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One family was not allowed to board a flight to the United States after saying their daughter needed special assistance.
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They were unable to sit together on their new connecting flight after they missed their flight due to a delay.
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They told the staff they needed to be next to their 13-year-old daughter because she could have a seizure.
One family was not allowed to board an American Airlines flight after telling staff that their daughter had special needs.
Flight tickets confirmed by insiders and email exchanges with airlines. His father did not want his name used due to privacy concerns, but insiders confirmed his identity.
The family flew from Orlando, Florida via Charlotte to Richmond, Virginia on June 6 when the first leg was delayed by two hours, resulting in a missed connection.
After being assigned a new ungrouped seat, they told the staff that their 13 year old daughter had special needs and could have seizures so they needed to be next to them.
The family also explained that they didn’t want to sit in the back of the plane. I was paying.
A gate agent then spoke with the captain and told them they would not be allowed to board the plane.
After a heated exchange with staff, the father said he yelled at the manager, “kept talking to everyone,” and the family was asked to leave the airport.
“They treated us like terrorists and didn’t believe our daughter had special needs,” he told Insider.
The father said his daughter suffered two skull fractures, two brain injuries, broken ribs and burns before he and his wife adopted her. I had them read the last right several times because it could be,” he said.
The family was forced to spend about $1,000 extra on new Delta flights, Uber rides, and hotel rooms to get to Richmond. They have not been compensated or refunded by American Airlines.
An insider reached out to American Airlines for comment.
Read the original article at business insider