Get in, sit down, buckle up and shut the f*** up!

[Peaches O Malley]

It's all well and good if this guy and his companions were in an Arab country or on an Arab airline, but neither applies so ya know what??? Sit down, shut up and enjoy the frelling flight........or use a private jet. Asshat.:irked:

A Qatar sheikh held up a British Airways flight at Milan's Linate airport for nearly three hours after discovering three of his female relatives had been seated next to men they did not know.
When none of the other business class passengers agreed to swap seats, the sheikh, a member of Qatar's ruling family, went to the pilot, who had already started the engine, to complain, an airport official said.
But the pilot ordered him and his traveling companions, the three women, two men, a cook and a servant, off the plane.
The London-bound flight took off nearly three hours behind schedule Thursday evening and around 50 of the 115 passengers missed connecting flights.
Traditions in the conservative Gulf Arab region bar women from mixing with unrelated men.

[Margaret]

It's all well and good if this guy and his companions were in an Arab country or on an Arab airline, but neither applies so ya know what??? Sit down, shut up and enjoy the frelling flight........or use a private jet. Asshat.:irked:


Or at least understand that you are on a public airline and attempt to arrange the seating while you are booking the tickets. Really, if you are a part of a countries ruling family - use and abuse your influence from time to time.

[Lady Hefron]

Like they can't afford to charter their own jet! If you have religious/moral codes that need to be accommadated...do so at the time of booking or fly private airlines.

I have no problem with public airlines accommadating special requests...but these need to be made clear at the time of booking not while you are on the plane...sounds like someone is too used to getting their own way just by talking (spoiled brat).

[Pansy Faye]

...... (spoiled brat).

exactly!

[renren]

Or at least understand that you are on a public airline and attempt to arrange the seating while you are booking the tickets. Really, if you are a part of a countries ruling family - use and abuse your influence from time to time.

Exact-a-mundo! Duh!

[Ysobelle]

I completely understand that this isn't a trivial issue in their culture and religion, and that for their women to sit beside men to whom they're not related is a dishonour.

But holy crap, yeah-- if you're flying a commercial flight, make those arrangements BEFOREHAND. It also sounds like they were insufferable about it. I'm surprised they let it go on for three hours before ditching them.

[daBaroness]

No argument from me - my first thought was, "why the heck were they on a commercial flight if they're so flippin' important?!"

[fresa3302]

The traditions bar women from mixing with unrelated men...

So if they just sat there and didn't talk then it wouldn't be "mixing" would it? <shrug>

[Torra]

You've all mentioned that while booking the tickets, he could have arranged the seating...bah to that! He's too flipping important to do that! I'm sure he gave that job to a secretary/peon/indentured servant who has ESP and therefore knows about this kind of thing.
End of sarcasm.

Seriously, this is unreal. We constantly hear about planes taking off ridiculously late or people being asked to leave because of behavior. Remember when it really was news? Now it seems like everyone feels like they're entitled to have everyone else deal with the results of their poor manners, poor parenting or spoiled behavior.

[Gellis Indigo]

Seriously, this is unreal. We constantly hear about planes taking off ridiculously late or people being asked to leave because of behavior. Remember when it really was news? Now it seems like everyone feels like they're entitled to have everyone else deal with the results of their poor manners, poor parenting or spoiled behavior.

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Age of Entitlement.

[Winifred Baskerville]

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Age of Entitlement.

*singing* This is the dawning of the Age of Entitlement, Age of Entitlemeeeeeeeeeent.....

[Drea Beth]

Playing devil's advocate... there is a lot of difference between raised to be a shiek (king, prince, whatever) than say, for instance, the kid my son went to school with who was raised by his parents to believe that he was far superior to everyone, including adults and teachers, and that the rules for "common children" did not apply.

That said, I do agree that this matter should have been handled before boarding the plane. If it was that important to have empty seats in the row, maybe they should have bought extras...

And one more from the devil's advocate... Knowing how totally awesome and reliable airlines are, there's no chance the airline screwed up...

[Cyranno DeBoberac]

Don't Arab shieks have private jets?

[Drea Beth]

Don't Arab shieks have private jets?

It was in the shop??? ::whistle::