British Airways sued over 'humiliating' policy

[Walter Plinge]

A BUSINESSMAN is suing British Airways over a policy that bans male passengers sitting next to children they don't know - even if the child's parents are on the same flight.

Mirko Fischer accuses the airline of branding all men as potential sex offenders and claimed innocent travellers are being publicly humiliated.

British Airways sued over 'humiliating' policy | The Australian

 

[mannej]

Has QF not been in the news before with a similar policy?

 

[simongr]

I think this is an awful and offensive policy. What is worse is the public display of the policy by evicting people from seats after boarding.

Given the rigmarole involved with unaccompanied minors anyway one would have thought this could be sorted out before boarding if they did want this.

 

[Will]

I think I would raise an awful stink if this happened to me too...

 

[samh004]

I can’t believe with all the software they’ve got and all the profiling and checks they already do, that they can’t arrange for a UM to sit in a row with women before boarding.

In this case I’m not sure why they didn’t move the boy, seeing as the man was with his pregnant wife too. Seems a little stupid by the crew.

Plus, why do sexual predators have to be men, haven’t there been enough cases in the news these days about female teachers?

One of my worst experiences on a plane was travelling as a UM on Cathay many years ago, sat between two drunk, smelly men. However they didn’t molest me, as BA would have you believe

 

[drron]

As I have said before despite any policy QF and DJ have,they have put me in the middle of unaccompanied kids when I have travelled alone-they think I am a big kid!:shock:
My last DJ flight to MKY I selected the last row in the aisle and across the aisle were 3 unaccompanied kids.

 

[significance]

It's also not a great policy from the perspective of women travelling alone. That much greater a chance of being seated next to kids!

 

[serfty]

On BA, rows at the rear of the aircraft are held specifically for UM's so that this issue is less likely to arise, also the crew can better keep an eye on them.

With BA, unaccompanied minors are those for whom the appropriate fee has been paid for BA staff to look after them. This applies to all children under 12. BA won't carry any child under that age without them being classed as a UM and taken care of from the time they're left at the airport to the time they're collect by a parent/guardian at the other end.

It seems this was not an unaccompanied child or they would have been sat in a more appropriate seat in the first place. So was either over the age of 12 which is not classed as an unaccompanied minor, or was travelling with parents who could have moved to prevent this problem.

If he was with his parents, perhaps the cabin crew should have asked the parents and child to rearrange their seating, rather than what happened.

If the former the child should have been seated with the other UM's at seat allocation/check-in. The age of the passenger should have been known.

 

[nlagalle]

So what happens if you are a holder of a working with Children card etc? I think it is totally over the top and i hope the guy wins the case..

If they ever ask me to move, i'll be asking to be upgraded to J or F.. then I won't complain about moving!!

 

[estate]

I have to say I'm a little surprised by this - on Boxing Day I flew GVA-LHR with BA. Seating was 3-3 and I was in the middle. The window seat next to me had an 8 or 9 year old boy, with his parents and brother traveling in the row behind.

When handing out the arrival cards (done not long after take-off as it happens) the FA even asked me, "is the boy with you, sir?". They made no attempt to even discuss it with me, I just referred the FA to the parents seated behind me.

 

[Flying Fox]

I understand and believe in the need to protect children but this is madness.

If asked to move seats, it should result in an automatic cabin bump (upwards of course).

 

[samh004]

I wonder how BA would react if there was a UM in J and you were sat across from him. Reason enough to downgrade you!

What about in F, there is some contact that can be made.

 

[Kendall Roy]

What about in F

Well clearly an upgrade to the flight deck is the only option there :mrgreen:

 

[Skyring]

One of my worst experiences on a plane was travelling as a UM on Cathay many years ago, sat between two drunk, smelly men.

Were they miners, by any chance?

 

[harvyk]

Whilst not a new policy (both QF and NZ have been found to have similar policies in place) it's certainly an offensive one...

I'm going to resist getting on my soapbox here, but all I will say is it's typical of the sexist way men can be treated in society these day and yet it's considered perfectly acceptible.

 

[JohnK]

What a dumb, senseless, policy? Who was the one that came with this policy? Have they still got a job?

In this case I’m not sure why they didn’t move the boy, seeing as the man was with his pregnant wife too. Seems a little stupid by the crew.

They could have easily moved the child to another seat instead of humiliating an adult with his pregnant wife next him. I certainly hope the crew member gets reprimanded and the man suitably compensated. Teach them a lesson for making policy without any cleat thought behind it.

On BA, rows at the rear of the aircraft are held specifically for UM's so that this issue is less likely to arise, also the crew can better keep an eye on them.

From my limited experience commuting SYD-BNE for the past 19 months I have noticed on QF that unaccompanied minors are one of the last to board and are escorted to the last rows of economy.

 

[harvyk]

What a dumb, senseless, policy? Who was the one that came with this policy? Have they still got a job?

Chances are yes, as when this came to light a few years ago, BA \ QF \ NZ all came out and said that they support this policy and had no plans to change it.

 

[Alanslegal]

I'm not a parent but to me, what kind of parents let their under 12's fly (international) all alone?!?!

 

[Will]

I'm not a parent but to me, what kind of parents let their under 12's fly (international) all alone?!?!

Parents who can't afford to fly with them just to supervise them? Maybe sending them from one parent to another in another country?

There's more dangerous things to do than fly as an UM :shock:

 

[mannej]

Chances are yes, as when this came to light a few years ago, BA \ QF \ NZ all came out and said that they support this policy and had no plans to change it.

It is a pretty blatent form of discrimination really. I find it comical that I have had a Working With Childrens check for a while now, yet the airlines think that they are a better judge in regards to this.

I hope this gentleman wins this case, as I find it rediculous that he was moved even though he had his pregnant wife next to him. Common sense really seems lacking here.

You get that don't you