So it wasn’t “him”. /s
Because Shitadel didnt want to wait for long term payout after a government bailout; they wanted to strip Spirit of its assets.
I’m kind of on Spirit’s side here.
He had sufficiently severe dementia that he wandered out of the airport and into traffic. I feel like caring for him is past the level of care an airline should be expected to provide. That’s a man who shouldn’t have been flying unaccompanied in the first place.
Right? Its a shitty airline, not a nursing home
In the article it explains that they informed Spirit ahead of time that he would need to be escorted and they confirmed he would be.
I don’t know why people bother to comment their opinions without reading the article. Especially to just be on the side of corporations. It’s like that McDonalds hot coffee situation. If anyone bothered to actually read the article they would understand what’s actually happening.
If you don’t think he should’ve been flying, then it’s still spirits fault for telling people he would be provided assistance that he was not, which is something that they’re required to do anyway, as stated in the article.
I did read the part where they repeatedly claimed he had minor dementia and not wandering-into-traffic levels of dementia, did you read that part?
Unfortunately, dementia isn’t a consistent thing. You can have episodes that seem extreme despite them being infrequent, or potentially only happening under certain conditions. Regardless, the airline said they were going to assist him. They did not. He had family waiting to receive him at the airport. There was apparently no assistance provided at all or attempt to notify his family of that. He didn’t somehow overpower someone and escape, they just failed to provide promised and legally required assistance.
Yeah, inget that, but asking an airline to give care on that level does seem a bit out of the ordinary to say the least.
The guy likely got assigned a handler who likely had no idea how bad this guy was already, and left for reasons like “had to go to the bathroom” or something and boom, this happens
I think the family of this man should have arranged for professional care or at the least a family member to travel with him
The airline is required to accommodate passengers that need to be escorted. If they were unable to do so for whatever reason, someone needed to be notified. If you have to escort someone and for whatever reason have an emergency and cannot do it, you need to find someone who can or at least notify the expectant family. The article says he was not provided any assistance at all though, so that is moot regardless. Based on the article they didn’t even try to help him. I don’t know why people are projecting a situation that didn’t happen when the article alleges something else.
I don’t think the airlines should be performing the job of caregiver. If the family is unable to provide that care, there should be government programs for it.
That’s a valid opinion to have, but currently they have a legal obligation to do so to a certain extent, as explained in the article. It does not seem like the family was asking them to do anything other than what they are currently legally required to. They weren’t asking them to change his diapers or sponge bathe him, just accompany him through the airport.
Seems it’s actually required of them by U.S. law:
In the U.S., individual carriers are responsible for providing disability assistance at airports; the Air Carrier Access Act requires they do so for passengers who need it, including those with cognitive impairments.
From the law itself:
Airlines are required to provide prompt assistance with boarding, deplaning and making connections. Assistance within the cabin is also required, but not extensive personal services.
Other provisions concerning services and accommodations address treatment of mobility aids and assistive devices, passenger information, accommodations for persons with vision and hearing impairments, security screening, communicable diseases and medical certificates, and service animals.
It doesn’t specifically call out getting passengers from deplaning back to the gates though.
None of that sounds like they are expected to supervise someone at all times, just take them places when asked. I’ll bet this guy just walked out with the crowd of people.
Just so people know, this happened in 2024 and is not related to Spirit’s closing.
We reached out to Spirit for comment. They responded with the statement and I quote “This number is no longer in service, please hang up and try your call again.”
Another headline only the 2020s could write.
‘Sicko’ showed footage of hospitals dumping sick, disabled, disoriented people on the street and l leaving them to wander because they couldn’t afford healthcare. That was nearly 20 years ago. 🤷♂️
This happened to me as a kid flying alone in the 90s. I had a real short layover and was supposed to be escorted to my connecting flight by United staff who never showed up, and my arriving flight was a few minutes late, so when I got to my next gate, I sat and waited for a little while only to wind up asking the gate agent when my flight was arriving. They told me it had already left.
I think they quickly realized they’d fucked up because I was rebooked on a new flight in minutes and was given a shit ton of credits to use at airport restaurants while I waited.
