JetStar Accuses a Fat Lady of Being Pregnant, but she is just fat

[Ejector]

A WOMAN who was asked by a Jetstar flight attendant to provide a medical certificate to fly because he wrongly thought she was pregnant says she was "absolutely humiliated" by the mistake.
Kelsey Hughes, 21, of Rangiora in New Zealand, says she was queuing to board her flight to Christchurch from Wellington when she was approached by the flight attendant after her ticket was scanned.
"He stopped and came over to me, holding up the whole queue, and said: Excuse me, ma'am, do you have a medical certificate to fly?'.
"I said: A medical certificate? No, why?', and he said: You need a medical certificate to fly with your pregnancy.'"
Shocked, Ms Hughes explained she wasn't expecting.
"He said: Oh. Really? Oops. Sorry!', then just turned around and walked away. He just brushed it off as though it was a simple mistake that anyone could make."
Ms Hughes told the Dominion Post she was "absolutely humiliated at the gate in front of god knows how many people".
http://cdn04.cdnwp.thefrisky.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/14/pregnant-smoker-300x300.jpg
Jetstar policy requires passengers who are more than 28 weeks' pregnant to carry a letter from a doctor or midwife declaring them fit to fly.
A Jetstar spokesman apologised for any embarrassment caused to Ms Hughes.
He said ground and cabin crew are expected to request a medical certificate "if they have reason to believe" a passenger was pregnant.
At 70kg, Ms Hughes said she doesn't resemble an expectant mother.
"I don't look eight weeks pregnant, let alone 28 weeks. I would have had to have been huge," she said.


Read more: Jetstar sorry for calling woman passenger pregnant | News.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/woman-shocked-by-airline-pregnancy-query/story-e6frfq80-1226491744687#ixzz28lIknsho)

[ExXB]

Unfortunate for the Jetstar guy and imagine he was quite embarrassed by his mistake.

No sympathy for the lady though. Likely not the first time this has happened and no doubt not the last.

I can't understand why she would feel humiliated. Being in the pudding club is nothing to be embarrassed about. She should have taken it as a compliment.

[Sir Herbert Gussett]

Humiliated enough to go running to the press ... :suspect:

[Ejector]

and try to get $$ to shut her up.

[GoDirect]

The flight attendant must have been blind - the lady is not even overweight at all, let alone looking like being pregnant, so it is well and truly a gaffe by the flight attendant. Here is an article from yesterday's Christchurch Press which has a photo of the lady concerned - as to how the FA could come to the conclusion that he did, I'm at a loss to know:

Woman mortified over Jetstar pregnancy query | Stuff.co.nz (http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/7785585/Jetstar-offers-voucher-for-pregnancy-mistake)

[easyflyer83]

I don't think anyone would argue or deny that the crew member made a mistake. However, it was a simple little mistake and I am almost certain there was nothing malicious about it.

She complained. A bit petty IMO but it's her right and perhaps Jetstar could work on ways of approaching this subject by staff. The airline apologised, they quite rightly spared the crew member from having to write an apology to her (totally OTT if they did) but they assured her that the crew member was apologetic and mortified. With a $100 dollar voucher (unwarrented IMO but good PR) that should have been the end of it. Yet she still went ahead to the press over something petty and drags out her supposed embarrassment.

I'm sorry but she sounds like one hell of a highly strung lady or just a b:mad:c.

[reynoldsno1]

the FA could come to the conclusion that he did, I'm at a loss to know

... most of them look about 14 years old, so it's not surprising...

[Shack37]

and try to get $$ to shut her up.


I believe it was an apology she asked for, not $$.

[easyflyer83]

I believe it was an apology she asked for, not $$.

Which she got but still wasn't happy.

... most of them look about 14 years old, so it's not surprising...

I can't stand people who bring age into it. Any age group could have made this mistake. I'm neither young or old but fly with a mixture of young and old. There are great crew and not so great crew at both ends of the spectrum.

[Sunnyjohn]

I'm sorry but she sounds like one hell of a highly strung lady

I've read the story and listened to the video and I'm therefore interested in how you came to this conclusion because that is not how she came over to me.

She was, and said she was, humiliated. People are humiliated for different reasons in various circumstances but she clearly was humiliated. I'm sorry to differ but she has my sympathy.

[Tableview]

I was once given a piece of advice which has stood me in good stead, so I'll pass it on :

"Never ask a woman if she's pregnant unless you actually see the baby coming out. This applies regardless of her age, marital status, or sexual orientation."

When I was duty manager for an airline, one of the check in staff came to me and said : "Are pregnant women allowed to travel?" I said yes, up to 32 weeks or whatever it was then. The girl asked me to go and check out this woman. She was young, and very ugly, and looked as if she was about to give birth to elephant triplets. So I simply asked her if she was sure she was OK to travel, and did she have any condition that would make it unsafe for her to fly. She asked me quite unpleasantly if I thought she was pregnant, at which point I was tempted to say unless it was a turkey baster job I think that's highly improbable.

She refused to sign a waiver form so I refused to let her fly partly because I thought she'd upset the balance and trim! Never found out if she was pregnant or not. Somehow I suspect not.

[Shack37]

She was, and said she was, humiliated. People are humiliated for different reasons in various circumstances but she clearly was humiliated. I'm sorry to differ but she has my sympathy.

I'm with you SJ, just look at the criticism of her here because she had the gall to complain, then check out some of the comments by the same posters on eg the fat pax threads about complaining.

[Shack37]

No sympathy for the lady though. Likely not the first time this has happened
and no doubt not the last.

I can't understand why she would feel humiliated. Being in the pudding club is nothing to be embarrassed about. She should have taken it as a compliment.


Your post (my bold) demonstrates exactly why you don't understand.

[Load Toad]

Humiliated.

Bit of a strong word for being offended. Should be a quiet apology & then move on.

A bit rude: Penn & Teller - The Right Not to be Offended - YouTube