Thai Airways Denies Business-Class to Plus-Size Passengers

A woman from Auckland, New Zealand, and her two daughters were denied business-class seats on the way back from Bangkok after having weight-loss surgery.

The ordeal has left the women traumatized, according to a report in the New Zealand Herald.

Huhana Iripa was traveling with her two daughters, Renell and Tere. The threesome was returning to Auckland from Bangkok and had purchased business-class tickets on their return to ensure greater comfort after undergoing weightless procedures in the country.
Iripa said that they were measured with tapes ahead of their flight and told that the seatbelts in business wouldn’t fit around them.

“The next thing, there were about five members of staff all around talking in their native language, shaking their heads and looking at us as if we’d committed a crime,” Iripa told the Herald. “A staff member then came forward and started saying ‘no, you’re too big, you’re too big. She then pulled out a measuring tape and wrapped it around my daughter Renell, moving her arms outstretched, before trying to do the same to me and Tere.”

The three women were then moved to economy seats.

“I’ve never felt discriminated against before because of my size, so this experience left me completely in shock.”

The family asked for a full refund of their business-class seats in light of the incident, however, Thai Airways refunded just the difference between the business-class and economy seats.

The airline apologized and said they would give them and additional $450, which the ladies still did not feel compensated them for their ordeal.

FlightCentre, the travel agency that booked the flights for the three women, however, provided them with a full refund.

Flight Centre general manager product Victoria Courtney told the Herald: “I was shocked to hear of Huhana’s experience. We have apologized to her directly and refunded her in full. We are now reviewing our processes to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

A Thai Airways spokesman noted that the issue was safety-related.

“The new 787-900 Dreamliner aircraft used on flights between New Zealand and Thailand is fitted with integrated airbag seatbelts in business class,” said Thai Airways International New Zealand spokesman Wayne Cochrane. “The extension seatbelt normally used to accommodate oversized passengers cannot be fitted to the airbag seatbelts; therefore passengers not able to fit the standard airbag seatbelt cannot be carried in business class. As this issue involves passenger safety, I am sure you will understand that we cannot compromise on this.”