Airlines
A blind couple and their baby were stopped from boarding two separate flights after an airline tried to make them pay for an escort
A blind couple and their baby were denied boarding on two different planes, forcing them to wait a full week before returning from their vacation in Greece
A blind couple and their baby were denied boarding on two different planes, forcing them to wait a full week before returning from their vacation in Greece. On December 2, Eythor Kamban Thrastarson and Emilia Pykarinou, who were flying with their one-year-old daughter, were supposed to take a Scandinavian Airlines flight from Athens, Greece to Iceland.
According to reports from broadcaster RUV and the Iceland Review, when they arrived at their gate, employees wouldn’t allow them board unless they paid for an escort. This would have involved buying another seat on the plane, so they refused.
The pair was once more denied boarding for the same reason two days later, according to RUV. On December 9, a week later than expected and after three attempts, the family finally made it home. They said they were only allowed to board after another Icelandic passenger promised to act as their escort.
Thrastarson stated in an interview with RUV that Scandinavian Airlines permits children as young as five to fly unescorted on its flights and that his family should not be treated any differently.
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He thinks the airline may have been concerned because of the presence of his 1-year-old daughter. According to Iceland Review, Thrastarson stated that he and his partner would not have purchased the ticket if they did not felt safe caring for their child on board.
The pair stated that they intend to take legal action against Scandinavian Airlines. They received assistance from the Icelandic Association of the Visually Impaired and the Icelandic Consulate in Greece.
Scandinavian Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
