Too Pretty to Fly? Women Charge "Beauty Discrimination" (w/ pics)

Too Pretty to Fly? Women Charge "Beauty Discrimination" (w/ pics)

Southwest Airlines hits the news again, but this time not over a dress code but instead over "beauty discrimination." University of South Florida student Nisreen Swedberg and friend Sarah Williams, both 18, made this claim about a flight they took on - of all days - Valentine's Day.

The flight was from Tampa Bay to Los Angeles. Swedberg said they were treated unfairly from the moment they entered the plane.

She also said she asked a flight attendant for a bottle of water and was told she had to wait until the rest of the flight was served. "And I patiently waited and then when they came around with water, they skipped me," Swedberg said.

Later, Williams exchanged profanities with another passenger over the use the plane's bathroom. But she indicated that the attendants only questioned her.

"I think they were just discriminating against because we were young decent-looking girls. I mean, nobody else on the plane looked like us except us,” she said. “[The flight attendants] were like older ladies. We were younger. Who knows, they could have been just jealous of us because we were younger."

Southwest defends the incident, saying the women caused a disruption on the flight.

When the plane landed in LA, the women were met by four uniformed officers and later questioned by the FBI. The women were released nearly two hours later.

No charges were filed, but Williams and Swedberg say they were banned from all future Southwest Airlines flights, including their scheduled flight home to Tampa.

Swedberg said, "I don't know what happened on this flight; I didn't do anything wrong and I feel like I was just discriminated against based upon my looks."

Hate to say it, Nisreen, but although the above "semi-glamour" shot makes you two look good, this picture captured from a video report shows you just ain't that good-lookin'. I think you were treated as you were because you two were probably acting like b*tches.

Good luck finding flights - on other airlines.

Comments

[Shari]

Personally, I didn't think either one of these young women was exceptionally beautiful, but in their minds they think they are.

What is sad is the attitude of these young women, lets call it "Paris-wanna-be" attitude, they think their looks entitle them to special treatment and such, and they don't.

Beverage, water and alike are not served till a certain point in the flight, get over yourself, grow up, no-one owes you anything, you could have brought your own bottle of water.

Because of Paris Hilton and the Hollywood young, we are going to see a generation of women who are totally worthless, for some reason they think they are entitled to the rich and famous life style just because of their looks. Outer beauty needs something to back it up, such as intelligence, personality, grace, character, without integrity and the above mentioned, beauty turns can turn really ugly quickly..

As a beautiful older woman, I shake my head at the younger generation of women, please I beg of you, get some class, read a book, serve your community, get your face out of the mirror and contribute.

[icantseeyou]

I couldn't agree more. I am for treating everyone the same - especially on a flight where you have to be in a metal tube with the same people for hours.

However, I find that on most flights most of the passengers are good people. I fly with children and people could not be nicer or more helpful. Of course you get your obnoxious young snotty people like in the article... I've been on flights where they are just loud and obnoxious not caring about anyone else.

Also, you have to think for yourself when getting on a plane nowdays. The first thing we do when going to the concourse is buy a bunch of bottles of water so we don't have to deal with a wait or being thirsty. Same with food.

By the way, these girls go to the University of S. Florida - and I happen to live in S. Fla. Let me tell you - they are NOT better than average here and they know it. They most likely were just being obnoxious. S.Fla has a ton of pretty girls with no attitude at all.

Finally on your read a book comment - the younger generation doesnt seem to like that kind of thing. It's a bad trend. I read a ton and I find it very worrisome that we have a generation who think that reading people magazine is reading.

[Car races in middle east]

Its an informative article!!Thanks for letting us know the things going around by your post!

[KIA motors middle east]

What is sad is the attitude of these young women, lets call it "Paris-wanna-be" attitude, they think their looks entitle them to special treatment and such, and they don't.