Lawyer sues Emirates airline after ‘enduring’ nine-hour flight sat next to obese passenger

An Italian lawyer is suing Emirates after he was sat next to an “obese” man on a nine-hour flight in economy class.

Giorgio Destro claims his flight from Cape Town to Dubai was ruined by an overweight passenger whose body “spilled” into his seat on the Boeing 777. Destro snapped a selfie that shows him looking unhappy and apparently cramped in seat 29K next to the unidentified man who had the middle seat.

Italian newspaper Mattino Padova ,reported that, the lawyer said he suffered throughout the flight last July and was told by cabin crew he could not change seats because the flight was fully booked.

“For nine hours I had to stand in the aisle, sit on seats reserved for the cabin crew when they were free and in the final phase of flight resign myself to suffer the ‘spillover’ of the passenger at my side,” he told the newspaper in comments translated by The Local.

Destro claimed he flies so often with Emirates that he is a gold member in its Skywards frequent flyer programme, entitling him to perks such as lounge access and a guaranteed seat even on fully-booked flights.The lawyer, who used to work at the Italian Consulate in South Africa, said Emirates refused to apologise or compensate him for his ‘hardship’.

He is demanding €2759.51 in compensation; €759.51 as a refund for the flight which he wasn’t able to enjoy, and a further €2,000 in damages.