Man on United Flight Defends Passenger Who Was Body-Shamed
A passenger on a United Airlines flight found an unlikely hero after the man seated next to her on the aircraft body-shamed her.
Savannah Phillips was left devastated when on a flight from Oklahoma to Chicago on Tuesday, she noticed the passenger sitting next to her referred to her as a "a smelly fatty" in a text message.
Phillips shared her encounter in a Facebook post about the male passenger, who she said appeared to be around 60 years old.
"His phone was maybe 12 inches (30cm) from my face and he proceeded to text someone that he was sitting next to 'a smelly fatty'," she wrote. Philips says she normally tries to sit in a row by herself on planes because of her size. "I was shocked and it was like confirmation of the negative things I think about myself on a daily basis. Before I knew it, I could feel hot, salty tears coming down my face. I sat and cried silently … I was so hurt," Phillips wrote.
Just when she thought she would have to spend the whole flight crying next to the man who body-shamed her, someone from the row behind her tapped him on the shoulder.
"Hey- I need to talk to you," the man behind her told her seat-mate, according to Phillips' Facebook post. "We are switching seats. Now." The passenger behind Phillips, identified as Chase Irwin, saw the text message himself and told the man that he wasn't "putting up with that." He notified a flight attendant that he was switching seats with the man.
Chase told News News Channel 5 he just had to do something about the situation. After switching with the man, Irwin gave Savannah a few words of encouragement following the incident.
Phillips says what Irwin did "meant the world" to her.
Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app