An airline has been ordered to pay for a plus-size model to undergo therapy after it claims staff made her feel like a ‘fat monster’.
Brazilian influencer Juliana Nehme, 38, said Qatar Airways prevented her from boarding a flight from Beirut to Doha because she was overweight.
She claimed that instead of offering to refund the £830 she paid for a seat, she was told that she would have to pay another £2,480 for a first class ticket, where they are bigger.
Ms Nehme, who stayed with her mother in Lebanon while her sister and niece returned home, spoke about the ordeal speaking to the media about her in her home country.
She said, “It was like I wasn’t a human being to them. I was a fat monster that couldn’t get on board,” reports Metro.
The airline has now been ordered to pay for psychotherapy for Ms Nehme to help her cope with the hardships she suffered following a court hearing in São Paulo, reports the Daily Mail.
The newspaper says it will consist of “a weekly therapy session worth £63 for a period of at least one year, totalling £3,000, to be deposited in the plaintiff’s bank account,” reports Metro.
Judge Renata Martins de Carvalho said that “granting of urgent relief is a reasonable and proportionate measure to ensure that the stressful and traumatic event is overcome,” reports Metro.
The airline told Metro.co.uk: “Qatar Airways has not received an official communication related to this legal ruling,” reports Metro.
In a statement given to the Mail, a spokesperson said that “similar to most airlines, anyone who impedes upon the space of a fellow traveller and cannot secure their seatbelt or lower their armrests may be required to purchase an additional seat both as a safety precaution and for the comfort and safety of all passengers The passenger in question at Beirut Airport was initially extremely rude and aggressive to check-in staff when one of her travelling party did not produce required PCR documentation for entry to Brazil,” reports Metro.
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