A handbag isn’t just an accessory; it’s a woman’s trusted companion. However, in the case of one Chinese woman, her expensive Louis Vuitton handbag resulted in an hour-long delay of a flight’s takeoff, causing chaos at Chongqing Airport, China. The passenger, who’d rather place her designer handbag on a pedestal, refused to comply when asked to follow protocol and put her precious LV handbag under the seat in front of her. The adamant fashionista stood her ground, insisting on placing her favorite arm candy on the seat next to her instead of by her feet, leading to the August 10 flight, which was ready for departure, having to return to the boarding gate.
After much arguing with the flight attendant and the airline crew giving up, the police had to step in. Fellow passengers were relieved to see the police escort the fashion-obsessed woman off the plane with her beloved Louis Vuitton in tow. These shenanigans caused a one-hour delay and disrupted the departure times of later flights. The incident, which went viral on social media platforms, sparked debate about the priorities of human beings when it comes to their valuables.
An LV handbag costs nearly $3,000 in China, while an economy class ticket for the flight from Chongqing to northern China’s Hebei province would have cost a much lower $110. Still, such behavior, where possessions take precedence over protocol, is unwarranted, no matter how costly they may be. SCMP shared the reactions of netizens, with one person on Weibo commenting, “She valued the bag more than her life.” Another user on Douyin wrote, “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?”
