Man claims he was ‘fat shamed’ on Qantas flight after being forced out of seat

An angry Qantas passenger has slammed the airline claiming he was “fat shamed” by a flight attendant who allegedly forced him out of his seat last week.

Darren Beales told the Geelong Advertiser that he was asked to move from his exit row seat, which he had specifically booked for extra leg room, on a flight from Melbourne to Brisbane on Friday due to air regulations.

When Beales questioned the regulations, he claimed the flight attendant responded rudely, telling him next time he should purchase two seats.

Beales told the publication he felt “bullied” and “depressed about the whole situation”.

“I can fit into the seat fine — I didn’t need a second seat. It was fat-shaming … she was rude,” he said. “All that was on my mind was how they belittled me.”

However, a Qantas spokesperson told Travel at 60 the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) “provides guidance to airlines on the criteria for appropriate passengers to be seated in exit rows”.

“If passengers are unable to meet this criteria airlines including Qantas will ask passengers to change seats,” the spokesperson said. “Customers seated in an exit row may be called upon to assist crew members in the event of an emergency.”

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