It was the primary time that Mary St. Onge flew with the ultra-low-cost plane Aptitude. She saved cash on an affordable one-way ticket from Toronto to Calgary. However she stated the financial savings weren’t price it as a result of the journey ended up costing her dearly.
“I’m amazed at how irresponsible, how insensitive and the way a lot they simply disregard their passengers who’re disabled,” St. Unsaid.
She lives with a neuromuscular tremor that impacts her total physique and makes use of a motorized wheelchair to get round. However since her 1 October flight, her chair has by no means been the identical.
The broken footrest on her wheelchair.
Jill Croteau/World Information
“When this chair obtained on that airplane it was in model new situation and now it is ruined,” St. Unsaid.
“I actually really feel an awesome sense of injustice as a result of I really feel like I trusted them with a bit of apparatus that’s vital to me.”
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It went into the cargo space throughout her flight and he or she believes it was thrown round and never secured.
Her chair has a tear within the armrest and the opposite one is locked in place and will not transfer.
Torn armrest on her chair.
Jill Croteau/World Information
The backing is warped and several other items are cracked. One of many foot pedals is bent up and she will’t use it and not one of the leg rests lock in place.
“It is harmful,” St. Unsaid.
Injury is estimated at practically $1,500. She stated she crammed out a declare and connected the estimate.
“Aptitude provided me $250 and instructed me they weren’t obligated to supply it to me as a result of the wheelchair was a ‘courtesy merchandise.’ I wrote them again and stated it is not a courtesy, it is a necessity and I by no means heard again from them,” St. Unsaid.
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After World Information reached out to Aptitude, the workforce appeared on the file. Spokesman Mike Arnot apologized on behalf of the corporate.
“Aptitude Airways desires each passenger to have a seamless and optimistic journey expertise and we absolutely admire how distressing a broken wheelchair shall be for her – and any delay in having it repaired,” stated Arnot.
“We’re sorry that it was broken within the first place. In these instances the airline replaces or repairs the mobility assist and right here Aptitude Airways will repair it by paying for the estimated restore prices.”
St. Onge was relieved, however stated that they had already misplaced her as a buyer.
“I’ll by no means fly with them once more.”
© 2023 World Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
