Latest news with #flightdelay
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Two blind women left as only people on flight after other passengers rebooked onto earlier journey
Two blind women are calling for accessibility improvements after boarding a delayed Southwest flight, only to find they were the only two on it while all other passengers were rebooked for an earlier departure. Sherri Brun and Camille Tate had booked seats together on Southwest flight 2637 departing from New Orleans to Orlando on 14 July. After a five-hour delay, the two friends finally took off, but found that they were the only two passengers on board for the almost two-hour journey. Speaking to Orlando news station FOX 35, Brun and Tate explained that they had waited by their assigned gate, checking the Southwest app for updates. Meanwhile, unknown to them, nearly all other passengers had been rebooked on a separate Southwest flight to Orlando that was due to depart earlier than the delayed trip. This new flight had departed from a nearby gate, while Ms Brun and Ms Tate continued to wait at their gate for the delayed journey. "Nobody said a word to us about another flight," Ms Brun told the local station. "We were just waiting at the gate, checking the app, like everyone else." Ms Tate called on the airline for 'some improvement in how they communicate with their passengers, especially those that have disabilities.' Mrs Brun claimed that they were both told: "You're the only two people on this flight because they forgot about you.' However, Southwest says that reports that it 'forgot' the women are inaccurate. 'Many of the customers on that flight were accommodated on another MCO-bound flight that left a little earlier from a nearby gate,' an airline spokesperson told The Independent. 'We attempted to locate the two customers, but were unable to find them in time to rebook them on that flight. 'Our records show they flew to MCO on the airplane that had been parked at their original gate,' the airline said. Southwest issued $100 vouchers as compensation for the delayed travel. A full refund is not available as the two women completed their flight. 'We apologise for the inconvenience. 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, the spokesperson added. Southwest said that for customers who are blind, escort and navigation assistance is available from the airport curb to and from gates and between gates for connecting flights. It said that customers must identify themselves and the type of assistance they require to a Southwest employee when they arrive at the airport, at any connection points, and when they land at their destination. 'In the event of a gate change, our employees are responsible for ensuring all customers who need assistance reach the new gate,' the spokesperson the daily Crossword
The Independent
19 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Two blind women left as only people on flight after other passengers rebooked onto earlier journey
Two blind women are calling for accessibility improvements after boarding a delayed Southwest flight, only to find they were the only two on it while all other passengers were rebooked for an earlier departure. Sherri Brun and Camille Tate had booked seats together on Southwest flight 2637 departing from New Orleans to Orlando on 14 July. After a five-hour delay, the two friends finally took off, but found that they were the only two passengers on board for the almost two-hour journey. Speaking to Orlando news station FOX 35, Brun and Tate explained that they had waited by their assigned gate, checking the Southwest app for updates. Meanwhile, unknown to them, nearly all other passengers had been rebooked on a separate Southwest flight to Orlando that was due to depart earlier than the delayed trip. This new flight had departed from a nearby gate, while Ms Brun and Ms Tate continued to wait at their gate for the delayed journey. "Nobody said a word to us about another flight," Ms Brun told the local station. "We were just waiting at the gate, checking the app, like everyone else." Ms Tate called on the airline for 'some improvement in how they communicate with their passengers, especially those that have disabilities.' Mrs Brun claimed that they were both told: "You're the only two people on this flight because they forgot about you.' However, Southwest says that reports that it 'forgot' the women are inaccurate. 'Many of the customers on that flight were accommodated on another MCO-bound flight that left a little earlier from a nearby gate,' an airline spokesperson told The Independent. 'We attempted to locate the two customers, but were unable to find them in time to rebook them on that flight. 'Our records show they flew to MCO on the airplane that had been parked at their original gate,' the airline said. Southwest issued $100 vouchers as compensation for the delayed travel. A full refund is not available as the two women completed their flight. 'We apologise for the inconvenience. 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, the spokesperson added. Southwest said that for customers who are blind, escort and navigation assistance is available from the airport curb to and from gates and between gates for connecting flights. It said that customers must identify themselves and the type of assistance they require to a Southwest employee when they arrive at the airport, at any connection points, and when they land at their destination. 'In the event of a gate change, our employees are responsible for ensuring all customers who need assistance reach the new gate,' the spokesperson added.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Delta plane strikes aircraft during pushback from Atlanta airport gate
