A Delta Passenger Said a Woman’s Mid-Flight Behavior “Needs to Be a Lifetime Ban.” What Happened Before Landing Sparked More Outrage

I’ve come across so many stories about inconsiderate airplane passengers that I’m starting to wonder what some people consider acceptable behavior in a shared space. We’ve seen passengers clipping and filing their nails during flights, people putting their bare feet on airplane seats, and travelers playing loud music or watching videos without headphones, forcing everyone around them to listen.

And the list keeps growing. There was a passenger curling her hair during a flight, another making fresh pasta on her tray table, and a recent complaint about strong cologne in first class. Even something as simple as chewing with your mouth open has sparked heated arguments between passengers.

I understand people have different habits and tolerance levels, but I sometimes wonder how anyone can board an airplane without considering the people sitting around them. After all, when you’re thousands of feet above the ground, you can’t simply leave if the person nearby does something that bothers you.

And that brings me to a complaint shared by a Delta Air Lines passenger. The original incident was frustrating enough, judging by the reactions, but the passenger kept posting updates as the flight went on. By the time the discussion unfolded, people were arguing about much more than the woman’s behavior. Flight attendants intervened. 

A Passenger on Delta Flight DL1683 Had Had Enough

A Reddit user going by AnonimausMe shared an experience aboard Delta Air Lines flight DL1683 in the r/delta community. According to the passenger, a woman on the flight had decided to use the time onboard to apply nail polish. Yes, she was painting her nails inside the airplane cabin, with other travelers sitting nearby. The passenger titled the discussion “Doing your nails in a flight needs to be a lifetime ban.”

The original complaint ended with a question:

“Are people really that dumb? Or just inconsiderate?”

I can understand the frustration. Nail polish has a distinctive, often strong smell, and although some people barely notice it or even enjoy it, others find it unpleasant enough to cause headaches or nausea.

I remember one time I messed up a nail (before leaving my house) and I took the nail polish in my car to fix it. My husband immediately reacted – had to open a window because he is really sensitive to the smell.  An airplane is hardly the best place to discover that the person sitting nearby is sensitive to a product you’re using. Unlike at home, where someone can open a window or leave the room, passengers onboard have limited options to get away from an unpleasant smell.

The post quickly attracted reactions from travelers who couldn’t believe someone would consider an airplane seat an appropriate place for a manicure.

Passengers Were Outraged – And Many Wanted the Crew Involved

One early response came from someone who said they wouldn’t have hesitated to ask a flight attendant for help.

“Sorry, but nail polish would have me hitting the flight attendant button.”

Another commenter agreed the issue deserved a formal complaint, while others questioned how a traveler could miss how much the smell might affect nearby passengers.

One person wrote:

“This is so inappropriate and can make people nauseated.”

Another commenter was less concerned about being diplomatic:

“Our society has gotten incredibly selfish. It’s all about me, me, and me.”

Some people were surprised that nail polish was used onboard at all, since many formulations contain flammable solvents. Others argued that the woman should have known better even without being familiar with airline safety guidance.

The original passenger wasn’t the only one to encounter this behavior. Several commenters described similar experiences, including times when flight attendants intervened and asked travelers to put their nail polish away.

But while people were debating what should have happened, the person who started the discussion returned with another update.

Then, During Descent, the Woman Started Again

Apparently, the first application hadn’t been enough. As the Delta flight began its descent, the passenger reported that the woman had decided to apply another coat of nail polish.

The update read:

“OMG, she’s decided a second coat on descent is just the way to even things out.”

The passenger added another detail:

“The FA has to be able to smell this as I am sitting five feet from the crew for landing.”

So, according to the person reporting the incident, the woman wasn’t simply applying a little polish and putting the bottle away. She had continued her manicure to the point that she was applying another coat as the aircraft descended. PS: Yes, I know you usually need two coats of nail polish; I do that too. But I do it at home, windows open – not in an airplane…

And the passenger believed a flight attendant was close enough to notice what was happening.

I can imagine how frustrating it must have been to think an unpleasant situation was ending, only for the person responsible to start again. By then, the flight was approaching its destination, and the passenger was clearly becoming increasingly annoyed.

But the discussion soon took another turn because people wanted to know why the passenger hadn’t involved the cabin crew.

Then Came the Question: Why Didn’t the Passenger Tell the Flight Attendant?

