The Age
Virgin Blue refused to allow a blind woman to board a flight from Brisbane to Melbourne yesterday because she did not have a mat for her guide dog to sit on.
The airline admitted it made “significant errors” after Katrina Stewart was forced to book a Qantas flight for herself and her two young children because Virgin would not help them find a mat for her dog, Nari.
The airline has offered her a refund and a credit but Ms Stewart and her husband Martin, who is also blind, are still angry at the insensitive manner in which she was treated and say they will never fly with Virgin again.
“It’s indescribable contempt for humanity,” Mr Stewart said.
“They had more than one chance to fix the problem . . . but the madness continued.”
When Ms Stewart booked the Virgin flights, worth $933, a staff member told her the airline would supply the mat. However, Virgin was forced to concede that the staff member had made a mistake and the company’s policy was for people to supply their own mats.
Ms Stewart bought a beach towel in the terminal but the airline would not permit her on the plane.
Her husband, who was in Melbourne, spoke to Virgin staff by phone and was told there was a shop in the terminal that sold the mats. But when Mr Stewart requested that staff take his wife to the shop, he was told they “had other jobs to do”.
Ms Stewart said it was an extremely stressful situation.
“They said I’d have to get on a bus,” she said.
After paying $541 for another set of tickets, Ms Stewart left Brisbane on a Qantas flight, with a mat supplied by the airline.
Virgin spokesman David Huttner said the incident was an “anomaly” and the airline would review the staff member’s training.
By: SHAMROCK321 - 15th November 2004 at 18:40
Easyjet do exactly the same thing as does most other European carriers.They have to or most flight would be delayed.
Looks as though I ll get a 200 tommorrow on the way home from London.YESSSSSS
By: SHAMROCK321 - 15th November 2004 at 18:40
Easyjet do exactly the same thing as does most other European carriers.They have to or most flight would be delayed.
Looks as though I ll get a 200 tommorrow on the way home from London.YESSSSSS
By: LBARULES - 15th November 2004 at 15:41
Bias.. you bet.
I just had a trip cancelled thanks to Ryanair. Probably my last chance to get on the 737-200.
The jerks changes my travel dates with no warning and despites having everything confirmed for the original dates, they refused to change.
Yup, FR suck, suck bad.
That is really bad… I hope you are going to press for a refund?
As you know they changed my flight times, luckily only by 55 minutes one way and the terminal but that is no bother. Looks like I might be getting a 738 now, they seem to be scheduled to operate the last Ryanair flight of the day from next month, I imagine just my luck they will change the 1st flight to a 732 by the time I flew them 🙁
By: LBARULES - 15th November 2004 at 15:41
Bias.. you bet.
I just had a trip cancelled thanks to Ryanair. Probably my last chance to get on the 737-200.
The jerks changes my travel dates with no warning and despites having everything confirmed for the original dates, they refused to change.
Yup, FR suck, suck bad.
That is really bad… I hope you are going to press for a refund?
As you know they changed my flight times, luckily only by 55 minutes one way and the terminal but that is no bother. Looks like I might be getting a 738 now, they seem to be scheduled to operate the last Ryanair flight of the day from next month, I imagine just my luck they will change the 1st flight to a 732 by the time I flew them 🙁
By: andrewm - 15th November 2004 at 14:10
99% of flights last month arrived on time
LMAO – Ryanair schedule large chunks of extra time into schedule just so that they appear to arrive on time! Im not saying all airlines dont do it but Ryanair schedule the most ive seen by a margin!
By: andrewm - 15th November 2004 at 14:10
99% of flights last month arrived on time
LMAO – Ryanair schedule large chunks of extra time into schedule just so that they appear to arrive on time! Im not saying all airlines dont do it but Ryanair schedule the most ive seen by a margin!
By: skyjet - 15th November 2004 at 13:11
big mistake virgin blue very big
may i suggest that sir richard should personel get in touch with the familey and say sorry followed by a big bunch of flowers and free tickets for a next time of cource first class
then he should find out the managers whos was in charge for tranning that young lady and send him for re tranning in his lucky if it was up to me he will get his cards tommorou and go a work for australian rail roads
i hope it works out beacause virgin is a great airline run by the no1 man
i think
skyjet
By: skyjet - 15th November 2004 at 13:11
big mistake virgin blue very big
may i suggest that sir richard should personel get in touch with the familey and say sorry followed by a big bunch of flowers and free tickets for a next time of cource first class
then he should find out the managers whos was in charge for tranning that young lady and send him for re tranning in his lucky if it was up to me he will get his cards tommorou and go a work for australian rail roads
i hope it works out beacause virgin is a great airline run by the no1 man
i think
skyjet
By: kev35 - 15th November 2004 at 00:20
20,000,000 passengers a year. With a wheelchair levy of 50p per passenger. That amounts to a whopping £10,000,000!!! Now, how many wheelchairs have RYANAIR purchased with this £10,000,000 and how much is clear, unmitigated profiteering which Ryanair wish to make the customer believe is down to disabled people?
It’s absolute rubbish.
I’ve flown with then once, they were ok, nothing special but for a flight from Pau to Stansted for just over £20 I couldn’t complain. But, this 50p tarriff they’ve added has no justification whatsoever in reality.