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a Delta plane clipped a jet while attempting to take off from an Atlanta airport. According to agency preliminary information, Delta Air Lines Flight 1830 was pushing back from the gate at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday, Aug. 10, when its right wingtip struck the left winglet of a parked Airbus A350 around 10:40 a.m. local time. There were 192 passengers and six crew members on board the Guatemala-bound aircraft, according to Delta. There were no reported injuries. Plane clipping caused a nearly 4 hour delay The incident caused a delay lasting around three hours and 30 minutes. "We apologize to our customers for the experience and delay in their travels," The airline said to USA TODAY in an emailed statement. The incident occurred in a part of the airport where air traffic controllers do not communicate with flight crews, the FAA said. Following the strike, the aircraft returned to the gate, and passengers deplaned and boarded another aircraft, FlightAware data shows. More travel news: Video captures scary moment Royal Caribbean water slide breaks, injuring guest Another recent incident: Delta plane diverted due to 'significant turbulence' This comes nearly two weeks after a Delta flight carrying 275 passengers and 13 crew members from Salt Lake City on route to Amsterdam was forced to divert to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport after suffering "significant turbulence" on July 30. Some passengers were not wearing seatbelts as serving carts were making their way down the aisle, ABC News reported at the time. Passengers hit the ceiling and then fell to the ground, Leann Clement-Nash, one of the passengers on board, told the outlet. "It happened several times, so it was really scary," said Clement-Nash. Contributing: John Bacon and Zach Wichter Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Delta plane clips empty jet at Atlanta airport
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Packed Delta plane clips wing of huge Airbus as it prepared to depart Atlanta airport
A packed Delta Air Lines plane has clipped the wing of another aircraft while pushing back from the gate. The wing of the departing plane, carrying nearly 200 passengers, is said to have struck an empty aircraft as it maneuvered away from the terminal, the airline told The Associated Press. According to Delta, the wing of the plane 'reportedly made contact' with the other aircraft. The incident occurred Sunday morning, Delta confirmed. There were 192 passengers on board along with two pilots and four flight attendants. Flight tracking site FlightAware shows the flight was scheduled to travel from Atlanta to Guatemala City before the incident caused delays. Passengers were eventually moved onto a replacement plane to continue their journey. No injuries were reported. The Airbus that was struck was not carrying any passengers at the time. The airline has not yet disclosed the extent of the damage. This comes just a week after passengers aboard a cross-country Delta flight endured over six grueling hours trapped on a Georgia tarmac with no functioning toilets onboard. A flight bound for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was suddenly diverted to Augusta Regional Airport on Friday due to the heavy rain and severe thunderstorms that swept across the state the day before. But instead of their journey ending upon landing, travelers found themselves stranded on the runway for hours, unable to leave. 'A disheveled mess to say the least,' Pat McCormack, a passenger on the flight, told the outlet. 'There was no water on the plane,' he added. 'The toilets weren't working.' After nearly seven hours sitting motionless on the ground, passengers were finally allowed to disembark.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Washington Post
Delta plane wing clips empty aircraft during pushback from gate in Atlanta
ATLANTA — A Delta Air Lines plane clipped another aircraft while pushing back from the gate Sunday morning in Atlanta, the airline said. The wing of the plane 'reportedly made contact' with an empty aircraft, Delta said in a brief written statement to The Associated Press. The flight was scheduled to travel from Atlanta to Guatemala City, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions. Passengers were transferred to another plane following a delay.
