Vaping flight passenger prompts pilot to threaten to 'turn this plane around'

Posted in the "r/AlaskaAirlines" Reddit forum, the post was titled, "Vaper on LAX-CUN Flight 4/18/25."

While the Reddit user was in the lavatory, the pilot made an announcement, according to the post.

"The pilot comes on the air and tells everyone that [t]here's been a smoke alarm in the lav and 'no smoking or vaping or chewing tobacco' [is allowed] on the flight," the person wrote about what allegedly happened. 

The user added, "He's upset and [said] this is a federal offense, and he's going to turn this plane around and go home if he has to tell us all again."

The user concluded, "I exit the lav and take my seat shaking my head in digust so [that] everyone knows it wasn't me." 

"That's risky, since it's illegal to smoke on an aircraft," commented one user.

Another user said, "Please note this is not necessarily a criminal offense, so being arrested for this doesn't normally occur unless some other severe activity is also present. It is a civil violation and can result in FAA penalties."

Suggested one Redditor, "The answer for smokers and vapers is to use a patch or a Zyn on flights."

"I bet the airline cares. And will cancel her flight home. And blacklist [her] from the airline," said another user.

On the Alaska Airlines website under its "Onboard Policies," the company lists prohibited items.

Gary Leff, a Texas-based travel industry expert and author of the blog "View From the Wing," told Fox News Digital there's a stigma against vaping.

"Other passengers might think vapers are smoking a cigarette even though they aren't," said Leff.

He added, "You can't smoke on a plane. You can't vape, either. The FAA has interpreted the prohibition on cigarette smoking to include vaping products, even though they're quite different."

He continued, "Planes still have ashtrays even though smoking has been illegal on U.S. aircraft for a quarter-century!"

Said Leff, "You'll usually find them in or near the lavatory, because customers may smoke even though it's illegal to do so."