I’ll be the first to admit that there are some people who just shouldn’t be allowed in airport lounges. These guys, for example (were they ever banned? I hope they were banned).
Unfortunately, it seems that humankind has become more bold and self-absorbed. And then, for fear of repercussions, today’s corporate world has become very tolerant of inappropriate behavior. So while us passengers are sneering at the guy who takes his shoes and socks off, or who are quietly tolerating the “little angels” who are running around and screaming while their parents catch up on TikTok, lounge managers do little to nothing to maintain some form of decorum.
Except, apparently, when they ask a passenger to leave for – are you sitting down? – pumping her breast milk.
The story
Queensland, Australia resident Dr. Elsie Turner gave birth to twins this past February. The woman’s health specialist had recently gone on a work trip and while visiting the Virgin Australia lounge at Melbourne Airport on September 15th, she felt the need to pump her breast milk. So she began to do so, pumping her breastmilk under her T-shirt.
She said on social media that the service manager asked her to stop pumping in the lounge. Instead, she was told to either pump in the bathroom or to rent a private meeting room, according to news.com.au and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
After telling the employee that it was her right to pump in the lounge, she said she was them asked to leave the premises.
“This is pretty unbelievable and I’m beyond furious right now,” Turner said in a since-deleted video, according to ABC.
“I am beyond furious right now. I have been told that I cannot sit here, in the Virgin lounge, as a paying business class ticket holder, to express breast milk that sits under my shirt,” she continued, as per news.com.au.
After being told to pump in the bathroom due to the area being a “private business lounge” Turner said, “I asked [the employee] if she prepares her dinner in a public bathroom or toilet, and she didn’t have an answer.”
Quoting an interview with 10News+, news.com.au reported that Turner would have needed to pay $100 to rent a private meeting room if she didn’t want to pump in the bathroom.
“This is just disgusting in 2025, and this is the kind of treatment lactating mothers have to deal with,” she continued, writing “I’m furious” across the now-deleted clip.
Dr. Turner said she tried to politely provide education to the service manager that breastfeeding is protected under Australia’s National Sex Discrimination Act of 1984, to which the staff member replied that Turner was making herself and other people “uncomfortable.”
“She then put her hand on my arm, and asked me to leave,” Dr. Turner said.
Here are some reports of what happened:
Dr. Turner gave an update the next day:
“Hi everyone, I just wanted to come on and express my gratitude for everyone who’s been so beautifully supportive, pun intended,” she said. “It’s really sad that this day and age this is how the breastfeeding world is still perceived.”
She added, “Now getting the trolls and the negative comments saying, ‘Put your boobs away, nobody wants to see that.’”
“Seriously 2025, I really would like us to progress as a society, and some people in the gene pool appear to be holding us back there,” Turner said.
She continued that she’s “yet to have conversation with anybody from Virgin. Hopefully that will be rectified soon, I’m waiting for a call back from them.”
The apology
Fast forward a day, and Virgin Australia, who had apparently gotten word of the incident, apologized profusely.
“We are sorry for the way this situation was handled. It fell short of the high standards of care and customer service our team strives to deliver. We have reached out to our guest today to apologise directly,” the airline wrote in a statement.
They also confirmed that they followed up with the staff member involved in the case.
In her next update, she said that the airline had indeed contacted her and gave her a verbal apology. They were also investigating the process.
And here’s what a spokeswoman for Melbourne Airport also confirmed there were no restrictions on women breastfeeding or pumping milk in the airport.
“We’re an airport where everyone should feel welcome,” she said. “We have several parenting rooms across our terminals with comfortable spaces for breastfeeding – including chairs and microwaves – and for changing nappies.”
H/T – Sydney Morning Herald
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