An Air Transat passenger said he was forced to pay $5,000 out of pocket after he was “totally abandoned” by the airline after he collapsed and was denied a flight to Toronto.
Sean Mehta said he started feeling ill while boarding a flight in Barcelona to Toronto on July 10.
“The last passengers were still boarding when I felt dizzy and nauseous. I passed out in my seat,” Mehta told CTV News Toronto.
The flight attendants, along with a passenger who was a doctor, surrounded Mehta and gave him oxygen, which he said helped greatly.
Spanish paramedics then boarded and tested his vital signs, which Mehta said he passed and was cleared to fly. He speculated that the episode was related to vertigo from leaving the cruise ship on which he spent his vacation.
In Mehta’s medical report, obtained by CTV News Toronto, paramedics noted “normal” for his breathing and “voluntary discharge” in their report, describing his symptoms as “moderate.”
“I just wanted to go home at that point,” he said.
But then Mehta said the flight attendant approached him and said the pilot was uncomfortable flying with him on board.
“They said, ‘If you don’t leave, we will escort you off the plane,'” Mehta said.
In a statement to CTV News, Toronto Air Transat said information about the passenger’s symptoms was transferred to MedAire, a company that specializes in medical assistance and travel support.
“After analyzing the situation and discussing with the captain, MedAire has determined that the passenger really should not travel. Paramedics arrived shortly afterwards and took over the care of the patient,” Air Transat spokeswoman Marie-Christine Pouliot said.
“Passengers denied boarding for medical reasons should contact their travel insurance provider to cover any accommodation or travel costs.”
While Mehta was anxious to get home, he said Air Transat crew members assured him they would take care of him. He kissed his 12-year-old daughter goodbye, dropped her off at her grandparents and got off the plane with his wife.
“I expected an Air Transat representative to find us another flight, re-evaluate me medically and take care of our food and accommodation needs if necessary,” Mehta said.
“None of that happened.”
Instead, they were escorted to a taxi stand by an airport employee, leaving Mehta and his wife confused and with nowhere to go.
After expressing this to the escort, Mehta said they were taken to a kiosk with various airline emblems. There they were handed a card with an Air Transat phone number for their headquarters in Montreal.
“It’s Sunday morning in Montreal, nobody’s going to answer,” he said. As expected, he said they were unable to contact anyone.
“We were completely abandoned by Air Transat,” he said.
Desperate to get home, Mehta said they called their travel agent. The next Air Transat flight to Toronto wasn’t for days, so their agent booked an Air Canada flight the next morning, along with an overnight hotel. Last minute purchases totaled $5,000.
Since then, Mehta says he has not heard from Air Transat.
According to Air Transat’s website, if a passenger is denied boarding for reasons within the airline’s control, including safety reasons, Air Transat will offer free food and beverages, access to means of communication, hotel accommodation and ground transportation .
“The moment I was removed from the flight, it was as if I did not exist or matter to Air Transat. I have never felt so insignificant,” he said.
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