Chinese woman refuses to put Louis Vuitton bag under seat, kicked off flight

A Chinese woman had to be escorted off a plane after she refused to put her Louis Vuitton handbag worth $3,000 under the seat in front of her, as is the rule in most flights, thereby delaying the flight by one hour.

According to a South China Morning Post report, after a passenger posted the video of the incident on Douyin, the clip garnered 4 million views and triggered a heated debate on the platform.

The passenger, who requested anonymity, said that the woman in economy class insisted on placing her Louis Vuitton handbag beside her seat instead of stowing it under the seat in front, reported South China Morning Post.

The August 10 flight from Chongqing, southwestern China, was already departing when it had to return to the gate. Following this, police escorted the woman off the plane, which led to a one-hour delay and disrupted subsequent flights.

The Louis Vuitton handbag, valued at around $3,000, contrasted sharply with the economy class ticket price of 800 yuan ($110) for the flight operated by China Express Airlines.

According to the report, the airline did not respond to questions about the case or reveal the outcome after speaking to the passenger. The passenger’s identity remains unknown.

However, the video led to mixed reactions on Chinese social media.

While some criticised the passenger, others suggested that the flight attendant might have been overly strict in enforcing the rules.

“She valued the bag more than her life,” South China Morning Post report quoted as one person saying on Weibo.

“The flight attendant could have offered her a bag to put her handbag in. Is it really necessary to waste an hour and kick her off the plane?” a user was quoted as asking on Douyin.

Another online observer said she had seen many economy class passengers putting their small bags on the seat during take off and were not asked to remove them.

“The flight attendant did not insist on the rule for nothing. The woman should value her safety and that of other passengers rather than the bag,” said another user.

Passengers are required to put their bags under the seat in front of them to prevent injuries or blockages during turbulence, ensuring safety and clear escape routes.

LVMH, the luxury conglomerate behind brands like Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, reported a 13 per cent drop in sales in Asia (excluding Japan) for the first half of the year, reported South China Morning Post.

Despite this, CFO Jean-Jacques Guiony noted that “the Chinese customer is holding up quite well,” as many are traveling to Japan to purchase luxury goods, which are currently more affordable due to the weak yen.

With inputs from agencies