Television presenter Sophie Morgan is calling for airlines to offer concessions for disabled travellers after being left without any means of moving “short of dragging herself along the floor” on a British Airwaysflight.
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The Independent
Ms Morgan, who was paralysed in a car crash when she was 18 and uses a wheelchair, was left unassisted for 45 minutes during a 12-hour flight from Buenos Aires to London Heathrow, with no means of contacting a flight attendant.
The Paralympics presenter said she called repeatedly for help on the 9 June service, to no avail. “Two to three hours into the flight, I rang the call button as I needed a glass of water to take some medication,” she told The Independent.
“No one responded, so after half an hour I was left with little option. I started sliding headsets down the aisle to get someone’s attention – all in the hopes the cabin crew might see them from behind the curtain. “I started to get really frustrated and upset. Eventually a flight attendant wandered out and after 45 minutes the cabin manager finally came over and asked what was wrong. “I was in distress and she told me to calm down; she told me it wasn’t their fault.
“I know they weren’t deliberately ignoring me, but the fact is they knew I was sitting in that seat, they knew I was solely dependent on them for help, and they were aware of my needs and still didn’t meet them.”
Ms Morgan, who was travelling alone, said that when she subsequently went to make a complaint to BA once she returned home, she found it very difficult to get hold of anyone to speak to. “I’ve had enough,” she said. “I’m frustrated. Disabled people have to deal with this kind of situation all the time. They have to give up their independence when travelling and rely on cabin crew. It’s not a system that’s trustworthy or fail-proof: it’s a lottery.
“The customer experience is always being reported back to airlines and they’re always saying they’ll change – but they don’t.”
It's the same old story. Airports and carriers don't learn. Apparently, BA is the official Paralympic carrier!