Huge trouble at the airport. Qatar Airways ditched an influencer in Beirut because she was said to be “too fat”. Now she won in court.
Kassel – A stewardess told her she couldn’t fly. The reason: she is “too fat”. This is what influencer Julia Nehme reports. For the young Brazilian it was over at the gate. Apparently she doesn't fit in the second class seats.
“Too fat”: Qatar Airways won’t let the influencer fly
The only option is to buy a ticket for first class – because the seats there are big enough. The influencer filmed a video at the airport and shared it on Instagram, where she has over 150,000 followers.
The plus-size influencer originally wanted to fly back to Brazil from Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, via Doha at the end of November. But she was not allowed to take this flight for the time being. And so there were additional expenses for taxi rides and hotel stays, as she announced in her post. A first class ticket would have cost the equivalent of 2,900 euros.
Two hours of discussion without success – Brazilian embassy intervenes
Nehme refused to pay the sum, especially since she had already paid 1000 euros for economy class. While her sister and nephew flew home, she and her mother stayed behind in Beirut. She reports that two hours of discussions with Qatar Airways staff were unsuccessful.
“What a shame that a company like Qatar allows this discrimination. “I’m fat, but I have the same rights as other people,” the influencer wrote on her Instagram channel. Finally, the Brazilian embassy organized a flight back home.
Influencer sues Qatar Airways – court grants her justice
When he got home, Nehme sued the airline. And it was successful: As the court in São Paulo announced, the airline had to pay the equivalent of 3,500 euros. Costs for weekly therapy. This is “an appropriate and proportionate measure to ensure that the stressful and traumatic event is overcome,” Brazilian media quoted Judge Renata Martins de Carvalho as saying.
The company also issued a statement about the incident. This states that passengers who take up other space must purchase another seat. For safety reasons and for the comfort of all passengers.
Juliana Nehme continues to fight “for a fairer world”
Juliana Nehme then thanked her followers for their help during this difficult time for her and added combatively: “Let us continue to fight for a fairer world, free from fatphobia and all forms of prejudice.”
Passengers can also behave “pretty inconsiderately”. Like this couple who actually went on a ten-hour flight with three kittens. (mg)
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