Wheelchair passenger says British Airways wouldn’t let her fly because she was travelling alone

Samanta Bullock says she was denied boarding by British Airways staff at JFK in New York (Picture: Samanta Bullock)

Last week, Samanta Bullock, Paralympic athlete, model and disability advocate, attended the 19th COSP Conference at the United Nations in New York.

Samanta, formerly Brazil’s number-one wheelchair tennis player, was there with her company, Bullock Inclusion, which creates social projects in fashion and sport.

She and her team had put on a fashion show for the UN. It was sponsored by Microsoft and supported by other huge names, including the Brazilian Embassy.

Together with global leaders, advocates, and organisations, she had a seat at the table to discuss and advance the rights of disabled people.

However, when Samanta arrived at JFK airport to fly back to London, British Airways reportedly denied her boarding because she was ‘travelling alone.’

She said the crew told her that they could not assist her to the toilet during the flight. Nor could they evacuate her in the event of an emergency.

‘The irony is impossible to ignore,’ Samanta, who is one of the world’s 100 Most Influential Disabled People, tells Metro.

‘I had just been at the UN talking about the rights of disabled people. On the way back, this happened.

‘We cannot celebrate disability rights in conference rooms while allowing them to be ignored in practice.’

Immediately after, Samanta shared her experience on social media.

Essentially stranded in the US at the time, she said in an Instagram Story: ‘Today I was denied boarding by British Airways.

‘I booked my flight almost two months ago and was ready to fly independently, as I have done for years as a wheelchair user.’

She then shared the reason for her being refused onto the aircraft, adding: ‘Let that sink in.’

Samanta says crew told her she could not travel alone (Picture: Getty Images)

British Airways’ disability and mobility assistance policies state that cabin crew can help passengers ‘move between [their] seat and the toilets.’

Depending on a passenger’s individual needs and circumstances, the airline can also arrange:

Assistance or an escort to and from the aircraft Help with stairs where necessary Transport for wheelchairs and mobility aids

While speaking with airline staff, Samanta said an employee told her she should have a carer with her.

But British Airways does not provide free flights for carers.

All passengers, including travelling companions and carers, must purchase their own ticket.

Samanta says this is unfair: ‘So that means because I’m a wheelchair user, I have to pay for two flights. Whereas an able-bodied passenger only has to pay one. They are charging me twice because of my disability.’

But for her, the issue is bigger than that.

Samanta had just been at the UN talking about the rights of disabled people (Picture: Samanta Bullock)

‘If someone goes with me as my carer, for example, my husband, he will lose income from not going to work. Who is going to pay for the income we are going to lose?’ she says.

Samanta’s job requires her to travel a lot, and she regularly flies with British Airways alone.

She says she usually pays extra for special assistance, and lets the airline know in advance that she is a disabled passenger.

Samanta also says that, in her experience, BA have always had a good system in place for disabled passengers.

So much so, that she’s paid more to fly with them in the past, over airlines that ‘don’t have as good disability access.’

After Samanta was refused boarding, she says a BA employee asked her a string of personal questions.

‘He asked if I was OK to go to the toilet independently. I told him I can go to the toilet on my own, but I need assistance to arrive at the toilet.’

BA’s website states that disabled passengers are responsible for their own personal care in the toilet. Samanta says she made clear that was fine.

She ended up flying home with American Airlines, which gave her an upgraded ticket. Even so, her issues didn’t end there.

‘Someone from American called me and asked, “Are you going to use the toilet?”‘ I was like, “Why are you asking? Do you ask other passengers if they are going to the toilet?”‘

Samanta then asked American Airlines if they had an aisle chair on board, should she need to use the bathroom.

‘They said yes, so I was confused as to why they would ask in the first place.’

Samanta ended up flying home with American Airlines (Picture: Getty Images)

Ultimately, Samanta says that despite the ‘scary’ experience, she has no option but to keep travelling.

‘I don’t have a choice, it’s my work. I need to travel. I also don’t need to talk to the airlines. BA need to talk to me. They need to apologise, to say sorry for what they did.

‘After posting, so many people commented on their own experiences, which is horrifying. 

‘I’m so sad to see all these people facing the same experience. I can’t be quiet about it.’

Approached by Metro, British Airways said: ‘We are sorry for our customer’s experience and are urgently looking into what happened.

‘We remain in direct contact with the customer while we review the circumstances.’

The airline added that it serves hundreds of thousands of customers who require additional assistance each year and works hard to support them throughout their journey.

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