Easyjet caught up in Twitter storm over backless seats claims
Easyjet has come under fire this morning over a picture that emerged on social media of a backless seat on one of its planes.
The airline has denied claims that it has allowed passengers to use the backless seats following an image of a woman sitting on a chair without any back.
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Twitter user Matthew Harris, who uploaded the image, wrote: “#easyjet beats @Ryanair to have backless seats.
He added: “How can this be allowed?”
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An Easyjet spokesperson said: “No passengers were permitted to fly in these seats as they were inoperative awaiting repair.”
Safety is our highest priority and easyJet operates its fleet of aircraft in strict compliance with all safety guidelines.”
The budget airline also prompted outrage after asking the passenger who uploaded the photo to remove it from social media.
The passenger who posted the picture told Sun Online Travel that his partner was flying from London Luton to Geneva when they spotted the seating fault.
Asad Moghal, a digital and content manager at Byfield Consultancy, said: “While it can be difficult to deal with complaints online, and the goal is always to move the conversation offline, Easyjet’s response isn’t great.”
He added: “By asking to remove picture, Easyjet is at risk of facilitating the idea that they want to hide the problem rather than dealing with it. This is a textbook example of the Streisand Effect – the more you try to censor a comment, the more likely the internet will make it viral.”