#women #removed #plane #weight #traumatizing
Napier/Auckland – Two women were allegedly kicked off an Air New Zealand plane because of their weight. What started as an argument over an armrest ended in a complete drama. The conflict with the airline does not appear to be over for the time being.
© ANP / Imago Stock & People GmbH
An Air New Zealand plane. Not the device from the story.
Angel Harding, one of the passengers removed, talks about the event to New Zealand television network 1News. She was sitting in her seat for the flight from Napier to Auckland, but suddenly had stomach problems. She decided to raise the armrest of her chair so she could breathe better. The flight attendant did not appreciate this. “She started yelling that the pilot couldn’t take off until all the armrests were down,” Harding said.
Harding’s girlfriend tried to speak up for her, but this turned out to be of little use. “I can get you both kicked off this flight,” the flight attendant reportedly said. Her story did not end there. “The two of you had to reserve four seats,” she continued.
The pair suddenly noticed that the plane was turning around. All passengers had to get off, but Harding and her friend – both in wheelchairs and assisted – were taken aside and given a lecture. “We were dumped because of our weight, but that was hushed up by the staff,” Harding said. The pair were advised to book another flight. The costs were reimbursed by Air New Zealand. The same applied to their accommodation.
Excuses
The airline acknowledges that it acted wrongly and has therefore apologized to the couple. “We do everything we can to treat our customers with respect. We regret our behavior towards these two customers.” An Air New Zealand spokesperson nevertheless believes that passengers who “need extra space” should let us know in advance so that staff can take this into account.
The apology is not accepted by Harding and her friend. They are demanding compensation for “the humiliation and trauma,” reports the American news site New York Post. “We are all human and I wouldn’t wish something like that on anyone,” Harding said.
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