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Fat Frenchman sues Air France over plane seat row
From correspondents in Paris
December 20, 2006 11:36pm
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20960709-1702,00.html
AN overweight passenger has sued Air France after being told he was too fat and forced to buy a second seat to accommodate him on a flight.
Jean-Jacques Jauffret, a French scriptwriter, said he had felt humiliated by Air France staff who had measured his waist in public at New Delhi airport in 2005 and decided he was too big for a single seat.
A lawyer representing Air France told a court the company had a clear policy of asking obese passengers to pay for two seats.
Let's be objective. This man is fat, lawyer Fernand Gamault told the court in Bobigny. He barely fits on the courtroom chair. How could he sit in an aeroplane?
Mr Gamault was not available for comment but Mr Jauffret confirmed the lawyer's comments and said he was denounced as fat and enormous on countless occasions during the hearing.
I felt shocked and humiliated by what he said, Mr Jauffret said.
Mr Jauffret said he weighed more than 160kg and said he had flown numerous times, including on other Air France flights, without ever being asked to pay more.
Air France's website urges overweight passengers to reserve a second seat, adding that failure to do so might mean they are refused access to an aircraft if it is fully booked.
Mr Jauffret has asked for 8000 ($13,500) in damages and 500 reimbursement for the cost of the additional ticket. A verdict in the case is due on February 20.
