Blind passengers left behind, Southwest airlines issues apology
'The way they help their customers [who] require additional assistance needs to change,' Brun said. Tate added: 'There needs to be some improvement in how they communicate with passengers, especially those that have disabilities.'PASSENGERS SAY NO ONE TOLD THEM OF REBOOKINGBrun and Tate were originally scheduled to fly on Southwest Flight 2637 from New Orleans to Orlando, which was delayed by five hours. They waited at the original gate for the entire delay and only realised something was wrong when they eventually boarded and found themselves alone.'You're the only two people on this flight because they forgot about you,' Brun recalled being told by staff.Southwest later confirmed that most other passengers had been rebooked onto a different flight that departed earlier from a nearby gate. But neither Brun nor Tate were moved and no one informed them the rebooking had occurred.'Nobody told us anything,' Brun said. 'Nobody came to get us The time passed.'Tate said: 'That airplane took off and our boarding pass had not been swiped.'AIRLINE OFFERS VOUCHERS, SAYS IT'S REVIEWING ACCESSIBILITYSouthwest Airlines issued a statement acknowledging the incident and offering an apology to the two passengers. The airline confirmed that Brun and Tate each received a $100 travel voucher but were not eligible for a full refund because they completed their originally scheduled trip.'We apologise for the inconvenience,' Southwest said. '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.'- Ends
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Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Southwest Airlines pays $100 for inconvenience to two blind passengers left behind at New Orleans airport
Southwest Airlines is under scrutiny after a mishap in New Orleans left two blind passengers stranded at their gate for hours due to poor communication and rebooking failures, sparking national debate about air travel accessibility and disability rights. On July 14, 2025, Camille Tate and Sherri Brun , friends and both blind, planned to fly Southwest Flight 2637 from New Orleans to Orlando. Their flight faced a five-hour delay, but, unlike other travelers, they were not notified about a gate change or rebooking. As a result, almost all other passengers were rebooked onto an earlier flight from a nearby gate, leaving Tate and Brun alone at their original gate, unaware of the change. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program When they finally boarded their delayed flight, they realized they were the only passengers onboard. A gate agent bluntly told them, "You're the only two people on this flight because they forgot about you". Passenger experience and airline response Both Tate and Brun described feeling isolated and frustrated, citing a lack of verbal communication and no accessible updates on the rebooking: 'Nobody told us anything,' Brun said. 'Nobody came to get us. The time passed.' Tate added: 'There needs to be some improvement in how they communicate with passengers, especially those that have disabilities'. Live Events Southwest Airlines later issued a public statement of apology, confirming the women each received a $100 travel voucher but, since their tickets were technically used, no full refunds were given. A spokesperson insisted the company 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'. Calls for reform Disability advocacy groups, including the American Council of the Blind , immediately called for systemic reform in airline protocols, demanding mandatory audio announcements and dedicated liaisons for visually impaired travelers. The incident also exposes vulnerabilities in federal regulation enforcement, as the Air Carrier Access Act requires airlines to accommodate such needs but in practice, lapses are not uncommon. Legal experts speculate that Tate and Brun might pursue action under disability discrimination laws. The story has gained traction online, with hashtags like #DisabilityRights trending and users criticizing the $100 compensation as "insultingly low". The Department of Transportation reports hundreds of complaints annually from disabled air travelers, with communication failures among the most cited issues. Southwest faced similar public backlash in the past, including a massive holiday cancellation event in 2023 and lawsuits alleging discriminatory treatment.
India Today
3 days ago
- India Today
Blind passengers left behind, Southwest airlines issues apology
Southwest Airlines has issued a public apology after two blind passengers were left behind during a rebooking shuffle and only learned later that they had missed an earlier flight to passengers, Camille Tate and Sherri Brun, eventually travelled on a later flight from New Orleans on July 14 but they were the only two passengers on board, after other ticketed travellers were rebooked on an earlier departure from a nearby two friends, who are both blind, said they were never verbally informed of the flight change and could not see rebooking notices, making the situation especially frustrating. 'The way they help their customers [who] require additional assistance needs to change,' Brun said. Tate added: 'There needs to be some improvement in how they communicate with passengers, especially those that have disabilities.'PASSENGERS SAY NO ONE TOLD THEM OF REBOOKINGBrun and Tate were originally scheduled to fly on Southwest Flight 2637 from New Orleans to Orlando, which was delayed by five hours. They waited at the original gate for the entire delay and only realised something was wrong when they eventually boarded and found themselves alone.'You're the only two people on this flight because they forgot about you,' Brun recalled being told by later confirmed that most other passengers had been rebooked onto a different flight that departed earlier from a nearby gate. But neither Brun nor Tate were moved and no one informed them the rebooking had occurred.'Nobody told us anything,' Brun said. 'Nobody came to get us The time passed.'Tate said: 'That airplane took off and our boarding pass had not been swiped.'AIRLINE OFFERS VOUCHERS, SAYS IT'S REVIEWING ACCESSIBILITYSouthwest Airlines issued a statement acknowledging the incident and offering an apology to the two passengers. The airline confirmed that Brun and Tate each received a $100 travel voucher but were not eligible for a full refund because they completed their originally scheduled trip.'We apologise for the inconvenience,' Southwest said. '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.'- Ends
Time of India
26-07-2025
- Time of India
‘Terrifying': Southwest Airlines flight dives to avoid mid-air crash; 2 crew members injured
Image: X@/SouthwestAir A Southwest Airlines flight dropped 475 feet to avoid collision with a Hawker Hunter aircraft on Friday, according to flight tracking data and passenger accounts, reports ABC News. Roughly six minutes after departing Hollywood Burbank Airport, California, Southwest Flight 1496 abruptly descended from 14,100 feet to 13,625 feet, as per data from FlightRadar24. The Hawker Hunter was flying at about 14,653 feet when the Southwest jet began its descent. At their closest point, the two planes were just 7.82 kms apart, according to FlightRadar24. Two flight attendants are currently being treated for sustaining injuries after the incident, as per a statement by the airlines. "Southwest is engaged with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to further understand the circumstances," Southwest said in a statement. "We appreciate the professionalism of our Flight Crew and Flight Attendants in responding to this event. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees." Steve Ulasewicz, a passenger on the plane experienced what felt like a 'significant drop' and the pilot later announced that the maneuver was made to 'avoid a midair collision,' reports ABC News. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Simple Morning Habit for a Flatter Belly After 50! Lulutox Undo "About 10 minutes into the flight, we plummeted pretty far, and I looked around, and everyone was like, 'OK, that's normal, '" Caitlin Burdi, a passenger onboard Flight 1496 was quoted as saying by Fox News. "Then, within two seconds, it felt like the ride Tower of Terror, where we fell 20 to 30 feet in the air. The screaming, it was terrifying. We really thought we were plummeting to a plane crash," she added. Following the drop the pilot confirmed through the intercom that the flight had almost collided with another plane and reportedly lost air traffic control signal. "It was absolutely terrifying," said Burdi, as per Fox News. "I just remember him saying, 'What just happened was we almost collided with another plane, and I had to make the emergency attempt to go under because we lost service with the air traffic controller.'" 'Myself & Plenty of people flew out of their seats & bumped heads on ceiling, a flight attendant needed medical attention. Pilot said his collision warning went off & he needed to avoid plane coming at us,' comedian Jimmy Dore said on X.
