13-05-2025
Jetstar wheelchair limit may ground Whangārei teen's crucial Melbourne trip
The trip was funded with donations from the Whangārei community, including an anonymous donor who funded the flights, said her mum Laura Kunicich.
After a successful trip, Carrie now needs to return at the end of May for a check-up.
The Whangārei community has again given donations to help fund the trip, including the ongoing support of the Lions Club of Whangārei.
Kunicich, a widow, was unable to pay for the trip herself from her part-time job with an accounting firm.
But she struck problems on Friday after booking the flight home from Melbourne for May 30 with discount carrier Jetstar.
Kunicich said Jetstar's website said it could provide wheelchair assistance but when she rang to finalise this, it was unable to give the help Carrie needs: a loan wheelchair to use at the airport after she checks in her motorised wheelchair.
Kunicich said her only option was a refund from the airline, which takes up to seven days. As of this morning, she still had not received the refund.
This puts her in a difficult position as she needs the refund before she can book a flight with a different carrier – and she is holding her breath amid the tension of whether flights and assistance will be available.
Kunicich was able to book flights and wheelchair assistance from Auckland to Melbourne on May 26 without issue with a different airline.
However, because Kunicich travels on a UK passport, she has to apply for Electronic Travel Authority or an eVisitor Visa in advance, and does not have flexibility with dates of travel to and from Australia.
She thought the approach by Jetstar was 'ridiculous'.
Jetstar apologised for being unable to accommodate the request on this occasion but said its wheelchair limit had been reached on the flight.
In a statement, the airline said its team worked hard to find the family an alternative flight but Kunicich opted to cancel the booking and take a full refund instead.
Jetstar has established a dedicated Contact Centre team to assist customers with specific assistance requests and regularly reviews the support provided to these customers, it said.
'The community is just awesome'
While the Jetstar experience has put the trip on tenterhooks, Kunicich is still so grateful to the Whangārei community for the support and help with funding.
'The community is just awesome ... It's a nice warm feeling to know that people care.'
One supporter is the Lions Club of Whangārei, which gave $1000 this year and confirmed another $1000 next year if Carrie needs to return to Melbourne for another check-up then.
Secretary Brian Boys said the club runs a charity golf tournament in March each year, and has already donated $10,000 to St John and $10,000 to North Haven Hospice from this year's event.
Kunicich said she and Carrie hope to continue the relationship with Lions by helping out with its Citrus for the South project, with fruit collected and washed on August 10.
Other donations including $300 worth of gift vouchers from Hikurangi farm store Bates and Keen Family Farm, which will be raffled off to raise funds for the trip.
Kunicich believed people were willing to get behind Carrie because of her cool attitude, which saw her being recognised for academically excelling in 12 different subjects last term.
The first appointments with Melbourne specialists, led by Professor Martin Delatycki of the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, were a great success as they recommended Carrie take baclofen, a medicine which helps reduce muscle spasms.
The drug has been a game-changer, reducing Carrie's muscle spasms and involuntary limb movements, allowing her to sleep and concentrate better.
