Greek lesbian couple accuses Qantas of homophobia

The couple were asked to split as a family to make way for heterosexual couples

When Greek passenger Kristina Antoniades,  lawyer, went to Australia using Australian Qantas, the airline asked her to move seats so that a married couple could sit together. She refused, because  she wanted to sit with her same-sexed partner but the airline put the heterosexual couple’s needs over hers. Following the incident she took to Facebook. In a lengthy post she said: “They did not acknowledge that we were a family and wanted to sit together.”

Eventually, the airline reissued a ticket with her original boarding pass and Antoniades boarded the flight, but her family’s trouble continued.

After takeoff, Antoniades partner was asked to move so that the man beside her could sit with his wife, who was in the row behind. When Antoniades intervened, the flight attended asked her why she wanted to keep a married couple separated. “I again told her that Merrin was my partner and Lily our daughter,” wrote the lawyer.

Since posting her Facebook status, Qantas has apologised for the incident but Antoniades would like an apology from the flight attendant involved.