A woman and her boyfriend have slammed Emirates airline after she was ordered off their flight to Dubai because of period pain.
When she boarded the plane, 24-year-old Beth Evans was experiencing some stomach pains from her period—but only rated the pain about “one out of ten”.
But she says that when an airhostess overheard her complaining to her boyfriend, Josh Moran, the crew decided Ms Evans needed a medical assessment before the seven-hour flight, The Times reports.
A doctor wasn’t available, however, and the couple were asked to leave the aircraft.
“Beth was in tears and getting upset when the hostess was asking her questions,” Mr Moran told The Sun.
“To be kicked off for period pains, it was madness.”
He added: “It’s embarrassing to have to explain about period pains when it’s being overheard.”
The couple were forced to rebook their flights at a cost of $440 each.
An Emirates spokesman has defended the decision, declaring it necessary in case Ms Evan’s condition had worsened.
“The passenger alerted crew that she was suffering from discomfort and pain and mentioned she was feeling unwell,” the spokesman said.
“The captain made the decision to request medical support and offload Ms Evans so she could access medical assistance.”
“We would not have wanted to endanger Ms Evans.”