She Was Relieved Her Flight Was Landing. Then Her Seatmate Pointed Out Something Disgusting (Exclusive)

Yahoo

15-04-2025

Noelia Voigt was unexpectedly vomited on mid-flight and left without proper cleaning supplies, prompting her to share her experience in a now-viral TikTok
Delta's initial response included napkins to clean up and a small offer of SkyMiles compensation, she says
Voigt is now calling for airlines to better prepare for biohazard incidents in-flight
A Delta flight from Washington, D.C., to New York City's JFK Airport was meant to be a quick journey — but for one woman, it ended up turning into her worst nightmare.
Noelia Voigt recounts her experience in a now-viral TikTok, describing the moment she was unexpectedly projectile vomited on by a man seated behind her. She begins the viral clip by saying, 'I need to vent. A girl next to me and myself just got projectile vomited on, on a Delta flight.'
Speaking with PEOPLE about the traumatic experience, Voigt explains, 'I first smelled something weird — it was like someone burped after drinking beer.' Initially dismissing the smell as an inconvenience, she soon realized the gravity of the situation when her seatmate tapped her arm.
'She gestured to herself and then pointed at me,' Voigt said. 'That's when I saw it ... all over her hood and my left side.'
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The vomit, which Voigt believes was propelled by minor turbulence during descent, had arched over their seats, landing on both women and their belongings. "Instead of this man vomiting down toward his feet, he did one of these," she explains, mimicking a forward motion.
Voigt describes the aftermath as surreal. "We were literally minutes away from landing ... we couldn't just jump up because the plane had just landed and they say you can't stand up while they're taxing to the gate."
Forced to sit in their soiled clothes for several minutes, Voigt and her seatmate pressed the flight attendant call button twice before receiving assistance.
'When they came over, they only brought us cocktail napkins to clean ourselves up. No gloves, no wipes — nothing," she says.
The lack of adequate cleaning supplies left Voigt scrambling for solutions once she deplaned. "We were sitting there with full realization of the fact that we have this man's vomit all over us," she says.
Voigt described feeling humiliated and dehumanized by the lack of care. 'This was a biohazard. We were covered in someone else's bodily fluids with no real help.'
Making matters worse, Voigt's carry-on bag — which contained a change of clothes — had been checked at the gate. 'Had I been allowed to keep my bag, I could've changed immediately," she says. Instead, she had to purchase new clothes at JFK Airport and carry her vomit-stained coat in a trash bag provided by a Michael Kors store.
Voigt expresses frustration not just with the incident itself but with Delta's response afterward. When she reached out to the airline's customer service team, she was initially offered 3,000 SkyMiles as compensation.
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Displeased with their offer, she decided to escalate her complaint. Delta increased their offer to 20,000 miles, but Voigt remains unsatisfied. 'This wasn't spilled soda; this was biohazard exposure,' she emphasizes.
While Voigt doesn't blame the passenger — whom she believes was intoxicated — she does hold Delta accountable for their handling of the aftermath.
'Delta prides itself on customer service and safety,' she says. 'But they dropped the ball here. We weren't given proper cleaning supplies or any resources after being exposed to biohazard. This is my first bad experience with them ever."
When reached by PEOPLE, a representative for Delta said, "We encourage the customer to reach out to Delta so we can come up with a resolution."
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Voigt hopes her story will prompt airlines to improve their preparedness. 'Planes should always be stocked with vomit bags, gloves, wipes — basic essentials,' she says.
Despite everything, she has maintained a sense of humor about the ordeal. 'If I don't laugh about it, I'll cry,' she admits. But one thing is certain: this experience has forever changed how she approaches air travel.
Voigt now has a pre-flight routine that includes wearing protective layers and packing essentials to guard against worst-case scenarios.
As Voigt continues to process what happened — and considers escalating her complaint further — she remains committed to sharing her story in hopes of helping others avoid similar experiences. She notes, 'I just don't want anyone else to go through what I went through.'
Read the original article on People