Wheelchair passenger finally boards but unable to use toilet

UPDATE: A budget airline is offering an apology, and a refund, to a Gold Coast woman who suffered a string of issues on a flight from Singapore.

Scoot initially denied the wheelchair-bound passenger boarding.

A BUDGET airline is offering an apology, and a refund, to a Gold Coast woman who suffered a string of issues on a flight from Singapore.

A Scoot spokeswoman said the airline would like to apologise to Miss Tobin and would contact her to refund the cost of her flight.

“We wish to apologise for the inconvenience and unhappiness caused to Miss Tobin,” the spokeswoman said.

“We take feedback from our guests very seriously and are investigating internally to determine how we can improve our processes.”

After Miss Tobin arrived home to Burleigh Waters with a temporary wheelchair hired by the Gold Coast airport about lunchtime, she said she was informed her wheelchairs would be delivered via Singapore Airlines, Scoot’s parent company, tomorrow (Thursday).

Late Wednesday, the Scoot spokeswoman said the budget airline was working with the Gold Coast airport to expedite the return of the wheelchairs.

“We have made arrangements for the wheelchairs to be delivered to her by tomorrow,” she said.

“We will also be refunding Miss Tobin the cost of her Singapore-Gold Coast flight.”

EARLIER: A wheelchair--bound Gold Coast woman has said budget airline, Scoot, initially said she could not board her 10.25pm Tuesday flight to the Gold Coast because of her electric wheelchair.

Amy “Wheelz” Tobin, 22, of Burleigh Waters, said she and her best friend from New Zealand went on a cruise from Brisbane to Singapore where they travelled around for five days for her friend’s belated 21st celebration.

The plan was to then fly home to the Gold Coast.

Miss Tobin said she always takes her electric wheelchair as well as a manual one for emergencies in case there are problems due to different power point voltages in other countries.

They booked the trip three months prior and, Miss Tobin said, she rang Scoot to reconfirm her booking mentioned her wheelchairs the night before they left on the cruise.

“My friend flew over from New Zealand for us to go overseas, so obviously something has to be pre-organised,” she said.

Amy Tobin in Singapore. Picture: Supplied/Facebook

“It was a late trip for her 21st and a bit of a break for me.”

It was Miss Tobin’s first holiday without a family member but not her first time overseas or flying on a budget airline.

“I’ve flown on Air Asia and Jetstar before,” she said.

“I’ve been to most of the USA, Asia, Singapore before with my family and Noumea and I’ve never ever, ever, ever had a problem with any other airline,” she said.

Under the special needs section of Scoot Australia’s website, it says all guests with disabilities must be able to travel independently or have an accompanying passenger to assist them, stating Scoot did not have the systems, staff or facilities to assume responsibility for such assistance or supervision.

The Scoot website directs passengers with mobility issues to contact its call centre at the time of booking or three days before their departure date.

“Failure to notify us in the specified timeframe may result in the service being unavailable at the airport and you being denied carriage,” the website says.

“For safety reasons, if you require assistance to and from the aircraft even though you are travelling with your own wheelchair, you will be required to check in your wheelchair as checked baggage upon departure.

“We will be able to provide assistance to and from the aircraft. Your wheelchair will be returned to you at the baggage claim belt upon arrival. Please note that there may be a charge for this service.”

Arriving four hours early for their flight home Tuesday, Miss Tobin said a Scoot check-in agent first denied her boarding because of the electric wheelchair, then said she had to check-in both wheelchairs, as well as pay an excess baggage fee because she had two.

She said the check-in agent told her there was no airline wheelchair for her to borrow to the gate.

In the three hours they were told to wait at the check-in counter, Miss Tobin said she discussed obtaining a refund and catching the next flight home instead, but said she was she would not be refunded for her flight, even if she transferred to the next Scoot flight days later.

The next available flight was a $1400 on Emirates at 3.15pm Wednesday (Singapore time).

A few hours later Miss Tobin, who lists her job as marketing director at ACO Marketing Solutions in Burleigh Heads, was eventually told she could board her original flight on Scoot, with assurance that both of her wheelchairs would make it on board.

Amy Tobin in Singapore, before the airport run-in. Picture: Supplied/Facebook

She was also allegedly told she would have to walk or be carried in order to use the toilet on the eight-hour flight.

Born with cerebral palsy, Miss Tobin has never been able to walk.

“It would be embarrassing, would anyone like that?,” Miss Tobin said about being carried.

“For starters, how were people going to even do that? The airplane hallway is narrow so there’s no way to do it.

“And, it’s not exactly the most dignifying thing with all these people on a flight.

“It shouldn’t matter if you can walk or not, you’re still human.”

She said the other airlines she has travelled on had a special aisle wheelchair for use by disabled passengers.

The drama did not end there, according to Miss Tobin.

When the plane landed at the Gold Coast airport early Wednesday morning, she said the Scoot staff handed her over to the airport ground crew, who discovered neither of her two wheelchairs were on the flight.

They provided her with a manual airport one while they hired a temporary electric one.

“At least they’re trying to help,” Miss Tobin said.

“I’m looking for the positives.”

Both Scoot airlines and their parent company, Singapore Airlines, have been contacted for comment but have not yet returned calls or emails seeking comment.