Dr. Elise Turner, a Gold Coast-based women’s health GP and mother, has gone public with scathing criticism of Virgin Australia after she was asked to leave the airline’s Melbourne business lounge for quietly pumping breast milk.
The incident took place at the Melbourne Airport lounge on a day Dr. Turner was traveling as a business class passenger.
The doctor, who has spent over a decade specializing in antenatal care, menopause, and child health, said she was discreetly using a breast pump underneath her shirt when a lounge staffer approached her and told her to stop.
An Australian doctor went viral after expressing outrage over being asked to leave an airline lounge for pumping breast milk
Image credits: Virgin Australia
“I am beyond furious right now,” she said in a self-recorded video.
“I have been told that I cannot sit here, in the Virgin lounge, as a paying business class ticket holder, to express breastmilk that sits under my shirt.”
Dr. Turner detailed how the lounge service manager claimed that, because the space was a private business lounge, she would have to move to either a public toilet or pay $100 to use a meeting room if she wanted to continue pumping.
“I asked her if she prepares her dinner in a public bathroom or toilet,” Dr. Turner replied, “and she didn’t have an answer.”
The staff ordered her to leave despite Australia’s legislation protecting the right of mothers to breastfeed since 1984
Image credits: Instagram/dreliseturner
She said the staffer further explained her actions were making other people uncomfortable, and physically placed a hand on Dr. Turner’s arm while asking her to leave.
“She then told me that I was making her uncomfortable, I was making other people uncomfortable, and that she was required now to ask me to leave the lounge,” the doctor recounted in an interview with local media.
“Those were the first words out of her mouth: ‘You can’t do that here.’”
The situation escalated after Dr. Turner informed the staff that her right to breastfeed was protected under the S*x Discrimination Act 1984.
The legislation makes it unlawful to discriminate against someone not only for breastfeeding, but also for feeding a child milk by any other means
Image credits: Virgin Australia
The document explicitly protects breastfeeding and expressing milk, while at the same time, it includes the act of feeding a child breast milk. This means that no matter how the milk is delivered, the protection still applies.
The act also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a woman on the grounds of breastfeeding in areas such as employment, education, public spaces, accommodation, clubs, and federal programs.
In other words, being asked to leave a public space due to breastfeeding is considered unlawful in Australia.
“This is just disgusting in 2025,” Dr. Turner said. “This is the kind of treatment lactating mothers have to deal with.”
The airline issued a statement, revealing that they had reached out to Dr. Turner directly to apologize
Image credits: Instagram/dreliseturner
Virgin Australia has since issued a statement acknowledging the incident and offered a formal apology.
“We are sorry for the way this situation was handled,” the airline said.
“It fell short of the high standards of care and customer service our team strives to deliver. We have reached out to our guest today to apologise directly.”
Still, advocates say that apologies are not enough.
Image credits: Instagram/dreliseturner
Emily Carrolan, manager of Breastfeeding Friendly Australia, weighed in on the incident.
“Mothers should never be made to feel unwelcome or excluded,” Carrolan said. “A paying customer, who is entitled to access this service, legally cannot be excluded or told to leave because she is breastfeeding or expressing.”
Online, people debated over the appropriateness of breastfeeding in public, regardless of what Australia’s legislation states
Image credits: Virgin Australia
Despite the arguments presented by both the doctor and other advocates, online reactions have been divided.
Some commenters took issue with Dr. Turner’s decision to pump in a public setting, arguing that lactating mothers should exercise more discretion.
“I’m a mum of 2 and would never breastfeed in public or breast pump in public,” one user wrote.
“Everyone has proper places and rooms for this to take place. Why would you want to do it in front of everyone?”
“Show some self-respect and just go to the bathroom, no big deal,” another added.
Image credits: Instagram/dreliseturner
However, others came to Dr. Turner’s defense, citing the lack of available or adequate facilities in the lounge.
“To everyone commenting saying to use the parents room. The Virgin lounge in Melbourne doesn’t have a parents lounge or parents room,” one user clarified.
“Furthermore, parents’ rooms are not always available, not always clean, and not always a safe space. I’ve seen plenty of staff using these rooms to heat up their lunch.”
“Ultimately this is a simple matter,” a user added. “Breastfeeding and pumping are protected by law.”
Bored Panda reached out to Dr. Turner for comment.
Netizens congratulated the doctor for speaking out
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