Qantas business class passenger accuses airline of ‘blatant homophobia’

[dajop]

And given that the family got the press involved, for a BNE-MEL flight, my natural bias doesn't lean towards them.

rather than whinging to the media.

This assumes that the family got the media/press involved. My take on this was that yes the family whinged to "the media", if including the all encompassing term of "social" media. It seemed to me that this was publicly posted on QF's facebook page and then picked up by the writer of the article. Given the quotes the writer used were directly from the facebook rant, it would seem to me that the writer didn't even speak to the family, and the family didn't get the "traditional media"/press directly involved.

This is not the first time I've seen people on AFF doubting the sincerity of others because they got the press involved, when in reality it would seem the press got themselves involved. FB and twitter are very easy sources for potential stories of interest, and very quick to get out as a story.

 

[JohnK]

Did anyone think to ask the husband to move back to row 2 to sit with his wife?

 

[power71]

She knows she didn't have a case against Qantas because they state they can change ones seat at anytime for operational reasons. How many times did she throw the discrimination word in though - sheesh!

Honestly, 2hr 30 min in the air. Let the lovely 70yo couple sit together and harden up!

 

[cove]

Interesting .....we don't mind sitting in the new J class configuration quite a few rows apart. The plane does go to the same destination after all.

 

[muppet]

Qantas provides, and pax now expect, to be able to choose their own seats. When a pax chooses a seat they have presumably chosen it for some reason (albeit trivial).

So how about this: rather than QF paging pax and telling them they have been moved because, presumably, the pax's needs/desires are inferior to whomever will now be in their seat - instead ... wait for it ... QF just politely asks...

RE: Operational Reasons - this doesn't apply, there are no operational requirements that prevent a plane taking off because an elderly couple aren't sitting together.

EDIT: How did the onboard crew even know the elderly pax wanted to sit together? The elderly pax complained to the crew because they were moved back to their original seats?

 

[Deleted member]

Qantas accused of ‘blatant homophobia’

I would be pissed off too if I was asked to be separated from my partner without good reason.

I can't imagine why you would be "Pissed off" if "Asked" to move seats. If however you were arbitrarily moved without reason or explanation. That might be a different matter.
I suspect that had QF approached them with something like this: " excuse me, I wonder if you can help me, we have an elderly couple flying today and they would like to be seated together, would you mind accommodating them in this instance"? You would reasonably assume that the response from that pax would in all likelihood be yes. If not then the shoe would be on the other foot. It would be they who were being difficult. Not QF. IMHO it all comes down to how you ask, not what

 

[opusman]

If the reported events are accurate it is a bit strange that the hostie tried to make the pax feel guilty about the situation. If he wanted them to move seats he could have just told her to move. Asking her "Why won't you let this couple sit together? Why are you trying to keep this couple apart?" is very passive-aggressive. She had a boarding pass for the seat she was sitting in - why on earth should she move unless told to?

 

[basso]

Did anyone think to ask the husband to move back to row 2 to sit with his wife?

I tried to imagine a seating arrangement where this whole problem becomes unsolvable. The only thing I can think of is that everyone refused to move. (Mind you, I wouldn't have thrown the term homophobic at this, that word is just being used to incite an emotional response)

 

[kyle]

I can't imagine why you would be "Pissed off" if "Asked" to move seats. If however you were arbitrarily moved without reason or explanation. That might be a different matter.
I suspect that had QF approached them with something like this: " excuse me, I wonder if you can help me, we have an elderly couple flying today and they would like to be seated together, would you mind accommodating them in this instance"? You would reasonably assume that the response from that pax would in all likelihood be yes. If not then the shoe would be on the other foot. It would be they who were being difficult. Not QF. IMHO it all comes down to how you ask, not what

The thing is, why does the elderly couple need to seat together? By analogy, if someone asks me nicely to do something, should I feel guilty if I say no?

 

[samh004]

So these people were so insecure that they just glad to hold hands across the aisle? Who knows what the conditions of the other passengers were.

That's not what I said, I have no clue what the actual circumstances were as none of us will ever be on that flight, but if you think that young children don't get scared on planes and want to see their parents then I guess we're coming from different experiences.

All I was trying to imply was that perhaps they all wanted to see each other, and there's nothing wrong with that!

She knows she didn't have a case against Qantas because they state they can change ones seat at anytime for operational reasons. How many times did she throw the discrimination word in though - sheesh!

Honestly, 2hr 30 min in the air. Let the lovely 70yo couple sit together and harden up!

Why do you assume the 70 year old couple were lovely? They tried to bump a lady out of her seat (because she wanted to be able to see and interact with her daughter) in the lounge. When that didn't work, they then tried some backhanded tactics onboard the aircraft.

Why isn't this story, "elderly couple wont accept that Qantas has ultimate discretion in seating and repeatedly meddle"? Sounds more appropriate from what I've read.

 

[drron]

The thing is, why does the elderly couple need to seat together? By analogy, if someone asks me nicely to do something, should I feel guilty if I say no?

