Disabled Rangers fan dream holiday in ruins as jet2 refuse to let her fly.

The Matador

The Matador

Well-Known Member
mobile-sitelogo

MENU​
19 April 19
Disabled Rangers fan Leona Davidson's dream holiday in ruins as Jet 2 refuse to let her fly

Niall Christie
9738314

Disabled Rangers fan Leona Davidson's dream holiday in ruins as Jet 2 refuse to let her fly

Don't be last to know! Get the latest local news straight to your inbox.

Sign up​

A DISABLED woman has been denied her dream family holiday after Jet2 bosses changed their mind over whether she could fly with them.
Leona Davidson, 28, was due to fly to Tenerife with eight relatives at the end of May for what would have been her first flight in more than 20 years.
Leona, from Moodiesburn, was 10 she was diagnosed with the rare pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration, and is one of only two people in the UK with the condition.
After a change in her circumstances meant Leona could fly again, members of her family began to plan a holiday away.

Read more: Glasgow to sizzle with temperatures hotter than Barcelona
On booking with Jet2 in October 2018, Leona's aunt Christine provided the company with full information about her condition and needs, including the dimensions for Leona's wheelchair and her status on palliative care.
After looking over these, the company reportedly confirmed that this would not be a problem and processed confirmation and payment for the holiday eight months later.
The family then informed Leona of their plans, with the enthusiastic Rangers fan - whio has received widespread support from the club's fan community - buying her holiday wardrobe and planning the trip months ahead.
However, in March, problems started to arise.
Read more: Calls for Glasgow's O2 ABC building to be saved
When Leona's mum Angela contacted Jet2 to enquire about provisions for their flight, including the process for getting to the flight at Glasgow Airport, the company began to question whether they could accommodate Leona.
After offering to travel to both Glasgow Airport and down to Leeds to check procedures for the trip, Angela was given the devastating news on Tuesday, more than seven months after they had booked it, that Leona would be unable to fly.
Angela said: "I called in March and reiterated that Leona had been palliative for years. We went to the GP who said there was no reason that Leona couldn't fly.

"We were then told to go back and ask about their capability to support her level of disability. I have been pursuing them relentlessly for weeks, and then on Tuesday evening they called and told me we couldn't fly.
Read more of today's top Glasgow stories
"I had to tell my daughter, who has fought for years against the odds, the reality that she can't go.
"We have all lived with this as a family for 17 years. It is not about the money, it never was. The only solution that is satisfactory is that she is on that flight with our family.
"Leona is devastated, still very upset and crushed. It is awful. This is something huge for her to fly for the first time in 20 years, and having the support of my family there would take the burden off of me.​
https://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/17585537.amp/
 
I have zero contacts or ability, surely the community can step in here and fix this.

Isn't there people involved in aviation on the a380 thread who may know how to help?
 
What a heartbreaking story

Jet2 honestly ought to be ashamed of themselves.

I genuinely hope that the national mainstream TV media get a hold of this story and force them into doing the right thing.
 
Last edited:
My wife is in a wheelchair but can get out of it into a seat to fly.
The problem is she has blood clotting problems and can’t fly for those reasons.
If my wife is to get abroad again it would have to be via a cruise and both of us would like to go to Iceland.
This poor girl must be gutted and this will be terrible for her general mood and her health.
I take it this is due to her being on a reclining wheelchair and needing assistance to move her.

Hopefully the press coverage will mean another company can accommodate her or someone with a bit of cash will pay for her to go by another mode of travel.
 
I may be wrong but could the refusal be in case of an in flight emergency.However my father in law only had one leg and was wheel chair bound and was allowed to fly all be it 19 years ago.May have changed.
 
Papac said:
Shite story all round. I feel terrible for the family and that the airline should be fined for it.

Can she go on a boat?
Click to expand...

That might have been an option given time to arrange it.

I think what really sucks about this is that they left it months to go back on their word.

It’s left the entire travelling party right up a gum tree. It almost looks as if Jet 2 didn’t want to lose the other 7 bookings.

Scandalous behaviour from them. Utterly heartless stuff
 
Under the Equality Act private companies and public organisations are required to make "reasonable adjustments" to meet the needs of disabled people. What is reasonable depends upon the situation but it's broad ranging. It doesn't seem beyond their ability to offer a service with adjustments in this case. Sounds like they just bottled it or thought it was too much trouble to me.
 
It would seem to me that they were never able to accommodate her and someone has made a major error when they originally booked it.

If the airline are offering a refund/compensation and genuinely can't fly her, then there isn't really much else they can do.
 
Arminius said:
What a heartbreaking story

Jet2 honestly ought to be ashamed of themselves.

I genuinely hope that the national mainstream TV media get a hold of this story and force them into doing the right thing.
Click to expand...
I have flown with them 3 times including this year and I think I will be giving them a call to complain and have second thoughts about booking again.
 
If Rangers go to Tenerife again next winter, the club should book her on to the flight and tell the airline to do whatever is necessary to allow her to travel with the team.
 
What a tragic story!
As someone said earlier, if Jet2 had originally declined to take her for logistical reasons then fair enough but to accept her condition as being fit to travel and then deny it (with no apparent change in circumstances) then that is really bad form.
I'm temporarily disabled that has to use an electric buggy and I've travelled with Jet2 many times and I've always considered them to be the best of all the budget airlines so I'm really surprised to hear this.
I really hope a solution is found and young Leona can have the holiday that she and her family have really looked forward to.
 
TN8 said:
Story doesn't say exactly what the issue is, it is physical/logistics? Insurance? Either way, to be told yes then no months later is disgraceful.
Click to expand...

Apparently it was to do with training of the cabin crew if there was an incident. They have no specific training for someone with her conditions.
 
Jet2 tried to come the fanny with us. We're off to Lanzarote in may but apparently the island iron man competition is on the day we're flying back. So after booking in January they decided to email me at the start of the week telling me they can't pick us up at our hotel, we can't have our baggage checked in at the hotel and taken to the airport from there.
Instead we were to walk 3 streets away pushing my son in his wheelchair along with 3 suitcases and our carryon bags to get a bus at another hotel. The first couple of people on the phone gave it the "it's out of our hands" and "it's not our fault" lines but thankfully with a bit of pressure their sending someone to help me on the day (hopefully). They refused point blank my 66 years old parents any help whatsoever though. So I won't be using them again, I hope the lassies parents get something sorted or at least the airline give them a decent payoff to get it out the spotlight and she can get a decent UK holiday out of it or as someone mentioned a wee cruise somewhere.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Latest posts

Back
Top