Some Virgin Atlantic passengers received a nasty surprise after landing at JFK Airport in New York on July 14 when their luggage appeared splattered with a sticky brown mess. The foul odor and appearance led travelers to believe their bags had been covered in human waste.
Social media users shared their disgust online, showing photos and videos of contaminated bags and expressing frustration at the airport staff’s inability to promptly assist. Passengers were told to email customer service rather than receive immediate help or replacements, adding to their annoyance.
Virgin Atlantic later explained that the substance was actually grease from a burst pipe inside the terminal, not waste. The airline apologized and said it was working to fix the issue with local teams.
@VirginAtlantic you are shit! literally! How are all these bags covered in human shit! Floor staff saying they can’t provide wipes, new bags or hand sanitizer and that we have to “write an email to customer team”. All my clothes destroyed as I have a fabric bag :L #jfkairport #NY pic.twitter.com/uvdvHIsenI
— views my own (@pip_tazobactam) July 14, 2025
This event underlines the challenges travelers face handling luggage hygiene. Recent research shows that suitcase wheels often harbor thousands of bacteria, especially on soft fabric cases, so thorough cleaning after travel is recommended.