Southwest Airlines Apologizes After 'Accidentally Forgetting' Two Blind Passengers at New Orleans Airport and Faces Criticism Over Poor Service for Passengers with Disabilities
Two blind passengers missed a rebooked earlier flight to Orlando after receiving no notification of a gate change during a five-hour delay, later flying alone on their original service.
Two blind passengers, Camille Tate and Sherri Brun, were waiting for their flight to Orlando (Flight 2637) after a delay of approximately five hours.
During this time, the other passengers were transferred to an earlier flight departing from a different gate, but the two women received no update — neither verbally nor via written notification.
They ultimately found themselves as the only two passengers on the original flight, after the earlier service had already departed.
Brun stated: "No one told us anything… we simply waited at the gate and checked the app." Tate added: "The plane took off and our ticket had not even been scanned." According to them, they were told: "You are the only two passengers on this flight because you were forgotten."
Southwest Airlines issued an apology and stated that it is working to improve the customer experience, particularly with regard to better service for passengers with disabilities.
However, the two women each received compensation of only one hundred dollars, as the airline declined to refund the full cost of the flight on the grounds that they ultimately traveled on their originally scheduled service.
During this time, the other passengers were transferred to an earlier flight departing from a different gate, but the two women received no update — neither verbally nor via written notification.
They ultimately found themselves as the only two passengers on the original flight, after the earlier service had already departed.
Brun stated: "No one told us anything… we simply waited at the gate and checked the app." Tate added: "The plane took off and our ticket had not even been scanned." According to them, they were told: "You are the only two passengers on this flight because you were forgotten."
Southwest Airlines issued an apology and stated that it is working to improve the customer experience, particularly with regard to better service for passengers with disabilities.
However, the two women each received compensation of only one hundred dollars, as the airline declined to refund the full cost of the flight on the grounds that they ultimately traveled on their originally scheduled service.
