A Qatar Airways representative has reacted after a model said she was denied boarding an economy seat because she was ‘too fat.’
Qatar Airways Denied Model Her Economy Seat Because She Was Too Fat
According to Juliana Nehme, the airline informed her she would have to pay approximately $3,000 to go into first class. Not only that, but they apparently would not refund her flight from Beirut to Doha, Qatar.
Swathes of people commented on her Instagram videos, which have over 60,000 likes, asking Qatar Airways to do something after sharing her experience.
In her comments, Juliana said: “I bought a return ticket to Brazil through Qatar and arriving at the time to check in, a Qatar flight attendant called my mother while another staffer was finishing our check in and told her I wasn’t welcome to board because I’m fat.”
Because of the incident, she did not board her connecting flight to São Paulo. However, she said there were no issues boarding an Air France flight before that.
And yet, a Qatar Airways spokesperson claimed she had been aggressive with staff, and security had to be called twice to diffuse the situation. Moreover, employees and customers had been frightened by her, they said.
In some comments, the airline stated: “Anyone who impedes upon the space of a fellow traveler and cannot secure their seatbelt or lower their armrests may be required to purchase an additional seat.
“The passenger in question at Beirut Airport was initially extremely rude and aggressive to check-in staff.” The social media response was largely in favour of the airline.
A certain subset of people felt that action had to be taken in order to ensure the safety of all the passengers. As a result, that included telling some home truths.
One person wrote: “I’m fat and I do not see the issue. It isn’t fair to other passengers if she infringes into others space.” It is fair to say that Juliana may be reluctant to fly with the airline again.
So there you have it folks. What did you think about this? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
