Air France goofed. By not allowing a man who weighed 375 pounds to
fly to China on one ticket because he couldn't wedge himself into
one seat, the airline committed a public-relations blunder that
will wind up costing far more than the price of the extra ticket
they wanted the guy to buy.
IATA has sided with Air France's position in the matter, which
basically states that rules are rules. But French Transport
Minister Jean-Claude Gayssot, speaking to the Sunday weekly
newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, blasted the carrier for
discriminating against "people who are already penalized in their
daily life," and called the incident "intolerable."
Even if Air France was technically justified in its action, why
be so cruel? This man probably gets stared at whenever he's out in
public. It can't be any picnic being his size. He may be a nice
guy. He may be a royal pain. It doesn't really matter. So he's fat.
He's also human. Give him a break already.