A Cramlington woman says she was left "humiliated" and suffered angina and anxiety attacks on a flight when staff refused to let her travel with the battery for her electric wheelchair.
Paula Doney and husband Bill were en-route to Amsterdam from Newcastle Airport on a KLM flight, when dispatchers told them the vital battery for her specialised electric wheelchair could not be carried on the plane. Paula suffers from conditions including fibromyalgia and chronic lower back pain.
The couple, who had been set for a very special 30th anniversary trip to Amsterdam, Vienna and Bratislava, were stunned. They say they had, prior to catching the flight, been in touch with KLM and assured the International Air Transport Association certified battery and wheelchair would be allowed on the flight. But, once Paula was on the plane, contractors employed by KLM told her this would not be possible.
Now Paula, 57, has spoken out about how people with disabilities are treated - and is desperate to hear how the airline will adapt to ensure what happened does not re-occur for anyone else.
Since the incident last August, Paula and Bill have successfully flown from Newcastle Airport with no issues - albeit on a different airline. They have been told the issue was the responsibility of KLM, rather than the airport itself. Though KLM has apologised, the couple are not happy with the response and want to see more evidence that the airline understands what went wrong.
Paula, 56, said: "We have only had a standard sorry email. We have no confidence in them at all. For me this is really really distressing, it's still quite raw."
She added this had "ruined" her holiday. She said: "We had planned to spend two days in Amsterdam, three in Vienna and four in Bratislava. But I just couldn't handle the pain when we were in Amsterdam. We stayed in the room for two days."
Though she was able to get a manual wheelchair, Paula says this was "not fit for purpose". Later in their holiday, the couple were able to find chairs via the Red Cross, but again these were non-adapted manual chairs which were uncomfortable and limited Paula's independence.
She added: "I'm stuck with this thing but I need to have some sort of independence. We've flown before - and since - without problems. I have fibromyalgia and also suffer from a number of other things such as a lower back condition. My husband is 57 but I'm not going to be relying on him to push me.
"It was absolutely horrible. I couldn't cope with the idea of going through it again. That feeling of despair is horrific."
She explained that the way events played out on the plane, with it clear to other passengers that she had been singled out, was "humiliating" and caused angina and anxiety attacks. She said: "The announcement came up that someone was putting dangerous goods on board. That meant we had made the plane late, everyone was looking at us. It was humiliating.
"Our whole holiday was ruined, we were humiliated in front of passengers on the flight, we were badly let down and my dignity and independence were stripped from me."
KLM has apologised in correspondence with the Doneys - a member of staff writing: "I’ve reviewed your concerns and can certainly understand your frustration. A sincere apology is offered for any discourtesy which you felt you encountered.
"Naturally you expect KLM staff to be polite, helpful and attentive at all times and to provide the very best service possible. We apologise that this was not your own personal experience. We are extremely sensitive to your experience."
The member of staff then, writing to Bill Doney, apologised again and said that they had recorded details of the incident in a database - and that what happened was "troubling". However, the couple feel this is "little more than a standard message".
KLM has yet to respond to ChronicleLive's request for a comment.
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