TRAVEL MISHAP

Southwest Airlines Apologizes After Abandoning Two Blind Passengers

The airline gave them a $100 voucher, stating a full refund would not be possible since the pair eventually got to their destination.

Southwest Airlines apologized to two blind passengers after failing to notify them of a flight rebooking and leaving them behind. Camille Tate and Sherri Brun spoke out about how their flight from New Orleans to Orlando was delayed by five hours after staff forgot to notify the pair of a re-booking. “I was angry and frustrated,” Tate said in an interview with Miami news outlet WSVN. “Nobody at [gate] B6 told us anything, nobody came to get us at B4,” said Brun. “The time passed.” The two criticized Southwest’s services for not being accessible enough for those with disabilities; they were unable to board the re-booked flight since they were unable to see the gate activity. “There needs to be some improvement in how they communicate with their passengers, especially those that have disabilities,” said Tate. The plane landed in Florida by the time the airline realized their mistake, so Southwest sent the jet back to board just the two women. Southwest offered them a $100 voucher, stating a full refund was not possible since the flight had been completed. In a statement, Southwest continued with their apology: “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.”