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Close Topic Options3 Princesses Kicked Off British Airways Flight
3 Princesses Kicked British Airways Flight - Culture, Family, Travel, Consumer Reviews - Posted: 3rd Aug, 2007 - 3:52am
Posts: 8 - Views: 1084
Three Arab princesses and members of their entourage were kicked off a British Airways flight in Milan, Italy, Thursday after a dispute over seating arrangements caused a three-hour delay
3 Princesses Kicked Off British Airways Flight
For me, they were rightly kicked off. Three hours delay because they did not want to sit next to men? 
I respect their religion views but when it interferes with the freedom of other people is wrong.
| QUOTE |
| The three women, members of the Qatar royal family, objected to being seated next to men who were not relatives-a conservative Muslim custom observed in Qatar and many Gulf states. After two male members of the royal party complained about the seating arrangment, airline staff tried to accomodate the princesses. When the dispute dragged on without resolution, the princesses and the two men were escorted off the plain, the Daily Mail reported. The princesses were returning to Qatar from a shopping spree in Milan. The plane was bound for London's Heathrow Airport. |
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Flight Airways British Kicked Princesses
Returning from a shopping spree? Such hardship and then to have to worry about seating arrangement in first class - must be a very difficult life! A couple of questions come to mind:
1. Did no one else want to move from their seat to accommodate them? Why?
2. Did they ensure to book these seats in advance, if so the airline needs to cater for that.
3 Princesses Kicked Off British Airways Flight Reviews Consumer & Travel Family Culture
JB. more details on this story:
| QUOTE |
| The women, all relatives of the oil-rich emir of Qatar, Bader Bin Khalifa Al Thani, were booked into business class in a party of eight which included the emir and an entourage of cooks, servants and other staff. After passengers had fastened their seat-belts and the plane had taxied on to the runway, two male passengers in the entourage got up to protest about where the women were sitting. According to the customs of Qatar and other Gulf states, women are not allowed to mix with men who are not relatives. Cabin crew tried to rearrange the seats but passengers travelling together refused to give up their allotted places. The captain tried to mediate but after more than two and a half hours of wrangling he ordered the bulk of their royal party off the plane. It is understood that five of the eight - including the princesses and the men who left their seats to protest - were removed. Police and diplomats from the Qatar consulate in Milan were also called in before the plane eventually took off. The rest of the Qatar party left Milan later on an Alitalia flight. A BA spokesman said: "The people were offloaded because they failed to comply with safety instructions when the aircraft was taxiing. Two passengers stood up and refused to sit down." |
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/arti...in_page_id=1811
I can fully understand the other passenger's anger and frustration...they were ready to leave when someone decided to complaint. They could have perfectly have made previous arrangements and let BA know before hand about this.
Flight Airways British Kicked Princesses
A definite key to the reaction here was the mentioning of baking on the runway. I have been stuck on a plane waiting to take off for about 1.5 hours. The key thing to remember is that the air conditioning is on low until the plane is actually flying. On a low setting, I can only imagine how warm that cabin got over the 2 plus hours reported. Sitting in economy class in a cramped seat and sweating, I think I would have clapped, whistled and maybe even shead a tear of joy when it was announced that there was a resolution to the needless problem.
It doesn't matter if I agree with the rule of the princesses being or not being allowed to sit next to unknown men, but it was the traveling party's responsibility to make sure that this requirement was known to the airline. Then the airline could decide if they could accommodate the party (and with 8 first class tickets...they WILL do some accommodating). That would give them time to adjust seating, deny further ticketing to some passengers or refuse the sale.
Flight Airways British Kicked Princesses
This is the thing I cannot stand... and I do not want to bring up religious ideals here, but come on... it is not like they are going to marry the person sitting next to them - all of you are in a passenger plane for crying out loud. Notice that it was two men who were upset about this, yep men again, getting involved, maybe a bit of hastiness, jealousy, zealot arrogance that everyone else has to pay for? Actually, I am wondering if the passengers did not think it was a terrorist attack when the two men stood up.
3 Princesses Kicked Off British Airways Flight
This is purely speculation, but I would say that since they were in first class, no one was alarmed by the men standing up because first class is pretty isolated. I get to fly first class when I go home for a visit and in general, first class passengers are always getting up when they want to (except just before take off and landing). So taxiing down the runway to get into position to take off and someone stands up, probably wouldn't shock me. The story sounds like they were not actually in position for take-off or close to it, so I think this would be about right.
Now, as soon as the progression to take-off was stopped, the plane becomes one huge communication chain. It wont take too long for economy class to find out that there is a seating problem with first class passengers. Now imagine being in a cramped economy class seat and hearing that the nice roomy first class seats didn't meet up to someones satisfaction. Not going to get a lot of sympathy there! A little later, those economy class passengers start sweating and hear that the whole problem is a few princesses up front don't want to sit next to some strange men and just think about the mood of economy class. Ohhhh...poor princesses. About 2 hours after that, they find out that they are going to remove the princesses from the plane and a spontaneous celebration breaks out!
I can see it!
Really, the airline wants this guys business. First class seats are the big money makers for the airlines. You do what you can to accommodate them. This group just needed to make this requirement clear and the airline would have let them know if they could or couldn't do it for THIS flight.
I cannot pretend to understand the custom. I live in asia where people are often pressed together front, back and each side while riding on trains.
3 Princesses Kicked British Airways Flight
| Rather off topic, but... Vincenzo, you should get into writing your own RPG, you would do well. |
I have never ridden in first class, but have been in business, but I hardly saw much difference between it and economy save for the seat being bigger and the food more flavorful. Given the state of the world I would think that having people with an Arab look even stand up during any movement of the plane would set off alarms.
I would be interested to see any after reports or comments on this. I wonder if any of the passengers are bloggers for a different perspective.
3 Princesses Kicked British Airways Flight Culture Family Travel & Consumer Reviews
Most airlines now don't have a first class. Business class is first class for them. However, if I were sitting next to the princesses and they wanted my seat. If my schedule allowed it, I would have been making some SERIOUS deals in order to give up my seat! I am thinking about 100,000 frequent flier miles and seeing if I couldn't get the royal family to chip in about 50% for this flight and some spending cash for dinner at the airport and put me on that other Alitallia flight!
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