Woman Claims Spirit Airlines Refused to Let Her Board a Flight Home from Miami After She Underwent Cosmetic Surgery
A woman said she was denied entry onto a Spirit Airlines flight after she underwent a cosmetic surgery procedure, despite having medical clearance to fly from her doctor.
Shataria Banks was scheduled to fly home to Houston, Texas, out of Miami International Airport on Wednesday, July 23, after going under the knife in the area several days earlier, according CBS Miami.
Banks told the outlet that she presented the airline with a letter from her doctor that stated she was safe to fly after a 'thorough assessment."
However, she claimed that airline staff refused to let her board her flight, citing airline "procedure."
Banks filmed her encounter with a female employee at what appeared to be a check-in counter. In the video, which she provided to CBS Miami, Banks can be heard asking if the airline states its medical policy anywhere online, so customers can reference it before booking.
The airline employee then responds, 'We have a procedure that we have to follow,' adding, 'It's about your safety.'
Banks alleged to CBS Miami that airline staff told her that they do not have the official policy in writing anywhere.
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'I'm not saying that [the airline] can't deny their travelers and they're [not] looking out for their safety, but have something in place, because everybody don't have money to waste for a new flight," Banks said in her interview with the outlet.
'I never want to fly with them, ever, ever," the frustrated flier added.
While Banks declined to provide the nature of her surgery to the CBS Miami, a drainage tube and bandages were visible around her abdomen in the filmed video interview.
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In a statement to PEOPLE, a Spirit Airlines spokesperson said passenger safety is the airline's 'top priority.'
They added, 'Our records show the agents followed our procedures and consulted with a designated on-call medical professional via our vendor MedLink to verify the guest's fitness to travel.'
Medlink provides real-time remote medical assistance to airline staff, both in-flight and on the ground, according to its website.
'The medical professional at MedLink was informed of the guest's documentation and advised that the guest was not fit to travel based on their condition at the time and in the interest of their safety," the representative for the airline said, adding that Banks was "ultimately issued a refund for the flight."
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