Embarrassed and upset. Was I wrong?

[fatandembarrassed]

Nc for this

I recently had to take an 11 hour flight. I'm quite pregnant at the moment - not close to my due date, but it's very obvious and I am pretty big now. I was cleared to fly but warned that I must walk about as much as possible.

I didn't have much notice of this flight and so didn't have spare money, so I booked an economy seat next to the toilet, for obvious reasons, and with extra legroom. It was fine, but about 4 hours into the flight, I realised my ankles were swelling, so I got up and started to walk about a bit.

I felt a bit embarrassed, but I was in a fair bit of pain with my ankles and Braxton Hicks contractions, so I persevered very slowly and in complete silence, making my way along the aisles which wasn't easy in Economy as it was very tight. I then walked up and down the Business Class aisle. Nobody looked up or seemed disturbed by me, and it was easier to walk, so I walked up and down that section twice which took me about five minutes.

Next thing I knew, a male flight attendant marched up to me, put his hand on my arm and told me that I was disturbing passengers who had paid more than me, and that I might be pregnant but it was 'not an excuse' to 'make a disturbance'. I was quite shocked to be told I was disturbing anyone - I was very quiet and slow, and there for less than 5 min.

I was really upset to have him talk to me like that, both touching me and implying that I was just being a 'nuisance' to people who were clearly 'better' than me. I ended up crying because I was so humiliated (hate having to walk anyway and draw attention to myself), in horrible pain and having contractions.

Was I being unreasonable here? DH is very upset that I was treated like this and I really didn't think I was doing anything terribly wrong.

Thanks neverbuythedailymail, I was worried I might just come across as a total arsehole rather than someone who is unsympathetic to a chancer.

As far as I could tell from embarrassed's posts, yes she was anxious and distressed about the risk of DVT and her swollen ankles, but she was also having very painful contractions, which wouldn't have been alleviated by on the spot exercises.

betsy

I suspect she was a first time flyer, who hadn't done a long flight before. Ignorance & naivete?

It's perfectly possible to stretch ones legs at the back of the plane, by the door, or while waiting for the lavatory.

Although I was extremely irritated once, coming back from NYC Upper class when one women monopolised the loo for the whole half hour before we landed. Thank goodness for the Virgin Clubhouse at Heathrow, so I could have a proper shower & breakfast before I went straight to work after the red eye. Virgin Upper Class beds are lovely, but it's only a short flight so it's hard to get more than 5 hours of sleep.

Goingthedistance I don't think that anyone actually said that EC aisles were not big enough for pregnant women to walk through.

There's a gap in the market here for Social Equality Airlines.

Seating and pricing allocated entirely by social justice criteria. The childless, non disabled, flying alone for work purposes earning unacceptable amounts of income and showing any signs of being toffs will have to pay business/ first class rates and they will just about be allowed to sit on crates in the hold. If they aren't big crates.

Happy sigh.

The thing is though that being annoyed about perceptions of unacceptable privilege doesn't change the basic facts. If you pay for economy class on a commercial airline you are paying for the use of the economy class facilities. You can't expect to have use of facilities you have not bought access to.

I'm sorry you were embarrassed OP.

But she wanted to use the BC area which was seperate from the EC area. And she hadn't paid the extra to be there.

That's like saying you can go and stand in the first class lounge as long as you don't sit down or drink anything. It's simply not the case.

It's not like that either - in an airport she could walk in circles for hours for pain-relief so there would literally be no need for her to be in the first class lounge. In a plane - space is very limited and to walk unimpeded (according to OP) she had to go to BC.

Ultimately, I stand by my point, that in exceptional circumstances, where pain and illness are involved and where it does not impact on the safety of other passengers, a person should be able to walk (not sit, or drink, or even use the toilet) through any area of the plane.

I don't see why they don't just have business only planes and use the bigger ones for economy. I hate the whole thing of having people made to walk through on their way to their seat and this iron curtain, I happen to choose to spend my money that way but I don't think I'm better. If I lost my job I would never be able to do it, fingers crossed for the price of oil to stabilise and rocket until I'm 55 😉

rumbling why bother with crates - surely they could just be strapped to the roof?

BA always put the less idiotic of the punch up pissheads in business or first to keep them separate. I have seen many a drunken Brit restrained in a business seat while they feed him (always been a him) coffee. I like a bit of drama.

