A Brazilian court has ordered Qatar Airways to cover the cost of psychotherapy for a plus-size model whom they allegedly denied to board because she was “too overweight.”
38-year-old influencer Juliana Nehme accused the airline of discrimination based on her size.
Juliana informed her 167,000 Instagram followers that she was denied boarding from Beirut to Doha on November 22 purportedly owing to her weight.
Since then, her video about the alleged event has gone viral.
She had traveled with her family to Lebanon for vacation and had landed in the nation via Air France without incident.
Nehme believes she was subjected to size-based discrimination.
Instagram: Juliana Nehme
On their trip back to Brazil via Doha, Juliana was informed by a staff member that she must purchase a more expensive first-class seat in order to board the flight.
It also meant she would miss her connection to her home in Sao Paulo.
Julianna stated that Qatar Airways did not offer to reimburse her $1,000 ticket price.
Instead, the influencer claimed the airline told her she needed to purchase a $3,000 business-class ticket to fit in the section’s larger seats.
Julianna vented her frustration on social media: “They are rejecting my ability to go… I’m desperate, please assist me; they won’t let me board because I’m overweight.”
The influencer stayed with her mother in Lebanon, while her sister and nephew returned home.
In November, Nehme attempted to travel from Beirut to Doha.
Instagram: Juliana Nehme
She told her followers, “What a disgrace it is that Qatar permits this kind of discrimination against people!” I’m overweight, but I’m just like everyone else!”
And now, a court in Sao Paulo has ordered Qatar Airways to pay for Juliana’s counseling so she may overcome the trauma created by the incident.
On December 20, Judge Renata Martins de Carvalho determined that the airline must pay for the influencer’s psychiatric or psychological treatment by a reputable practitioner.
The treatment must include “a weekly therapy session costing $78 for a minimum of one year, totaling $3,718, to be transferred into the plaintiff’s bank account.”
Judge Carvalho stated that “providing quick respite is a legitimate and proportional step to guarantee that Juliana overcomes the stressful and painful occurrence.”
The attorney for the influencer, Eduardo Barbosa, referred to the decision as a “milestone in the struggle against bias.”
Julianna had described the agony she endured, telling Brazilian reporters, “It was as if I was not a human to them. I was a fat monster that was unable to board.
“It was dreadful. I could never have imagined experiencing something like.
“It kills me to remember how much I blamed myself; I even sought my mother for forgiveness multiple times since I blamed myself so much.
“I said, ‘Mum, please forgive me because my behavior prevented you from getting home,’” She stated that it was not my fault.”
After communicating with the Brazilian embassy, Juliana and her mother were eventually able to fly home on another trip without incurring any further expenses.
Qatar Airways asserts that they adhered to industry norms regarding overweight guests.
She stated to local reporters, “The ambassador phoned me and promised to assist me. We stayed at an embassy residence while awaiting a verdict.
“Then, on the 24th, he called me and said that he had spoken with the president of Qatar (Airways) and that I was authorized to return paying only what I had already paid, that I would not be required to pay any additional fees.
Qatar Airways stated in a statement, “Qatar Airways treats all passengers with respect and dignity, and in accordance with industry practices and similar to most airlines, anyone who interferes with the space of a fellow passenger and cannot secure their seatbelt or lower their armrests may be required to purchase an additional seat for the comfort and safety of all passengers.
“The passenger in question was originally extremely nasty and hostile towards check-in employees at Beirut International Airport when a member of her traveling party failed to present requisite PCR papers for entry into Brazil.
As a result, airport security was asked to interfere since both personnel and passengers were quite concerned about her behavior.
According to Smarter Travel, airline obesity regulations vary in degree and depth, but stipulate that if you cannot fit into a seat with an extended seatbelt and the armrests down, you will be charged for two seats or removed from the plane.
Some airlines may try their best to accommodate obese people by providing a second seat for free or refunding the cost of purchasing a second seat in advance if the trip is not completely booked.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that 67 percent of Australian adults are either overweight (36 percent) or obese (31 percent).
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