Officials on an Alaska Airlines flight from New York to Los Angeles this week allegedly asked a gay couple to give up their seats in order to accommodate a straight couple on the flight.
David Cooley, the owner of WeHo gay bar The Abbey, took to Facebook on Sunday night to detail the unfortunate incident, calling it humiliating and noting he would never again be flying with Alaska Airlines.
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Cooley told the story of how he and his partner were traveling back to LAX from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, when Alaska employees asked him to switch seats so a straight couple could sit together.
When Cooley and his partner refused, noting they, too, are a couple who wanted to sit together, Alaska Airlines told them their only choices were to move seats and be separated, or get off the plane.
Here’s Cooley’s full, detailed explanation of the alleged event (below):
What. The. Fuck.
As Cooley himself notes, how is this possible, in this day and age, for an airline to discriminate so blatantly like this???
No official statement yet from Alaska Airlines about this, though their Twitter account is clearly aware of it, calling it a “seating error.” See some of their replies (below):
Thank you for your comment. We are looking into this. This was truly a seating error, nothing more. We are an inclusive airline and support our LGBTQ groups. -Julie
— Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) July 31, 2018
Hey David, this was caused by a seating error on a full flight and crew trying for an on-time departure and nothing more than that. We are an inclusive airline and support our LGBTQ groups. -Julie
— Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) July 31, 2018
We are so sorry for how this unfolded. We inadvertently booked two people into one seat. We have a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind. Our team is fully investigating the matter and working with those involved -Sara
— Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) July 31, 2018
Diversity & inclusion are part of the fabric of Alaska Airlines. We have a zero-tolerance policy for any kind of discrimination. Unfortunately, this was a seating error & we’re working to make this right with our guest involved. ~Angel
— Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) July 31, 2018
This unfortunate incident was caused by a seating error, diversity & inclusion is part of the fabric of Alaska Airlines. We have reached out to Mr. Cooley with our apologies & we are seeking to make it right. ~Angel
— Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) July 31, 2018
If true as it’s presented — shameful, shameful, shameful.
They need to do better!!
[Image via Alaska Airlines.]
