“Oversized” Australian plus-size Holly Richards bought two seats on a plane and was brought to tears upon landing. She spoke about the disrespectful attitude of the airline’s employees on social networks, and the Daily Mail drew attention to her post.
It is clarified that the brand manager of the plus size clothing store flew on a Jetstar plane from Sydney to Melbourne. The woman bought two seats ahead of time to prevent “any uncomfortable looks or comments from the person sitting next to her about invading their privacy.” She also paid for an extra 7 kilos of carry-on luggage to avoid fees from the low-cost airline.
But at check-in, two “incredibly rude” airline representatives weighed her bags and said she was overweight. An employee of the airline, according to the passenger, “rudely” asked her to pay for the excess. Richards replied that she bought two seats at once and could count on two hand luggage, but the woman at the counter stood her ground.
“I asked to call the manager, but she called me rude and said that the manager would say the same thing. I immediately burst into tears,” the passenger said in her Instagram post.
Nevertheless, the manager spoke to the upset passenger, acknowledged their mistake, and apologized, but Holly had to wait for boarding in tears. She stated that this situation hurt her mental health, and accused the Jetstar employee of impudence. The passenger admitted that she was “stained and humiliated by this ordeal.”
“I was forced to wait in line, crying in front of everyone. I always take extra steps so as not to be a burden on the current system. But even in this case, I am not treated as a person,” the blogger wrote.
The woman denounced the “extreme injustice” of the experience, saying she “experienced on numerous occasions dishonesty, rudeness, and neglect.”
“Of course, many will say: “Just lose weight.” I don’t owe anyone an explanation or an apology for my body,” concluded the passenger.
A post on Instagram by a passenger who had an unpleasant experience was met with a chorus of support and sympathy, as well as harsh criticism of the airline.
“Jetstar, you should be ashamed of your lack of humanity, not to mention the inability to accept, adapt, and openly welcome people with different needs, abilities, and bodies,” wrote one sympathetic commenter in support.
As it became known to the publication, Jetstar returned the money for Miss Richards’ tickets. An airline spokesman said they apologized to the injured passenger:
“We are very sorry to hear about Ms. Richards’ recent experience and understand that this situation may have made her very upset. We pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service and treating everyone with respect. We are looking into what happened and how we can improve the situation,” – stated the official statement of the air carrier.