People are criticizing Southwest Airlines for how it handled a situation with two disabled women. First, they failed to communicate about the delay to the two blind women. There was a five-hour delay, but there was also an option to rebook the flight and go early.
The women were not told about the option, and as they’re blind, they could not read any visual signs or news. The flight took off without telling them about the changes. This left them stranded with no information on how to proceed. The staff told the women that they had forgotten about them.
The two friends, Sherri Brun and Camille Tate, were supposed to fly from New Orleans to Orlando. They kept waiting at their designated gate while also checking for any updates related to the flight.
When they finally got a flight, they were the only ones on the flight since the early flight forgot about them. Most of the passengers knew about the delay, and they were able to book another flight to reach early.
Oftentimes, flight delays and cancellations are communicated at the last minute, and passengers are given little to no compensation. A passenger stranded in Turkey was given £21 by easyJet.
In this case, the two women were given an apology and $100 as credit.
Southwest Airlines offers two blind women measly $100 credit after leaving them behind: ‘They forgot about you’ https://t.co/GIYIfnXxvi pic.twitter.com/pUUCPIlRtz
— New York Post (@nypost) August 10, 2025
They were not given a full refund as the flight had already departed. The duo was shocked by the incident and stated they had no idea about the rebooking available. They would appreciate it if the airline could improve how it communicates with disabled folks.
The airline announced the apology, claiming they have given the voucher as compensation, and they won’t be able to give a full refund since they have technically completed the flight, as per The Mirror.
They also gave information about the Help Center for disabled people, such as if they need help with navigation and getting escorted. The netizens are calling on the airlines to give just $100 credit to the two women. They also shared their own experiences with the airlines, which were not satisfactory at all.
Two blind women say they became only passengers on Southwest flight after airline ‘forgot about’ them https://t.co/rYC7J05RBm
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 11, 2025
Earlier, another passenger of Southwest Airlines stated that they broke her wheelchair. After the news broke, people were slamming the airlines for taking away the woman’s independence. So, the question arises of whether the airline is safe for disabled people.
