Mother and daughters told 'too big' for business class

By Justin Harper
BBC News

 

 

Enjoying the luxury of business class seats on an 11-hour flight back to Auckland was meant to be a treat for Renell and Tere after undergoing weight-loss surgery in the city of Bangkok.

 

Instead, the sisters and their mother, Huhana, were left ''traumatised'' by Thai Airways staff who came at them with tape measures telling them they were ''too big'' for their business class seats.

 

Six months on from that ''disgusting'' experience and Huhana, 59, is still bitter about the experience.

 

''The staff were shouting 'too big, too big' at us repeatedly. Rows of people watched as they measured us at the check-in. It was so humiliating the way we were treated that I just broke down in tears,'' said Huhana.

 

Full story: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51276016

 

-- © Copyright BBC 2020-02-08

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2 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

''traumatised''

I would hardly think traumatised ,  embarrassed maybe but that's about all.

If there is a stated maximum measurement allowed on occupying the seats and if they were over that parameter then the Thai airways staff have to act accordingly and refuse them permission, then find them a location that is acceptable to the airline.

Usually airlines make you buy 2 seats but that’s in economy. So if they were too big for business ,what was the alternative ? 2 seats in economy?

Asians can be quite polite. But discretion...? well ummm...

 

That being said the modern world is becoming very literate, so nuance is also on the decline.

 

Oh and forgot that almost everyone today is offended.

Edited February 8, 20206 yr by VocalNeal

so did they move them to economy - sure to fit there lol

 

I wouldn't like to cleaning their cage out

I remember the days when they would bring out the tape measure and loudly proclaim "too big, just too big."

14 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

after undergoing weight-loss surgery in the city of Bangkok.

Already undergone that surgery? Wonder were they sat on their way to Bangkok, the problem must have been similar...?

Edited February 8, 20206 yr by RotBenz8888

5 minutes ago, steven100 said:

I would hardly think traumatised ,  embarrassed maybe but that's about all.

If there is a stated maximum measurement allowed on occupying the seats and if they were over that parameter then the Thai airways staff have to act accordingly and refuse them permission, then find them a location that is acceptable to the airline.

So what other seat options could that be?

 

Typically business class seats are quite a bit bigger than Economy seats.

 

First class pretty much same as business in terms of size and Thai not likely to upgrade to First, so what other options are there?

 

I wonder if the Thai conditions of carriage mention anything about limits on body size?

 

They came to Thailand for weight-loss surgery. How big were they before? And how did they get here? No problems getting here?

1 minute ago, inactiveposter said:

They came to Thailand for weight-loss surgery. How big were they before? And how did they get here? No problems getting here?

They arrived in the cargo hold !

Nothing wrong. When I pay for expensive BC I don't want that half of my seat is occupied by another person's fat. Let them pay for two seats in bc each or use seats next to another overweight

7 minutes ago, scorecard said:

I wonder if the Thai conditions of carriage mention anything about limits on body size?

yes ....  and that's what they failed to mention in the article. And if they have any legal recourse then that would be what needs confirming i expect. It didn't even say if they eventually flew or not. Usual vague thai media reporting.  

9 minutes ago, inactiveposter said:

They came to Thailand for weight-loss surgery. How big were they before? And how did they get here? No problems getting here?

they came by shipping container

8 minutes ago, neeray said:

They arrived in the cargo hold !

... of a ship.

5 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

Nothing wrong. When I pay for expensive BC I don't want that half of my seat is occupied by another person's fat. Let them pay for two seats in bc each or use seats next to another overweight

The seats in bus on TG Bangkok to Auckland are pods, completely separate and impossible to spill over.

11 minutes ago, inactiveposter said:

And how did they get here? No problems getting here?

Cargo?

What's wrong with telling the truth?

New category of class required, Cargo class.

18 minutes ago, scorecard said:

So what other seat options could that be?

 

Typically business class seats are quite a bit bigger than Economy seats.

 

First class pretty much same as business in terms of size and Thai not likely to upgrade to First, so what other options are there?

 

I wonder if the Thai conditions of carriage mention anything about limits on body size?

 

This is not related to seat size but rather to the seat belt. Business class seats have an airbag built into the seat belt and the belt cannot be extended. The seat belt in economy can be extended. 

19 minutes ago, inactiveposter said:

They came to Thailand for weight-loss surgery. How big were they before? And how did they get here? No problems getting here?

they came in a shipping container

30 minutes ago, BestB said:

Usually airlines make you buy 2 seats but that’s in economy. So if they were too big for business ,what was the alternative ? 2 seats in economy?

yes agree ...  2 seats each in economy and give them the front seats that no one needs to clamber past them to get out.

Could you imagine being window seated and having to climb over one to get out .... a terrible experience i expect.

Edited February 8, 20206 yr by steven100

20 minutes ago, scorecard said:

First class pretty much same as business in terms of size and Thai not likely to upgrade to First, so what other options are there?

 

Traveling in a cargo ship that accepts passengers;
or in a pedal boat or even swimming if you are a good sportsman ... (it's second or even third degree, huh!)
and considering the mass of fat on the photo, when we are tired, we float easily ...

8 minutes ago, spiekerjozef said:

they came in a shipping container

I already said this earlier. Please read all comments.

11 minutes ago, brucec64 said:

This is not related to seat size but rather to the seat belt. Business class seats have an airbag built into the seat belt and the belt cannot be extended. The seat belt in economy can be extended. 

I always wondered what that was, thanks.

Fly Tactless Thai for the experience of a life time.

 

How would the check in staff like being called little monkeys ?

 

Still, from childhood Thais are used to calling a spade a spade with their to the point nicknames, regardless of peoples feelings. When I did my stint of English teaching there was nearly always an ' Oan ' in the class. One good reason for making them choose an English nickname at the beginning of the course.

55 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

The staff were shouting 'too big, too big'

Sounds like Pattaya Soi 6.

 

 

39 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

Nothing wrong. When I pay for expensive BC I don't want that half of my seat is occupied by another person's fat. Let them pay for two seats in bc each or use seats next to another overweight

unfortunately I yet have to see any business class seats which are such closely fitted together, that one fat person could occupy both seats

 

many BC seats are actually small single cabins nowadays, in many airplane types

 

If I was any of them, I would sue them in IATA terms for violating my right to be seated in my booked class. Also, for not being able to produce seat belt extensions for Business Class seats, which was apparently the true reason they were refused by the Thai staff. Just another "We cannot loose face" story . . . .

 

I use to fly Qatar business class, and they GOT seat belt extensions in BC . . . 

 

This incident should cost Thai Airways a few points in ranking among World's airlines, for them just to remember to treat their passengers respectfully

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 8, 20206 yr by crazygreg44

they are fat, let's be honest and they SHOULD be embarrassed

they should have booked seats on a Jumbo Jet..............

The ladies did travel home on that plane, in economy class, one seat each.

 

The reason they were excluded from Business class was, as one poster above stated, the Dreamliner 787-9 as used by Thai have a seatbelt system that can't be extended for larger people, nor for children being held on mother's laps. 

 

Thai offered to pay back the difference in cost, but the traumatized passengers wanted a full refund because of the embarrassment inflicted by the check-in staff. Their ticketing agent, Flight Center, offered a full refund. They should have been aware of this restriction.

 

The disgusting behavior of the Thai Airways staff is only matched by the nasty, infantile humor displayed by many Thaivisa members here.