A British-Israeli woman files a complaint against low-cost carrier EasyJet after she was asked to take another seat on the plane on a flight from Tel Aviv to London. That happened after some ultra-Orthodox Jews refused to sit next to her.
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Melanie Wolfson, 38, a fundraiser who moved to Tel Aviv 13 years ago, paid extra in October last year to have a seat along the aisle. When she wanted to take a seat there, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man and his son made a call. The man asked her to change places with a man sitting a few rows away.
“I was insulted and humiliated,” Wolfson’s complaint said. “It was the first time in my adult life that I was discriminated against because I am a woman. I would never mind switching places if it was to have friends or relatives sit together, but I declined because the problem was that I am a woman. ”
Free drink
A hostess intervened and offered Wolfson a free hot drink if she changed places. She did it, fearing the flight would be delayed and because other passengers were still waiting to be seated.
She is now claiming damages of 66,438 shekels – almost 17,000 euros – from EasyJet. She also wants EasyJet to ban its staff from allowing women to change places because they are women. That happens too much, the complaint says, because ultra-Orthodox Jews refuse to sit next to them.
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