Disabled man forced to pre-board Reagan
Southwest flight alone, separated from wife battling
30 Dec 2018, 1100PM
ARLINGTON, Va. - A couple says their
holiday trip to Virginia was ruined by a traumatic incident on their flight
home. A disabled husband was forced to pre-board
alone, while his sick wife had to stay behind at the gate.
Terry and Kathryn Podraza were hesitant to
make the trip from Omaha to Fredericksburg at all.
Terry is disabled, and Kathy is fighting
cancer with aggressive chemotherapy starting on Monday. So, their family booked
a direct flight on Southwest hoping to make their trip as easy as possible. Unfortunately, the Podrazas say it was
anything but.
Kathy and Terry Podraza hadn't seen their
6-month-old grand baby since she was born. So, the idea of spending Christmas
with their daughter Kate and her sister in Virginia was worth the long haul,
despite serious challenges with their health.
"I'm handicapped and my wife has
stage-four colon and liver cancer," said Terry Podraza.
After the holiday rush wrapped up, the
Podrazas were headed home on a direct flight on Southwest.
Terry Podraza was permitted to board early,
due to his disability. Kathy expected to join him, but they say the ticket
agent wouldn't allow it.
"He told us that me having
pre-boarding and being handicapped, that it was against the law for her to
board at the same time as me," said Terry Podraza.
Instead, Terry used his cane to board
alone, while Kathy waited at the gate. And as the final passengers stepped on the
plane, Kathy was still waiting.
Not only had the agent not allowed her to
assist Terry, Kathy says he accidentally scanned and kept her ticket. So when
she finally was able to board, she had no way to get on the plane.
"All he had to do is ask me my name
and he would have seen that he had already scanned my boarding pass," said
Kathy Podraza.
While battling a second bout of cancer and
gearing up for intense chemotherapy, Kathy says the agent's actions brought her
to tears.
But when she finally was allowed on, Kathy
says she was thankful at least for a very kind flight attendant who offered a
little something to calm her nerves -- a mimosa.
The "Frequently Asked Questions"
page on Southwest Airlines website addressed pre-boarding protocol and states:
“We will allow one travel companion to act
as an “attendant” and pre-board with a customer with a disability.”
When reached for a comment via phone or email, Southwest responded:
"Because it’s important to southwest
that this concern is given our full attention, this situation has been given to
a specialist for further review. We assure you that any missed opportunities
will be thoroughly addressed."
Terry Podraza reached out as well and
received an automatic message saying it would take up to 30 days before he
receives an answer.
Source: fox5DC
