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  • December 14, 2024
WestJet spammed requests for an apology to the woman who was allegedly harassed by the crew

WestJet spammed requests for an apology to the woman who was allegedly harassed by the crew

People are spamming WestJet’s social media accounts, demanding the airline apologize to a passenger who said she was harassed by crew members.

Charlet Chung said she experienced “incessant abuse and harassment‘ from the airline crew, causing her to suffer from panic attacks.

The LA-based actor documented the incident during a flight from Winnipeg back home to Los Angeles. The images she shared on TikTok in early November have gone viral and have been viewed more than eight million times.

“In nearly 200 flights I have taken over the past eight years, this WestJet crew and two passengers have given me the most painful, inhumane experience I have ever had on an airplane,” read a statement she shared on Instagram.

@chihyechung See my full statement and account in my next post. This is @WestJet flight attendant Tricia. She and her crew threatened to deplane and arrest me three times after another passenger verbally abused me. What happened over the next 4.5 hours was that I was forced to change seats and then isolated and harassed for the entire duration of this horrific flight. In the nearly 200 flights I have taken over the past eight years, this Westjet crew and two passengers gave me the most painful, inhumane experience I have ever had on an airplane. These are the only images I had because I was scared. During the most aggressive moments, like when they literally shouted at me, I was in shock and too scared to film. What Happened: During boarding, the man you see in the video continuously punched and pushed my seat for over 20 minutes. I’m in 1A and he’s in 2A behind me. Finally I peeked between the seats to see what was going on but didn’t say a word and he spat out, “Oh, just chill (then) FU*K OFF”. I responded by saying, “Excuse me? Did you just tell me to fuck off?’ Tricia comes out of the hallway to see what’s going on and I inform her about the man (thinking she would help me). Before I know it, I’m threatened with expulsion and later arrest. This was a 4.5 hour flight of relentless abuse from the crew. The relentless bullying of the flight attendants was a painful experience. I was imprisoned. The most disturbing part was that I couldn’t stop them from talking to/intimidating me, while the passenger who verbally accosted me was free to do as he pleased and was completely protected. The panic attacks and flashbacks of feeling trapped and helpless on the plane and experiencing the PTSD of this aggressive crew and two passengers have not stopped. Ever since I escaped this flight, I haven’t been able to concentrate on anything. @Westjet “Is this what you stand for?” Protect the man (who harassed me), put him on an untouchable pedestal, and then put me through a humiliating, isolating experience for speaking out and asking for help as a victim? I will always stand up for myself (and for others who may not have the same voice as me) and I will not be silenced. Period. #westjet ♬ original sound – Charlet

After days of posting the courier online – even received a repost from comedian and The Daily Show correspondent Ronny Chieng – Chung said on November 20 that the company had finally contacted her.

“No responsibility was taken,” the Instagram story reads. “They refuse to right this wrong. Instead, it appears that the information I shared was not enough to warrant an apology.”

She said they instead asked her to contact their ‘social care team’ with her concerns.

“To have me prove myself even further when I have already provided footage, a full written statement and oral testimony is even worse. As if trying to heal from this traumatizing experience isn’t hard enough. I don’t know what to do .” words,” she stated.

Chung said via direct message on Thursday that she is awaiting further response from WestJet. She said she has yet to receive a formal apology.

Summary of the incident

The actor said it all started during boarding when the passenger sitting behind her started hitting and pushing her seat continuously for over 20 minutes.

Despite not saying a word as she turned to check if an adult or child kicked her seat, Chung said the passenger behind her immediately expressed anger.

“Oh, just relax, fuck off,” she remembered him saying.

The passenger said she was relieved that a flight attendant showed up at that moment so she could call for help. She explained the situation to the crew member, but the passenger behind her denied cursing or kicking her seat, according to Chung.

Unfortunately, she felt like the flight attendant was taking the man’s side of the story.

“What follows next is four and a half hours of pure emotional and mental torture at the hands of the WestJet crew,” she wrote on Instagram.

In the TikTok video you mainly see the actor communicating with a flight attendant who says her name is Tricia. The crew member insisted that Chung was “belligerent and unruly.”

Chung claims that the other WestJet crew members “relentlessly” viewed her as a threat and “isolated” and “intimidated” her throughout the remainder of the flight.

For example, the actor said other flight attendants started talking “rudely” to her while serving food.

She also claims that the crew was “watching” her and that she could hear them snickering and making snide comments about her.

The TikTok ends with Chung receiving a message explaining her possible arrest for “verbal abuse” and “recordings.”

In an email statement on November 12, WestJet said they had just learned about a situation involving a guest and one of its flight attendants. It did not directly address Chung’s incident.

“The safety and well-being of our guests and crew is always our top priority, and we have begun working with internal teams to obtain more information,” the spokesperson said.

WestJet response on social media

Since the actor shared her story online, the internet has defended her in the airline’s social media comments section.

Among recent Instagram posts, people are demanding an apology from WestJet on Chung’s behalf.

“It costs $0.00 to apologize to Charlet Chung,” reads one comment.

“Do you have any tips for publicly apologizing to Charlet Chung?” added another.

Many are also urging the company to take responsibility.

“It would be a real Christmas miracle if you could actually take responsibility,” one person commented.

“Take responsibility and stop avoiding the problem,” reads another comment. “All you’re doing is hurting your business.”

WestJet said Thursday that nothing has changed since the initial statement. Chung did not comment on questions about possible legal action.