Public Defender: Etihad Airways bans woman from flying due to broken nose

CHRISTINE Henderson was turned away by Etihad Airways because she had fractured her nose while ­waiting for a taxi to Sydney Airport.

Christine Henderson finally made it to Paris with her daughter Jessica and husband Jack. Picture: Brianne Makin

A PERSON who has had their tonsils ­removed cannot fly with Qantas for three weeks but could get on an Air New Zealand plane after just four days.

Most airlines insist a plaster arm cast applied in the past 48 hours be split to allow for swelling — except ­Virgin, where the rule applies only to broken legs. British Airways and JAL won’t fly you in those two days.

Qantas and Virgin appear to be the only airlines that refuse to carry a woman the day after a breast augmentation or reduction, while Virgin is seemingly alone in turning away those who have had a tooth removed in the previous 24 hours.

These are just some of the inconsistencies in carriers’ attitudes to medical conditions. And don’t assume a letter from a doctor will help.

Just ask Christine Henderson, who was turned away by Etihad because she had fractured her nose while ­waiting for a taxi to Sydney Airport.

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Mrs Henderson fell over and hit the driveway of the family home at 6.20pm on November 29 — four hours before their flight to Paris was due to depart. Ms Henderson, her husband Jack March and daughter Jessica ­immediately went to Ryde Hospital. The fall left a half-centimetre laceration and caused her nose to bleed. There was no bleeding when she was seen by a doctor at 7.37pm.

The discharge referral note said: “Fine to … fly on long haul flight tonight to France.”

But when the family arrived at the airport Etihad got its own medical advice and turned them away. The next day Mrs Henderson saw a specialist who confirmed she was fit to fly.

Meanwhile Etihad had listed the family as no-shows. They faced $2400 in fees and an extra $15,000 in fare differences if they wanted to fly that day. Instead they chose to sacrifice more of their holiday by leaving on December 4 after paying $3021 in no-show and rebooking fees.

Christine Henderson with her daughter Jessica in Paris. Supplied

Following the intervention of radio station 2UE, the no-show fees were refunded.

The family then asked The Daily Telegraph to request on their behalf that Etihad change flights and dates to give them back some of the lost time. Etihad did so at a cost of $9600 to the airline.

“I do appreciate what they’ve done although we know without your help they wouldn’t have been so forthcoming,” Mr March said.

The Daily Telegraph compared airlines’ medical clearance policies after the family’s experience with Etihad. Air NZ and Virgin have a relatively unique objection to vomiting while Emirates and Etihad won’t fly a baby less than a week old.

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At Virgin and Qantas the infant needs only to be two days old. A child with head lice in the past 48 hours can’t fly on Etihad and not at all on Air NZ. Conjunctivitis rules a passenger out on Etihad, as does the flu.

But it is airlines’ attitudes to a tonsillectomy that has the greatest variation. Qantas’s relatively lengthy three-week exclusion is all the more odd given its subsidiary, Jetstar Japan, will fly a person who has had their tonsils removed only seven days ago. And yet JAL has a two-week ban.

Originally published as Public Defender: Etihad Airways bans woman from flying due to broken nose