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Viral TikTok shows how to access ‘hidden’ bathroom compartment of period products on Delta planes

‘I feel like… this should be part of the takeoff announcement,’ one viewer joked

Chelsea Ritschel
New York
Wednesday 14 July 2021 18:11 BST
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TikTok user who claims to work for Delta shows hidden bathroom mirror compartment filled with sanitary products and other amenities
TikTok user who claims to work for Delta shows hidden bathroom mirror compartment filled with sanitary products and other amenities (TikTok / @Joselinlora7)

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A woman who claims to be a Delta Air Lines employee has gone viral on TikTok after revealing that there are compartments in the plane bathrooms stocked with toiletries such as sanitary products for menstruating passengers.

Last week, Joselin Lora, who goes by the username @joselinlora7 on TikTok, uploaded a video in which she explained that, on some Delta planes, there is a button under the mirror that will open up a mirror compartment, where passengers can find amenities such as pads.

“For those who fly Delta, especially the ladies, on some planes there is a button under the mirror, where if you press it, it’ll open and, in the mirror, you will find amenities of your needs, like a pad,” Lora explained in the video as she could be seen pressing an unseen button and unlocking the bathroom mirror.

In the TikTok, Lora then opened the mirror compartment to reveal stacks of pads, tissues, paper towels and extra toilet paper rolls, adding that, on other planes, the toiletries are located in a “pull-out box on the wall”.

The video, which has since been viewed more than 3m times, has prompted a range of responses from viewers, with many questioning why this is not more widely known.

“How did I never know this?” one person asked, while another said: “I’ve flown Delta countless times and I never knew!”

Someone else noted that they had previously taken alternative measures when they were menstruating during a flight because they did not know about the availability of the products, writing: “Oh my god, no way. I remember panicking and stuffing my underwear with cheap toilet paper on my flight because I forgot extra tampons.”

However, the video also prompted responses from some viewers who alleged that the products were not meant to be used by passengers, but rather by flight staff.

“This is for flight attendants, if you ask for one they will give it to you, you’re not supposed to do that on your own,” one person claimed.

Another said: “It’s literally stuff for refilling for the cleaners, not for passengers to open,” which prompted a response from Lora, who replied: “Not true, we always have extra.”

Others claimed to have seen similar cabinets on other airlines, with one viewer writing: “Southwest has it too, I flew back home yesterday and I was surprised when I saw that,” while another commented: “Same with American Airlines, I flew international this week and they had it.”

As for why the products are hidden behind the mirror, a concern that some viewers raised, others explained that it is likely done to keep the products safely stored in case of turbulence.

In response to a question from one viewer who asked “why not just have them out?” instead of being located in a “secret place which 99 per cent of people won’t find,” another TikTok user pointed out that planes can experience turbulence or crash, at which point the products can become a “projectile”.

“It’s a safety issue. All cabinets on aircrafts have to have locks by FAA (Federal Aviation Administration),” they added.

While Delta has not yet confirmed whether these products are meant to be used by passengers, it has not stopped viewers from being onboard with the amenity.

“I feel like… this should be part of the takeoff announcement,” one person joked.

The Independent has contacted Delta for comment.

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