And just why if you are an elderly couple should you be last in line to be seated together.Blatant ageism.We are a late 60s couple and we prefer to sit together just like the couple in this story.
But my take on the situation-the 70's couple asked in the lounge to be seated together.So the partner in the story was moved and called to the desk.She complained and was "reissued" her original BP.
The fault now seems to be the staff in the lounge-had they changed the seating plan with that change but didn't change it back and hence the cabin crew had the 70's couple sitting together on their paperwork.
And why then didn't the lounge staff then ask the pax sitting next to the 70's wife if he/she/ze or whatever would like to move?
As usual if there is a choice between a conspiracy and a stuff up the stuff up wins every time.

 

[under the radar]

I must tell all my heterosexual coupled/married friends to scream out 'heterophobia' when they don't get seated together on flights!! YES, THE HUMAN RACE IS NOW OFFICIALLY THE LOWEST ON THE EVOLUTIONARY LADDER.

 

[Deleted member]

The thing is, why does the elderly couple need to seat together? By analogy, if someone asks me nicely to do something, should I feel guilty if I say no?

Possibly, it depends on what was being asked and why. Frankly I think it's all a beat up. If a "hetro" couple made the same song and dance about a same sex couple I wonder what the General response round be.
More importantly would the QF ground and cabin crew push the issue to the same extent.
In short I reckon QF got it wrong pushing it beyond the first attempt. The same sex couple IMHO have overreacted. They were across an aisle for goodness sake.

 

[BettyB]

Re: Qantas business class passenger accuses airline of ‘blatant homophobi

What has been described DOES NOT constitute homophobia.

 

[RooFlyer]

No need to shout.

 

[JohnK]

I tried to imagine a seating arrangement where this whole problem becomes unsolvable. The only thing I can think of is that everyone refused to move. (Mind you, I wouldn't have thrown the term homophobic at this, that word is just being used to incite an emotional response)

I ignored the title and the accusation as they are childish.

In this case 2 people wanted to sit together and it appears to have been blown out of all proportions.

 

[turtlemichael]

I don't see it as homophobia either. On the assumption that the facts are as stated, my take is an elderly couple wanted to sit together. Qantas obliged them but when they realised they would be unsettling another domestic arrangement they backed off. First in best dressed. You could say that the lounge staff member should not have made an assumption but we all make assumptions and sometimes we are wrong. On the plane a crew member was at best passive-aggressive to the woman. That is just poor form and not what Qantas would expect from its staff. No apology was poor form too.

 

[moa999]

Possibly, it depends on what was being asked and why. Frankly I think it's all a beat up. If a "hetro" couple made the same song and dance about a same sex couple I wonder what the General response round be.
More importantly would the QF ground and cabin crew push the issue to the same extent.
In short I reckon QF got it wrong pushing it beyond the first attempt. The same sex couple IMHO have overreacted. They were across an aisle for goodness sake.

If a hetro couple with different surnames were moved, they would have the same reaction and seek to get it redressed.
They wouldn't go running to the media claiming hetrophobia.

 

[samh004]

And just why if you are an elderly couple should you be last in line to be seated together.Blatant ageism.We are a late 60s couple and we prefer to sit together just like the couple in this story.

And why didn't the elderly couple check-in online or select their seats together days, weeks or months before the flight?

And why then didn't the lounge staff then ask the pax sitting next to the 70's wife if he/she/ze or whatever would like to move?
As usual if there is a choice between a conspiracy and a stuff up the stuff up wins every time.

This is my question too. I suppose there could have been 3 lots of 3 in the cabin, but more than likely there was a single person sat next to the other elderly passenger. Why couldn't they have been moved next to the same-sex couple with child?

What has been described DOES NOT constitute homophobia.

I'd agree it has been blown out of proportion.

The couple feels slighted, but the media has also picked up on it and helped make it bigger than at first.

In this case 2 people wanted to sit together and it appears to have been blown out of all proportions.

I thought there were 2 issues, that 2 people wanted to sit together and 3 people wanted to sit together.

From what I can recall of a 737 cabin, the config is 2-2. That leaves a seat next to at least one of the elderly couple that's likely taken by a single person. Why weren't they asked to move? We'll never know as this is all speculation without someone who was there providing us all the facts.

If a hetro couple with different surnames were moved, they would have the same reaction and seek to get it redressed.
They wouldn't go running to the media claiming hetrophobia.

They did get it redressed without going to the media... before they got on the plane and had a CSM question where they were sat and then turn (allegedly) their back on them. If that happened to me and chicka I'd make a social/media post too.

 

[jackthomas]

I certainly don't agree that this is at all homophobia, but when it is a personal experience we are far more likely to think it is more extreme than it truly is.

Upon reading this post, I thought it was pretty ranty-raving... I would certainly have also been annoyed had my partner not been given the same respect in terms of seating preference compared to a heterosexual couple. The child also adds things into the mix.
The bottom line I guess is that as we all know, seat changes happen every day on most flights so it is hardly discriminatory, but if the story is correct QF should have handled it very differently.