‘Fat-shamed’ or fair enough? Obese passenger accuses Qantas of ‘belittling’ him after a flight attendant told him he had to move from his seat next to the emergency exit
- Geelong man Darren Beales says he was ‘fat shamed’ on a Qantas flight on Friday
- He was asked to move from an exit row because he needed seatbelt extension
- Mr Beales claims a flight attendant told him to book two seats for his next flight
- Qantas says their policy on who can sit in exit row dictated by CASA regulations
- Were you on the flight? Email hannah.moore@mailonline.com
A Qantas passenger claims he was fat-shamed by a flight attendant who said he was too large to sit in the exit row seat he had purchased and should have bought two seats.
Darren Beales told The Geelong Advocate he was asked to move from his pre-booked exit row seat in front of other passengers on Friday due to airline regulations, which say anyone requiring an extended seat belt cannot sit in an exit row.
He claims when he questioned the flight attendant’s orders, the woman responded brashly, telling him next time he should invest in a second seat.
Mr Beales described the flight attendant as a ‘bully’ who had ‘fat-shamed’ him.
‘She told me I was required to move due to ‘air regulations’ — but then she turned around and said: “Next time you can pay for a second seat for half price”,’ he said.
‘I can fit into the seat fine – I didn’t need a second seat.’
Mr Beales said he was left feeling dejected about the situation and was ready to get off the plane after the incident.
A Qantas spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the airline’s policy around who could and could not sit in the exit row was in line with CASA regulations.
‘CASA provides guidance to airlines on the criteria for appropriate passengers to be seated in exit rows,’ she said.
‘If passengers are unable to meet this criteria airlines including Qantas will ask passengers to change seats.’
Darren Beales (pictured) says he was fat shamed during a Qantas flight when a flight attendant told him he should have booked two seats for himself
The airline’s customer service department will contact Mr Beales about his complaint.
Mr Beales also discussed his alleged mistreatment with Today, telling the show he felt ‘belittled’ by Qantas staff, and could have helped someone in the event of an emergency, regardless of his size.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Beales for further comment.
Mr Beales said he felt ‘belittled’ during the incident, which took place in front of other passengers. Qantas’ customer service department will be contacting the man in regards to the exchange