A blind couple and their baby were stopped from boarding two separate flights after an airline tried to make them pay for an escort
A blind couple and their baby had to wait an entire week to travel home from their holiday in Greece after they were blocked from boarding two separate flights.
Eythor Kamban Thrastarson and Emilia Pykarinou, who were traveling with their one-year-old daughter, expected to fly from Athens, Greece to Iceland with Scandinavian Airlines on December 2.
When they reached their gate, staff refused to let them board unless they paid for an escort, broadcaster RÚV and the Iceland Review reported.
This would have involved buying another seat on the plane, so they refused.
Two days later, the couple were again prevented from boarding another flight for the same reason, per RÚV.
The family finally returned home on December 9 a week behind schedule, on their third attempt.
They said they were only allowed to board because another passenger from Iceland agreed to act as their escort.
In an interview with RÚV, Thrastarson pointed out that Scandinavian Airlines allows children as young as five to travel un-escorted on its flights and suggested his family should not be treated any differently.
He believes that the presence of his one-year-old daughter might have concerned the airline. Thrastarson insisted, however, that he and his partner would not have booked the flight if they didn't feel comfortable caring for their child onboard, per Iceland Review.
The couple said that they intend to take legal action against Scandinavian Airlines. They were supported by the Icelandic Association of the Visually Impaired and the Icelandic Consul in Greece.
Eythor told RÚV: "This is by no means over."
Scandinavian Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.
When they reached their gate, staff refused to let them board unless they paid for an escort, broadcaster RÚV and the Iceland Review reported.
This would have involved buying another seat on the plane, so they refused.
Two days later, the couple were again prevented from boarding another flight for the same reason, per RÚV.
The family finally returned home on December 9 a week behind schedule, on their third attempt.
They said they were only allowed to board because another passenger from Iceland agreed to act as their escort.
In an interview with RÚV, Thrastarson pointed out that Scandinavian Airlines allows children as young as five to travel un-escorted on its flights and suggested his family should not be treated any differently.
He believes that the presence of his one-year-old daughter might have concerned the airline. Thrastarson insisted, however, that he and his partner would not have booked the flight if they didn't feel comfortable caring for their child onboard, per Iceland Review.
The couple said that they intend to take legal action against Scandinavian Airlines. They were supported by the Icelandic Association of the Visually Impaired and the Icelandic Consul in Greece.
Eythor told RÚV: "This is by no means over."
Scandinavian Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.