Two blind women are calling for accessibility improvements after boarding a delayed Southwest flight, only to find they were the only two on it while all other passengers were rebooked for an earlier departure.
Sherri Brun and Camille Tate had booked seats together on Southwest flight 2637 departing from New Orleans to Orlando on 14 July.
After a five-hour delay, the two friends finally took off, but found that they were the only two passengers on board for the almost two-hour journey.
Speaking to Orlando news station FOX 35, Brun and Tate explained that they had waited by their assigned gate, checking the Southwest app for updates.
Meanwhile, unknown to them, nearly all other passengers had been rebooked on a separate Southwest flight to Orlando that was due to depart earlier than the delayed trip.
This new flight had departed from a nearby gate, while Ms Brun and Ms Tate continued to wait at their gate for the delayed journey.
"Nobody said a word to us about another flight," Ms Brun told the local station. "We were just waiting at the gate, checking the app, like everyone else."
Ms Tate called on the airline for “some improvement in how they communicate with their passengers, especially those that have disabilities.”
Mrs Brun claimed that they were both told: "You’re the only two people on this flight because they forgot about you.”
However, Southwest says that reports that it “forgot” the women are inaccurate.
“Many of the customers on that flight were accommodated on another MCO-bound flight that left a little earlier from a nearby gate,” an airline spokesperson told The Independent.
“We attempted to locate the two customers, but were unable to find them in time to rebook them on that flight.
“Our records show they flew to MCO on the airplane that had been parked at their original gate,” the airline said.
Southwest issued $100 vouchers as compensation for the delayed travel. A full refund is not available as the two women completed their flight.
“We apologise for the inconvenience. 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, the spokesperson added.
Southwest said that for customers who are blind, escort and navigation assistance is available from the airport curb to and from gates and between gates for connecting flights.
It said that customers must identify themselves and the type of assistance they require to a Southwest employee when they arrive at the airport, at any connection points, and when they land at their destination.
“In the event of a gate change, our employees are responsible for ensuring all customers who need assistance reach the new gate,” the spokesperson added.
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