The US’s Southwest Airlines has publicly apologized after two women who are blind were both left behind by a plane flying to Orlando that the pair evidently should have had the opportunity to be on.
Southwest eventually ended up flying the women, Camille Tate and Sherri Brun, on another flight for which they were the only two passengers, with the rest being rebooked on a plane that left earlier, according to recent reporting from the Orlando news stations WSVN and WOFL. Nonetheless, as WSVN noted, the two friends from Florida remained outraged at their experience, which resulted from their not being able to see information about the rebooked flight and not being verbally notified of the switch by the airline.
“The way they help their customers [who] require additional assistance needs to change,” Brun told the outlet. Tate added: “There needs to be some improvement in how they communicate with passengers, especially those that have disabilities.”
Brun and Tate booked themselves to take flight 2637 from New Orleans to Orlando on 14 July, and it was delayed by five hours. They waited at their original gate for the duration of the delay and then realized they were the only passengers on the flight when they boarded.
According to Brun, she and Tate were told: “You’re the only two people on this flight because they forgot about you.”
A statement from a Southwest spokesperson explained that nearly all of Brun and Tate’s would-be fellow passengers were rebooked on another of the airline’s flights that left to Orlando earlier from a nearby gate. Neither Brun nor Tate were rebooked on that earlier flight, and the friends said they had no idea it was even an option because – without sight – they never saw information related to rebooking.
“Nobody … told us anything,” Brun said, according to WSVN and WOFL. “Nobody came to get us … The time passed.”
Tate reportedly remarked: “That airplane took off and our boarding pass had not been swiped.”
The two friends said they took their unique flight story to the media to raise awareness about something that could happen to other similarly situated passengers unless the airline implements changes.
Southwest’s statement said it had offered Brun and Tate each a $100 voucher, explaining how they were not eligible for a full refund because they had completed their originally scheduled flight.
“We apologize for the inconvenience,” the statement continued. “Southwest is always looking for ways to improve our customers’ travel experiences, and we’re active in the airline industry in sharing best practices about how to best accommodate passengers with disabilities.”
