Can you imagine getting on a commercial flight and having the whole cabin to yourself? No crying babies, no chatty seatmates, no rush for overhead bin space. Well, that was the experience of Sherri Brun and Camille Tate, but the events leading to that moment were not as reclining, spinning in right whirling bliss to sing about.
How It Started
Brun and Tate, both blind, arrived on time, checked in, and sat at their gate to wait out what ended up being a five-hour delay.
Nothing out of the ordinary—until it was.
The Strange Silence
When the women did board, something was…amiss. It was quiet. There weren’t any flight attendants completing their customary aisle dance, we didn’t see the usual bustle of boarding and standing and walking and sitting, and no strangers were bumping elbows.
So, what happened to everyone else?
The Mix-Up
Apparently, the other passengers on this flight had been moved to another flight to Orlando from a nearby gate, but no one told Brun and Tate. They just sat and waited at the original gate, seemingly oblivious to what had happened.
Tate, the more vocal of the two women, called on airlines to better communicate flight changes in all circumstances, especially regarding passengers with disabilities.
The Airlines Version of Events
Of course, Southwest had a different view of the situation and said they did not “forget” the women, but they did not begin the re-booking process after they could not find them to re-book them. In their official statement, Southwest said;
“Records indicate that Ms Brun and Ms Tate traveled to Orlando on the aircraft originally scheduled for their departure.”
So, technically, they did travel to Orlando…just had a different story than everyone else on the aircraft.
A Minor Apology
Southwest provided each woman a $100 voucher for the inconvenience, but no full refund, because they did finish the flight. The airline also apologized and stated they’ll continue to improve their assistance of disabled passengers.
The Bottom Line
It’s a hassle to have delays. But it’s another to feel completely ignored. For Brun and Tate, the trip became a strange once-in-a-lifetime experience: a private plane, thanks to a mix-up by the airline.
Cool story? Yes. Frustrating? Definitely.