Regards,
kev35
By: kev35 - 15th November 2004 at 00:20
20,000,000 passengers a year. With a wheelchair levy of 50p per passenger. That amounts to a whopping £10,000,000!!! Now, how many wheelchairs have RYANAIR purchased with this £10,000,000 and how much is clear, unmitigated profiteering which Ryanair wish to make the customer believe is down to disabled people?
It’s absolute rubbish.
I’ve flown with then once, they were ok, nothing special but for a flight from Pau to Stansted for just over £20 I couldn’t complain. But, this 50p tarriff they’ve added has no justification whatsoever in reality.
Regards,
kev35
By: RIPConcorde - 14th November 2004 at 23:32
Ryanair carry almost 20,000,000 passengers a year.Despite turbulent market conditons they are geeting stronger recording record passenger numbers and profits.99% of flights last month arrived on time and they are on average 50% cheaper than easyjet.
I think they may be doing somthing right.
It’s bribary! Who can refuse a 1p flight!? 😉 So many flights arrive on time because they give themselves so much leeway(sp?) in the scheduling, even when they operate from airports where, on the whole, any sort of congestion is non existant.
By: RIPConcorde - 14th November 2004 at 23:32
Ryanair carry almost 20,000,000 passengers a year.Despite turbulent market conditons they are geeting stronger recording record passenger numbers and profits.99% of flights last month arrived on time and they are on average 50% cheaper than easyjet.
I think they may be doing somthing right.
It’s bribary! Who can refuse a 1p flight!? 😉 So many flights arrive on time because they give themselves so much leeway(sp?) in the scheduling, even when they operate from airports where, on the whole, any sort of congestion is non existant.
By: SHAMROCK321 - 14th November 2004 at 23:22
Ryanair carry almost 20,000,000 passengers a year.Despite turbulent market conditons they are geeting stronger recording record passenger numbers and profits.99% of flights last month arrived on time and they are on average 50% cheaper than easyjet.
I think they may be doing somthing right.
By: SHAMROCK321 - 14th November 2004 at 23:22
Ryanair carry almost 20,000,000 passengers a year.Despite turbulent market conditons they are geeting stronger recording record passenger numbers and profits.99% of flights last month arrived on time and they are on average 50% cheaper than easyjet.
I think they may be doing somthing right.
By: Bmused55 - 14th November 2004 at 19:32
Ryanair dont actually charge for wheelchairs.That man had to pay for a wheelchair which belonged to Stansted.Ryanair now have a tarriff on every ticket so all passengers cover the costs still not 100% ideal but when a wheelchair passenger turns up at the airport they dont get harged.
I dont want to start a fight here Ryanair versus Easyjet but there is definitley a bias towards easyjet here which I understand but lets not row over such a petty little topic.
Bias.. you bet.
I just had a trip cancelled thanks to Ryanair. Probably my last chance to get on the 737-200.
The jerks changes my travel dates with no warning and despites having everything confirmed for the original dates, they refused to change.
Yup, FR suck, suck bad.
By: Bmused55 - 14th November 2004 at 19:32
Ryanair dont actually charge for wheelchairs.That man had to pay for a wheelchair which belonged to Stansted.Ryanair now have a tarriff on every ticket so all passengers cover the costs still not 100% ideal but when a wheelchair passenger turns up at the airport they dont get harged.
I dont want to start a fight here Ryanair versus Easyjet but there is definitley a bias towards easyjet here which I understand but lets not row over such a petty little topic.
Bias.. you bet.
I just had a trip cancelled thanks to Ryanair. Probably my last chance to get on the 737-200.
The jerks changes my travel dates with no warning and despites having everything confirmed for the original dates, they refused to change.
Yup, FR suck, suck bad.
By: SHAMROCK321 - 14th November 2004 at 19:12
Ryanair dont actually charge for wheelchairs.That man had to pay for a wheelchair which belonged to Stansted.Ryanair now have a tarriff on every ticket so all passengers cover the costs still not 100% ideal but when a wheelchair passenger turns up at the airport they dont get harged.
I dont want to start a fight here Ryanair versus Easyjet but there is definitley a bias towards easyjet here which I understand but lets not row over such a petty little topic.
By: SHAMROCK321 - 14th November 2004 at 19:12
Ryanair dont actually charge for wheelchairs.That man had to pay for a wheelchair which belonged to Stansted.Ryanair now have a tarriff on every ticket so all passengers cover the costs still not 100% ideal but when a wheelchair passenger turns up at the airport they dont get harged.
I dont want to start a fight here Ryanair versus Easyjet but there is definitley a bias towards easyjet here which I understand but lets not row over such a petty little topic.
By: Bmused55 - 14th November 2004 at 15:42
I’d nt expect that from Easyjet but I wouldexpect that from Ryanair though.
LOL!
FR do charge for wheelchair use… so this would be nothing out of the ordinary for them
By: Bmused55 - 14th November 2004 at 15:42
I’d nt expect that from Easyjet but I wouldexpect that from Ryanair though.
LOL!
FR do charge for wheelchair use… so this would be nothing out of the ordinary for them
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November 14, 2004 at 4:55 am