Tight seat on flight bruises woman
A Nelson woman says she was traumatised after a harrowing Air NZ flight from Melbourne to Christchurch left her bruised and in tears.
Rebekah Siame is overweight so books an aisle seat or pays extra to ensure she has a spare seat next to her to avoid troubling a fellow passenger. She’s so comfortable in her own skin she even wrote a book, The Lighter Side of Large, about being a size-24.
She’d never had a problem with a booking but last month, on a return trip from Melbourne to Christchurch, was moved to a smaller seat, despite paying for an upgrade.
Siame said she paid about $150 extra for the “works deluxe” ticket, which claimed to “guarantee” a spare seat next to her. After checking in and boarding, she was horrified to see check-in staff had changed her seat.
She had been moved to a bulk-head seat, which had the entertainment system and meal tray built into the sides, meaning even less room.
Siame said she actively avoided bulkhead seats, and if she couldn’t upgrade her ticket to get the seat next to her, always asked check-in staff if there were any spare when she arrived at the airport.
“I’m prepared to pay the extra so that I’m not encroaching on people’s space.”
It was the first time she had been moved from a seat — that she had paid extra for — and ended up in one which cut off her circulation.
Her feet went numb and her thighs were bruised. She had felt too embarrassed to say anything because it would be another “humiliation”.
Air NZ said the Works Deluxe fare offered a guaranteed empty seat alongside but didn’t guarantee a particular seat because they might have to be reassigned for operational reasons.
That had been the case on Siame’s flight. Her seat had been reassigned to a customer who travelled with an assistant due to a broken leg.