One Reddit user responded sarcastically:

“Whatever you do, don’t tell the FAs about it!!! Come to Reddit instead!”

Another asked why the passenger had chosen to tell Reddit instead of alerting the flight attendants. But the original poster later replied:

“I did tell the FA, and she could obviously smell it too.”

According to the passenger, however, the flight attendant didn’t appear interested in taking action. The poster explained the reluctance to pursue the matter further:

“And I’d rather not end up being banned for making a big stink about it if she’s not gonna do something about it.🤷”

The person who complained online said they had already raised the issue with a crew member but hadn’t received the response they expected.

The update prompted another round of criticism, this time over how the situation was apparently handled. One commenter advised:

“Complain to Delta. This is absolutely unacceptable.”

Another argued that the crew should have stopped the behavior quickly, and some people identifying themselves as flight attendants joined the discussion.

People Identifying Themselves as Flight Attendants Said They Would Have Intervened

One commenter, who said they worked as a flight attendant for another carrier, explained what they would do in a similar situation.

“It’s not allowed. I’m a flight attendant at a different carrier and if I see someone painting their nails (or smell the polish) I make them stop and put everything away.”

Another person, apparently speaking from experience as cabin crew, encouraged passengers to use the call button or approach a galley attendant. The commenter explained that they regularly ask travelers to stop using nail polish and added:

“Most of the time people are just oblivious to how offensive the odor is!”

Other commenters who identified themselves as airline crew members said their employers didn’t allow nail polish during flights. One wrote:

“It’s not allowed on the airline I am an F/A for.”

Their comments suggest that at least some cabin crews regularly deal with this behavior and expect passengers to stop when asked. Of course, these Reddit users’ professional identities haven’t been independently verified, and procedures may vary between airlines. Their responses don’t establish what Delta’s crew were instructed to do on this particular flight.

Other Passengers Shared Their Own Experiences – And Some Were Even Worse

The discussion soon filled with stories from people who had encountered similar situations aboard airplanes. While the original complaint involved nail polish, some of the comments described much more extreme experiences.

One Passenger Watched a Woman Start Painting Her Toenails

One commenter recalled watching another traveler take nail polish from her bag and start painting her toenails. The commenter was traveling with a boyfriend with a very sensitive sense of smell and expected him to notice right away.

He did.

According to the account, the boyfriend called a flight attendant over and pointed out what the woman was doing. When another Reddit user asked what happened next, the commenter replied:

“And the attendant told her to put it away.”

Another person described sitting beside a woman who was clipping her toenails on a recent flight.

“Woman next to me was clipping her toe nails last flight. I nearly lost my mind.”

We’ve already seen plenty of examples of passengers treating airplane seats as places for personal grooming, but I still struggle to understand how anyone thinks dealing with toenails next to strangers is appropriate.

It’s one thing to discreetly fix a broken nail that’s catching on your clothes. A full manicure or pedicure, especially when it involves strong-smelling products or nail clippings, is something else entirely and sorry, but I say that it should never happen on an airplane!

Someone Found Dried Nail Polish on an Airplane Tray Table

One traveler said they routinely wipe down surfaces before settling into their seat, and a recent discovery gave them another reason to keep doing so.

“There were globs of dried nail polish over the tray yesterday.”

The commenter also recalled another flight when a nearby passenger started doing her nails. According to that account, a flight attendant noticed during the beverage service, warned that the polish was a fire hazard, and instructed the woman to put it away.

Another Reddit user described an incident in which a flight attendant stopped a woman from painting her nails, only for the passenger to argue with the crew member.

Apparently, not everyone cooperates immediately when told to stop. And in some cases, the consequences for nearby passengers last longer than the actual manicure.

One commenter said a woman had applied nail polish across the aisle during a flight, leaving them with a headache that lasted about an hour afterward. The traveler admitted they hadn’t complained at the time but would speak up if it happened again.

A Pregnant Passenger Said the Woman Beside Her Refused to Stop

One of the more troubling accounts came from a commenter who said they had been visibly pregnant when another woman started using nail polish in the neighboring seat.

They asked the woman to stop. According to the commenter, the woman said she had a wedding that evening.

“Kept going”

That was how the traveler ended the account.

