Perth mum Meg Nicolson slams Jetstar for poor treatment after dispute over battery-operated wheelchair

Meg Nicolson has not let her disability hold her back from travelling to 40 countries in her wheelchair. But it was a short trip to Brisbane after Christmas that the Perth mum claims has caused her the most grief as a woman living with a disability. While the 75-year-old’s flight from Perth to the Sunshine State with Qantas on December 27 came without hassle, she and husband David Nicolson said their Jetstar return flight was nothing short of a “shambles”. Travelling on flight JQ964from Brisbane to Perth on January 4, Mr Nicolson said the family were left “distressed” by the “dismissive” treatment of the airline. The ordeal started before the Duncraig couple had arrived at Brisbane Airport, spending more than an hour on the phone trying to arrange appropriate seating after Mrs Nicolson was allocated a seat in row 22. “They were flouting their own regulations in which they were putting her back in row 22 when people with a disability are supposed to be placed in the first five rows,” Mr Nicolson said. Then when they arrived at the check-in gate, it took an hour and a half to resolve a dispute about Mrs Nicolson’s battery-operated wheelchair. Mr Nicolson said it was fortunate they arrived at the airport earlier than usual to return a hire car. Staff had wanted the wheelchair’s spare battery to be wrapped in a case, despite only taping up a batteries contact points being a listed requirement — which the couple had done prior to arrival. A range of alternatives were suggested to the couple to overcome the issue, which included sending it by road to collect a week later or for them to reschedule their flight so they could leave the airport and buy a case to store it in. In the end, they were allowed on to the flight because they were able to use a case in the lost and found section. “Staff said we couldn’t fly with the battery and that it had to be in a separate box with no other items in it,” Mr Nicolson said. “It only says the contacts have to be covered in tape, which is what we did on the way over with Qantas, but staff were saying there’s this requirement for it to be in a self-contained box. “The only solution we were offered in the beginning was to keep the battery there and for them to send the battery by road, which would take a week. “My daughter suggested going and buying a case to put it in. But we couldn’t get one there. So staff asked if we wanted to reschedule so we could go back into Brisbane to buy a box. “Then they said ‘We might be able to get a little case out of lost property’.” After finally resolving the battery issue, the couple then claim there was the mix-up with their seating, saying the airline made them pay extra for a seat in row 22 that Mrs Nicolson could not use. She cannot stand up by herself, so cannot rise if fellow travellers need to get by her. Then when they arrived in Perth and Mrs Nicolson was lifted down to the tarmac, staff did not offer to assist or guide her into the terminal. Mr Nicolson said staff had a “completely dismissive attitude” after they lowered her on the tarmac, leaving her family to navigate back to the terminal and get the battery. “Our experience all over the world has been that someone from services will guide you to where you’re meant to go — but they had a completely dismissive attitude,” he said. “It was a shambles from start to finish. She was not in a pleasant state by the end of it. It was extremely distressing. She relies on her wheelchair. “She has never let her disability stop her from going to places. We’ve travelled all around the world with no problem.” Mr Nicolson has tried to phone the airline to lodge a complaint but he claims he is always transferred to another department then hung up on. A Jetstar Airways spokeswoman apologised to the couple and said they had strict dangerous good policies to ensure passenger safety. “We’re sorry that Mr and Mrs Nicholson were unhappy with their experience travelling with us earlier this month,” she said. “We have also refunded them for the extra seat fee, which they shouldn’t have had to pay for as they were assigned upfront seating free of charge at the airport. “Our customer team has reached out to the Nicolsons to further understand how we could have made their experience a better one and to learn from the situation.“