Air Canada apologises after passengers booted off for refusing to sit on seats covered in vomit

Air Canada has apologised after two passengers were booted off a flight for refusing to sit in seats smeared in vomit.  

A pilot of the Las Vegas to Montreal service threatened to put Susan Benson on a no-fly list if she and another passenger continued to complain.  

Benson said staff had tried to cover "a bit of a foul smell" with perfume and coffee grinds, according to the BBC. 

In a Facebook post late last month, Benson said "we didn't know at first what the problem was". "Apparently, on the previous flight someone had vomited. The flight attendant was very apologetic but explained that the flight was full."  

Benson said while staff attempted to mask the stench of vomit with coffee grinds in the seat pouch and a spritz of perfume, "the seat and seatbelt" were "wet and there was still visible vomit residue".  

After a "back-and-fourth" exchange for several minutes, the pilot came out of the cockpit and told the passengers "they could leave the plane... and organise flights on their own dime, or they would be escorted off by security and placed on a no-fly list!".  

They were subsequently escorted off the plane by security.   

Benson said the ordeal made her "ashamed to be a Canadian and ashamed of Air Canada".  

Air Canada said the passengers "clearly did not receive the standard of care to which they were entitled to".  

The airline said it's "reviewing this serious matter" and admitted "operating procedures were not followed correctly in this instance".