I still don't understand why the OP didn't let the cabin crew know she was "in a fair bit of pain". I'm sure they would have made her s comfortable as possible in her economy seat had they known. If the OP was as uncomfortable as she said it was rather stupid not to i form the crew. I still think she was trying to get a free upgrade to BC.

neverbuy several people have said that the OP is pregnant and therefore should be treated diffenently. 'Braxton hicks, swollen ankles, general pregnancy' is apparently a premis to taking several thousand pounds worth of facilities and telling those that have actually paid for it to fuck you! Are you honestly of the opinion that someone paying £400 should be entitled to the same facilities of someone that has paid £5000? Really, is this what you think? If I was only prepared to pay the minimum amount possible for a flight then I would expect to get the minimum amount of comfort and everything that goes with it. If I really thought that being pregnant and having to take a flight was an important thing then I would have paid to upgrade. The OP hasn't said that she's never flown BC, she said that she couldn't afford it at the moment so booked an EC flight. I'm pretty sure that she wouldn't be happy if she'd paid a premium, to have some fucker invade her space. It's only now that she sees it differently.

You were wrong.

Entirely off topic but Betsy I love this story:

Guy whinging he didn't want to sit next to a woman and demanding to be moved when it was clear business was full. He went on and on in Arabic with no idea I understand (white, blonde, oil engineer but look like a barmaid) and finally got to the point: If he can't be seated next to a male passenger or an empty seat then they should see if there are any first class seats. So they did and moved me!

Was it Emirates by any chance? I flew ec Dubai to London and ended up in a row of 3 with some entitled madam in an abaya who insisted that she have sole custody of the spare seat in the middle then proceeded to stretch out and rest her hobbity bare feet on my leg. I objected politely and she ranted about how she was a member of the Emirati Royal family and had more rights than me. She then demanded that the cabin crew "remove me". Which they did - to business class. I was brought so much champagne I had to be woken up on the runway

I still don't understand why the OP didn't let the cabin crew know she was "in a fair bit of pain". I'm sure they would have made her s comfortable as possible in her economy seat had they known

Indeed. This is why I think she was a first-time flyer - her 1st post sounded very inexperienced. In my experience in Economy, cabin crew can be very thoughtful if you ask for help.

YoungGirlGrowingOld

I flew ec Dubai to London and ended up in a row of 3 with some entitled madam in an abaya who insisted that she have sole custody of the spare seat in the middle then proceeded to stretch out and rest her hobbity bare feet on my leg. I objected politely and she ranted about how she was a member of the Emirati Royal family and had more rights than me. She then demanded that the cabin crew "remove me". Which they did - to business class.

I've never seen this happen, so I think you're embroidering what happened.

leelu66 Huh?

leelu66 Do you only believe things which you have personally witnessed?

leelu I suggest you fly 2 or 3 times a month between the ME and London, as I have done for the last 3 or 4 years. It's been a real eye opener for me.

I could tell you another story about the Saudi guy who jumped out of a lift mumbling prayers after I offered to shake his hand. Or the Kuwaitis who tried to get in my hotel room in Riyadh because they thought I was a hooker? (I am 5'3" and not in the first flush of youth btw). Or the falcons who regularly fly in the business cabin with me (admittedly I have also seen them in economy!) But since I am making it all up there probably wouldn't be any point!

I have my doubts about the OP as I said upthread but all of the above really happened.

Thanks Peridot , I don't, but could you also address that question to everyone on this thread questioning OP's account of what happened? (Including Young , who thought OP has 'embroidered' what happened.)

It was Saudi Airlines. They are awesome, I use them in preference to BA or Qatar now. My company gives cash instead of vouchers unless it's a duty visit and they are really cheap and brand new planes and really lovely crew. Once you get used to the front galley being a prayer area it's fine. Massive fresh cooked meals as well. They are surprisingly indifferent to local men and women and their demands

leelu it just seems massively unlikely that a FA would go from 0 to massively rude in 5 seconds. I fly a lot and I have never seen this on any airline. The only rudeness I have seen from FA's has always been from nightmare passengers and entirely justified.

The OP has demonstrated a tendency to embroider by suggesting that leading someone by the arm is "abuse"...so I am simply expressing a little cynicism.

If the FA really was that instantly rude then of course he is a twat. But the OP was still technically in the wrong.

Yes to the falcons in business! And quite a few Persian cats roaming around too. And kids who never, ever sit down or wear seatbelts even during take off and landing as if they are in their family land cruiser. I do these trips too a couple of times a month. And maids who have economy seats but then spend their whole time passing things (including babies) through the curtain.

Betsy I have never flown Saudia but I just got a new multi entry visa for KSA and noticed their flights were cheaper than Emirates by a country mile. (Am a bit torn because I tend to fly in and out of DXB more and collect Skywards miles). Will definitely check it out.

Will stop hi-jacking the thread now....