Southwest flight attendant allegedly flooded hotel during layover. Now the airline is being sued for damages
The flight attendant allegedly set off the sprinkler system in her room and others, flooding several parts of the hotel
Key Takeaways
- A Florida hotel is suing Southwest Airlines claiming a flight attendant caused flooding at the property
- The crew member allegedly interfered with a fire sprinkler at the hotel, and their remediation costs total $215,576 per a notice of removal
- The incident occurred during a layover in February 2025
According to a notice of removal obtained by PEOPLE, a Renaissance hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. is seeking damages for a February 2025 incident in which they claim a female Southwest airlines flight attendant “negligently interfered” with the fire sprinkler in her room during a layover. They claim in a notice of removal that they submitted a claim to Southwest, via its insurer, of $215,000 in remediation-related costs.
The incident allegedly triggered sprinklers to go off not only in the flight attendant's room, but other rooms in the hotel, forcing them to cancel guest reservations. The flight attendant is named in the suit, but the hotel says Southwest is liable for its employee's actions.
The hotel claims restoration experts were brought in to dry out, sanitize, and deodorize the affected rooms. Flooding is alleged to have extended beyond rooms to communal areas of the hotel including the front desk and offices.
A Southwest Airlines airplane takes off from San Diego International Airport on March 23, 2026. Credit: K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty
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The notice of removal claims the hotel’s costs are $215,576 in total to repair the damage from the flood.
Southwest Airlines did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's requests for comment.