We don’t know what happened afterward, but I can understand why someone would be upset after making a direct request and being ignored. The other passenger may have been in a hurry to get ready for an event, but the person sitting next to her couldn’t simply move to another room to escape the smell.

Not Everyone Thought Painting Nails on a Plane Was Such a Big Deal

Although most of the reactions I found were critical, some people felt the complaint was excessive.

One commenter said the smell of nail polish didn’t bother them and that, compared with other annoying things travelers do, painting nails ranked relatively low on their list of complaints.

Another person took a more specific position:

“LoL, I’m honestly fine with painting your nails”

However, the same commenter drew the line at toenail clippings flying around the cabin.

Then came a reply from someone who admitted having painted their own nails during a flight. According to that traveler, a flight attendant asked them to stop, and they complied. The commenter explained:

“The smell doesn’t bother me. It didn’t occur to me that it would bother others.”

Other Reddit users challenged that explanation, arguing that passengers should consider how their actions affect those around them, even if they personally enjoy it or don’t notice a smell.

Another account described someone who used nail stickers on a flight. They said there was no smell or mess, although the woman beside them still appeared annoyed.

That distinction is worth considering. Applying adhesive nail stickers and opening a bottle of solvent-based nail polish are different activities, with different potential effects on nearby passengers.

The debate also raises another question: what do aviation rules actually say about using nail polish during a flight?

Are You Allowed to Paint Your Nails on a Plane?

A key distinction exists between carrying nail polish in your luggage and opening the bottle to use it during a flight.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s guidance on medicinal and toiletry articles specifically includes nail polish and nail polish remover among products that can be transported in permitted quantities, subject to applicable restrictions.

However, the FAA also warns that being allowed to carry an item onboard doesn’t automatically mean you should use it during the flight. It advises passengers to consult the flight crew before using products that release strong odors or vapors, specifically mentioning nail polish and remover.

This is relevant because many nail polish formulations contain flammable solvents, and their fumes may be unpleasant or irritating to nearby passengers.

Delta’s published restricted-items guidance also addresses hazardous materials and directs passengers to current federal rules. However, the public guidance I reviewed doesn’t establish a blanket, permanent ban on passengers for applying nail polish during a flight.

Several Reddit commenters asserted that using nail polish onboard was prohibited, while others described airline-specific crew instructions. Those statements shouldn’t be confused with a verified account of how Delta handled this incident.

If you’re on a flight and someone starts applying a strongly scented product near you, alerting a flight attendant is a sensible option. You can explain the problem and let the crew decide how to address it without confronting the other traveler.

Would You Have Spoken Up?

I’ve seen enough accounts of passenger behaviors that flight attendants dislike to understand why cabin crews sometimes find themselves caught between travelers with very different ideas about acceptable behavior.

We’ve even seen a passenger climb into an airplane overhead bin, so the range of things people are willing to do onboard still manages to surprise me.

In this Delta incident, the original complaint wasn’t about a seat assignment, a delay, or another common travel frustration. It was about a personal grooming routine that the person performing it may have considered completely harmless, while someone nearby found it unacceptable.

Later updates added a second issue: according to the passenger, the behavior continued, and reporting it to the crew didn’t produce the expected result.

Personally, I wouldn’t want someone applying strong-smelling nail polish near me on a flight. I understand why others may not be bothered, but in an enclosed cabin, I think passengers should be considerate of those around them, especially when using products that can cause discomfort.

What would you have done in this situation? Would you have asked the woman to stop, called a flight attendant, or simply waited for the flight to end?

Note: This article is based on a passenger’s account and public responses posted on Reddit discussion “Doing your nails in a flight needs to be a lifetime ban”. The events aboard Delta flight DL1683, including the reported interaction with the flight attendant, have not been independently verified.

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Violeta Loredana

Violeta-Loredana Pascal is a communications expert, business mentor, and the founder of Earth’s Attractions and PRwave INTERNATIONAL. A pioneer in the Romanian digital PR landscape since 2005, she holds a degree in Communication and Social Sciences from SNSPA Bucharest. Violeta is a senior trainer at AcademiadeAfaceri.ro, where she leverages over 20 years of experience to teach professional courses in PR strategy and workplace productivity. By blending high-level business consulting with a passion for holistic travel and wellness, she empowers solopreneurs to overcome procrastination, build profitable brands, and design a life of purposeful adventure.