. They be ready to be Karens for no reason,” @pastryhoe said.
“Yep I had a lawyer friend who ALWAYS stressed….always answer the question never give them more info,” @ibecameher suggested.
The Daily Dot contacted @kandace_h via TikTok comment and Alaska Airlines via email for further information.
