Vaping on planes can become a bit of a gray area, especially when it comes to whether passengers are sneaking puffs in the bathrooms. Recently, a Reddit user posed a question on the “R/Flight Attendants” forum, asking if others knew about such behaviors among travelers.
This particular poster claimed to be a flight attendant and shared various reactions from fellow users who also weighed in on the subject.
Flight attendants warn that passengers caught vaping could face serious consequences.
“Yes, we are aware,” noted one user.
The comment elaborated that even if someone thinks the audible alarm hasn’t gone off—or perhaps it did but was inaudible—there are other alerts on the flight attendant’s panel, and the pilot would subsequently be notified to check certain bathrooms.
“When smoke or particles are detected, the plane’s flight deck sounds a loud red alarm,” another Redditor mentioned, confirming that, yes, someone definitely could be vaping discreetly.
Another comment reinforced the notion that sensors are everywhere throughout the aircraft, just to emphasize the point.
Pilots may make cabin-wide announcements regarding vaping passengers.
“When I open the bathroom door, I can smell something sweet, like strawberry,” one user shared.
Another chimed in, cautioning that while an alarm might have sounded, it may not have come across in the expected way—making it easy for it to slip under the radar of a distracted passenger.
Even if you think no one will catch you, there are consequences.
One flight attendant provided a grim warning, recounting an experience where the fire alarm was triggered due to someone vaping in the lavatory. “You could actually be arrested for this,” they stated emphatically.
Gary Leff, a travel expert from Texas and the author of a well-known blog, talked to Fox News about the detectors on flights.
It’s crucial to understand that vaping is still considered smoking.
“These detectors are not your typical home smoke detectors,” Leff clarified. “They are capable of detecting aerosols, including those from vaping.”
He pointed out that the FAA extends its tobacco smoking ban to include vaping products, emphasizing that it’s not just about the vapor itself. The regulations simply broaden the prohibition to encompass e-cigarettes.
