China Southern Airlines allegedly handed out prune juice to more than 100 passengers on a flight with only two lavatories, and what happened next was about as predictable as turbulence over the Rockies.
China Southern Serves Prune Juice On Flight, Passengers Race For Two Lavatories
Here’s one way to make an otherwise routine domestic flight memorable…
Passengers on a China Southern Airlines flight from Wuhan to Urumqi on August 1, 2026 reportedly offered pre-poured prune juice during the beverage service.
Some apparently thought it was grape juice and quickly downed it. Soon afterward, long lines reportedly began forming outside the aircraft’s two lavatories as passengers discovered what prune juice is rather famous for doing.
One passenger reportedly complained:
“Why hand out prune juice when there are just two toilets for over 100 people? You nearly made me embarrass myself.”
Another was rather more appreciative:
“My intestines have never been this clean in my entire life.”
And perhaps my favorite:
“China Southern is so thoughtful. Free gut cleanse and weight-loss service for all passengers.”
Indeed.
View this post on Instagram
Perhaps Prune Juice Was Not The Best Choice…
Prune juice contains sorbitol, which can have a laxative effect, so serving it to a cabin full of passengers while offering only two places to answer nature’s call does seem like an interesting catering decision.
Several passengers claimed the effects continued after landing, with at least one reportedly making another mad dash for the restroom at the airport and again after reaching the hotel.
To be fair, China Southern disputes parts of the story. The airline said it could not fully verify the claims surrounding the flight and characterized some of the online reports as exaggerated (would not surprise me). A customer service representative noted that not every flight serves prune juice and that passengers can choose alternatives such as water, coffee, other fruit juice, or soy milk.
China Southern also said it had received no formal complaints from passengers reporting diarrhea.
(maybe because passengers had more pressing matters to attend to?)
So I guess there is some uncertainty over whether the prune juice itself actually caused the long lavatory lines or whether the social media retelling has become increasingly embellished. But the images of passengers lining up for the lavatories certainly make for quite a visual, and the combination of prune juice plus two toilets aboard an aircraft is just too perfect not to appreciate.
CONCLUSION
Passengers on a China Southern flight reportedly found themselves queuing for the lavatories after prune juice was distributed during the beverage service.
The airline disputes some of the more colorful claims and says no passengers formally complained of diarrhea, so we probably should not assume that everyone onboard suddenly experienced an intestinal emergency…plus prunes tend to have a delayed effect.
Still, if I were planning the beverage service for a flight with more than 100 passengers and two lavatories, prune juice would probably not make the menu cut.
Ya know… in the words of a United pilot flying back from South Africa… ‘buncha f***in’ m*r*ns!’
Yeah, saw that. I mean, he could have called them monkeys instead of morons so I suppose there is that.
Prune juice is for hospitals and knowledgeable people at home. Never in a public setting
Talk about a sh#tty situation!
This story reminds me of Michael O’Leary floating the idea of charging for toilets on Ryanair.