As I boarded the plane in Nadi, I noticed paper towels stuffed in the air
vents over the top of my seat. The flight crew came through while everyone
was boarding and would dab the water on the ceiling and replace the napkins.
Passengers were also expressing their curiosity and concern in the
surrounding seats. It was rather warm and humid outside from thunderstorms,
thus they were running the air conditioning on high to keep the cabin
comfortable during boarding. Occasionally, I would feel a drip, but the
flight attendant apologized stating that the air conditioning caused
condensation and it would cease upon taking off. I thought it was not a big
deal and seemed like a reasonable explanation, so I did not think much about
it.
Upon taking off, it became a big deal. A large amount of water dumped on my
head, body, the floor, and my until the plane leveled out at altitude. I held
a blanket over my head to try to shield my face from the smelly water, but
this was a lost cause. The water was running through the blanket down my arms
and all over my head and torso. The water soaked me clear through all my
clothes and shoes. It was like taking a dirty shower in my seat with
my clothes on. My makeup was running down my face, hair was soaked, and I
was just miserable. I was captive in my seat for about 15 minutes as the
seat belt sign was on and all passengers and crew had to remain seated.
Since the crew was seated right behind me, they were well aware of what was
happening.
Upon the seat belt sign being turned off, the flight crew came running and
were very apologetic. The flight crew was limited in their options as the
plane was full so there was nothing they could do to fix the fact that I was
soaked. I went to the restroom to try and wash the dirty water and now
misplaced makeup off my face.
The flight attendant stated that the plane is in disrepair, they have
reported the leaking issue many times and this was not the first incident
where a passenger experienced a big, wet mess. Why on earth would Air
Pacific continue flying a broken airplane? Other passengers were asking
about the safety of the airplane and if the water would cause a bigger
crack. It was scary for all of us.
The flight attendant found an open seat in the very last row of the plane
for me to sit in as it was dry. I was asked to fill out a form and I
complied. Again, the flight attendant felt horrible, expressed his
disapproval of the situation and gave his condolences many times. He gave me
blankets to wrap myself in to keep warm. He was very helpful to the best of
his abilities. I remained pleasant throughout the flight and tried to make
the best of the situation. My clothes, even my undergarments were still wet
when we landed in LAX.
Since the flight, my life has been upended and I have suffered from
illness. I have been sick for more than a week with a head cold, congestion
and sore throat that caused me to lose my voice. This is a result of being
soaked from filthy water in an air conditioning pump for this horrendous ten
hour flight all the while re-circulated air was passing over me. I sought a
doctor's care mid-last week and was told to rest and take cold medicine, my
body would have to expel the infection over time. The rash on my face has left a red mark, but will hopefully heal.
This experience has made my Fiji trip memorable, in a bad way. My jacket was
ruined from the water as it was dry clean only clothing. My Italian leather
sandals are also misshapen and destroyed from the mass influx of water. Extreme empathy goes out to the other passengers that have
experienced this same horrible situation.
I contacted Air Pacific, they responded that the leaks were not that bad and not a a safety issue. The Captain of the flight was aware of the leaks and choose to fly anyway. There were no incident reports filed by the crew. Air Pacific claims no responsibility and does not have to abide by US standards for maintenance, even though they fly into the US.
Based upon this experience, I would highly advise against flying Air Pacific.
