A corporate traveller who needs a wheelchair was stopped by staff from boarding her Qantas flight and was asked why she couldn’t walk up stairs.
Emma Weatherley felt ‘humiliated’ by the workers who she said were ‘rude’ and ‘demeaning’ to her as she tried to get home to Brisbane last June.
The blunder comes as the iconic national carrier has recently apologised for delays, cancellations, long boarding times and failing to provide good customer service.
Emma Weatherley (pictured) said her woeful experience started when the disability advocate arrived in Sydney after attending a work conference in the US
Ms Weatherley, who has muscular dystrophy, said her experience started when she arrived in Sydney after attending a work conference in the US.
She said other passengers were allowed to get onto the Brisbane flight but because she was in a wheelchair, she missed out.
‘It was very disheartening and a real inconvenience,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Travelling in America is so much easier, their [Americans with Disabilities Act] is fantastic. As soon as you get back to Australia, the discrimination starts again.’
She had organised via the Qantas disability hotline for a staff member to help her get to her domestic transfer out of Sydney.
But the Qantas rep at the airport was rude to her and didn’t know how Ms Weatherley could change terminals – so she ‘waited ages’ for them come up with a plan.
The mum of two claims the Qantas staff were ‘rude’ and ‘demeaning’ to her as she tried to board her flight home to Brisbane (pictured, Ms Weatherley with daughters Alyssa and Hannah)
Qantas staff sent Ms Weatherley on a bus to get to her flight to Brisbane and told her someone would meet her on the other side, but no one came (pictured, a stock photo)
‘She actually was really rude and demeaning. She asked if I could walk up stairs for the transfer – I was sitting in a 200kg wheelchair!’ the disability advocate said.
‘And she said ‘I know wheelchairs’, as if that meant anything. I felt humiliated and embarrassed.’
Staff then sent her on a bus where they said someone on the other side would meet her.
‘But no one came. The bus dropped me off at arrivals and not departures and I had to make my own way with chair and luggage,’ she said.
When she finally got to check in it was too late for staff to board her wheelchair so she had to miss the flight.
‘Then I couldn’t even get the next flight as they had no one to assist so I had to wait six hours,’ the businesswoman said.
She eventually boarded on the flight home after her boss had to wait back with her as a temporary carer.
Ms Weatherley lodged a complaint with Qantas and waited weeks for a response, after which it said it would be looking into the matter.
Eventually she was offered a $50 Qantas voucher ‘as a measure of goodwill’.
Qantas told the Courier Mail: ‘Our team is looking into the circumstances of what happened, and has reached out directly to Emma.
‘All of our customer facing staff undertake extensive training to support customers with additional needs, including disabilities.’
The muscular dystrophy sufferer said she didn’t feel confident Qantas would take care of her for future flights so will be taking her husband with her on overseas trips.
‘I did everything they asked me to do – jumped through all the hoops disabled people jump through every day to access basic services. And yet, it wasn’t enough and I was left stranded for six hours with no support.
‘If I wasn’t disabled, I would have been on that plane. That’s discrimination and is unlawful.’
Ms Weatherley is the executive director of FSHD Global Research Foundation – which raises funds and awareness for Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD).
FSHD is a genetic muscle disorder that affects one in 2,000 Aussies, causing damage to the face, shoulder blades, and upper arms.
She said the foundation is the only source of funding in Australia and aims to bring clinical trials to Australia.
Last week Qantas CEO Alan Joyce (pictured) announced the airline had suffered a $1.9billion loss and had failed to provide customers with adequate customer service
Meanwhile, last week Qantas CEO Alan Joyce announced the airline had suffered a $1.9billion loss and had failed to provide customers with adequate customer service.
The carrier will be raising fares by 20 per cent and chartering fewer flights in the wake of rising fuel costs and staffing problems.
Travellers will have to fork out an additional $300 for some flights.
A flight from Melbourne to Sydney would cost $250 instead of $230, while flying from Brisbane to the Harbour City could jump from $269 to $295.
Qantas was contacted by the Daily Mail Australia for comment.
Ms Weatherley (pictured) was sent a $50 voucher by the airline and said it is looking into the circumstances of what happened on the day she travelled
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