Southwest Airlines Apologizes After Embarrassing Mistake With Blind Passengers

Southwest Airlines had to apologize to two passengers following an embarrassing recent incident in which the women, who are both blind, were left behind by their flight.

Sherri Brun and Camille Tate had booked spots on Southwest Flight 2637 from New Orleans to Orlando on July 14. However, the plane was delayed several hours.

When the two women finally boarded, they were the only two people on the flight. It was at that time Brun and Tate were informed their original flight left them behind.

"You’re the only two people on this flight because they forgot about you," Brun said they were told.

According to a Southwest spokesman, via FOX 35, because the original flight was delayed, all of the other passengers were rebooked on another Orlando-bound flight taking off at an earlier time from a nearby gate.

However, no one from the airline bothered to make sure Brun and Tate had been accommodated. The plane had already landed in Orlando when crew members realized the mistake and sent the aircraft back to retrieve the two women.

“Nobody at B6 told us anything, nobody came to get us at B4,” said Brun. “The time passed.”

In a statement, Southwest apologized for the inexcusable mishap and said Brun and Tate were each offered a $100 voucher. They were not eligible for the full refund because they eventually did complete their original flight.

“We apologize for the inconvenience,” the statement said in part. “Southwest is always looking for ways to improve our customers’ travel experiences, and we’re active in the airline industry in sharing best practices about how to best accommodate passengers with disabilities.”

Both Brun and Tate expressed their opinions that the airline must do a better job of taking care of passengers, especially those with disabilities.

"There needs to be some improvement in how they communicate with their passengers especially those that have disabilities." said Tate.