Too pretty to fly Southwest

That's what these girls are saying, in what has predictably been dubbed "Kyla Ebbert: The Sequel." Here's how the Associated Press is describing the incident:

TAMPA BAY, Fla. -- Two young women claimed they were kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight recently for being too pretty.

Nisreen Swedberg and Sarah Williams, both 18, said the flight crew was rude to them the minute they stepped on the plane at Tampa's international airport. The girls said as soon as they got on the plane, they asked a flight attendant for a bottle of water and were refused.

Then, the girls got into a screaming match with another passenger, witnesses said, when he took too long in the bathroom. But the girls claim they were the only ones who were questioned about the incident. Swedberg said four uniformed officers met them as soon as the plane landed, escorted them off in front of everyone and questioned them outside.

"I think they were just discriminating against us because we were young, decent-looking girls. I mean, no one 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.”

After being questioned, the girls were released and no charges were filed.

I think Scott is already plotting how to use this latest incident to push Sky Talk's traffic to an all-time high.

UPDATE, 1:52 p.m.

Paula Berg of Southwest (who helps run that airline's Nuts About Southwest blog) posted this comment, which I thought deserved to be in the entry:

Hey Trebor – just to clarify a few points for some of your readers who may have read this story somewhere else or seen it on TV…

1. Despite what many news outlets have reported, the two ladies are not "banned" from ever traveling on Southwest in the future. To my knowledge, we’ve never "banned" anyone in our 36 years of flying.
2. Our Crews’ decision had nothing to do with the ladies’ appearance, but rather their behavior and interaction with another Customer onboard.
3. Our Employees have an obligation to maintain a safe environment onboard. Our number one priority must always be the safety of all of our Customers.

As I’ve written on several sites, we would have gone out of business a long time ago if we discriminated against beautiful women. We carry 96 million Customers a year, and they’re all beautiful in our eyes!

- Trebor

Comments

[Paula Berg]

Hey Trebor – just to clarify a few points for some of your readers who may have read this story somewhere else or seen it on TV…

1. Despite what many news outlets have reported, the two ladies are not "banned" from ever traveling on Southwest in the future. To my knowledge, we’ve never "banned" anyone in our 36 years of flying.
2. Our Crews’ decision had nothing to do with the ladies’ appearance, but rather their behavior and interaction with another Customer onboard.
3. Our Employees have an obligation to maintain a safe environment onboard. Our number one priority must always be the safety of all of our Customers.

As I’ve written on several sites, we would have gone out of business a long time ago if we discriminated against beautiful women. We carry 96 million Customers a year, and they’re all beautiful in our eyes!

Paula Berg
Southwest Airlines

[Trebor]

Paula - Thanks for the info! I'm adding it to the main post so that our readers can find it easily.

[Ramp Rat]

What a couple of narcissists.

[Mom of a teenage girl....]

The young ladies got into a screaming match with another customer because that customer was took a while in the restroom. Who do they think they are?? Working with teenagers now for over 8 years I have seen a decline in respect from so many of the young. Sounds to me like the young ladies need to learn a little respect and how to behave like ladies and not brats. Has nothing to do with their looks their attitudes stink.

[Da Realist]

These girls need to wake up. Nice attitudes. Fear not, something will happen to them to knock them off their pedestals. Like when they get fatter in their 20s.

[Mark]

Narcissist megalomaniacs. The world doesn't revolve around them, and I hope they learn that someday. If you scream at somebody because they are taking too long in the restroom, it is your fault. There is no reason to question the person in the restroom.

"Like, OMG, they are so jealous of us. They wish their hair was, like, as good as ours. How rude of them, to like, question us. He took to long in the, you know, like, restroom! They are, like, such haters."

[randy]

I just love corporate apologists. Thanks Paula. I may have thrown up a little in my mouth.

[Mark]

From a poster (on another news site) who was on the plane:
"I was on this plane and these girls starting making a scene the moment they got on...they were loud, obnoxious and became even more annoying to the other passengers when, just before pushing back from the gate they asked for water - which the flight attendant could not do because we were getting ready to taxi (and it doesn't take long to taxi). I heard the flight attendant tell the two ladies that as soon as they got i the air at cruising altitude she'd get them a bottle of water. This is what EVERY passenger would have been told so there is no "discrimination" going on.
Then came the restroom issue - apparently these girls thought a gentleman was taking too long in the bathroom and started banging on the door and screaming to hurry up. Obnoxious and annoying and clearly out of line.
These two girls (or children as it may be) made a miserable ride for the passengers sitting around them and for the flight attendants.
Further, they have NOT been banned, as cited on many other news programs and articles, from flying southwest.
This is two girls who are embarrassed because of their horrible behavior and feel that they can get publicity out of something that clearly was their fault."

[DFW]

Brats is an understatement!

What a lack of respect for others.

Sad for the crew and the passengers on the flight. Hopefully karma will catch up to these girls quickly and give them a little dose of reality.

Keep up the good work SWA!

[Paolo]

They are just brat kids that apparently their parents just gave them what they want and the rest of the earth must go in their non-smart way of living. Another example of "Why people are mean to me".

If they think they were the "only" pretty people on board...what that can tell you about them? Well, for sure one, they are blind...I have seen way more pretty people, they are looking for a Playboy hook up, that's all. The big difference is that here has nothing to do with their appearance...they were ALLOW to board, this should not even make the news...they should pay a fine.

[Colt]

Arrogant spoiled and self centered, isn't pretty.

[jtormey3]

The smallest bit of research about Southwest Airlines flack Paula Berg tells us this:

http://www.blogsouthwest.com/2007/06/15/behind-the-scenes-blog-queen/

Now, never mind "wacky", and "off-the-wall" - "behind-the-scenes Blog Queen" and "Nuts about Southwest" says it all for me.

So, to Paula Berg of Southwest Airlines, the airline company’s "behind-the-scenes Blog Queen", who says, regarding the events of March 6-7, 2008, and the now-record US$10,200,000 in fines racked up by Southwest:

"...this situation was never and is not now a safety of flight issue".
Nonsense, Paula. Cracks in airplanes? Nonsense, Paula.

I've been around publicists and other entertainment folk for over 20 years, and I have heard better publicity emanating from self-plugging screenwriters on acid.

And, Paula, as for:

"[t]he FAA approved our actions and considered the matter closed as of April 2007".

Nonsense, Paula.

It's not "closed", until WE the PUBLIC say it is closed! Take that back to your superiors for me - and tell them that we are just getting started.

Oh – and, congratulations on staying behind the scenes.

John J. Tormey III, Esq.
Quiet Rockland