A Delta passenger with multiple sclerosis was tied to a wheelchair with a blanket for transport, family claims
- Delta Air Lines passenger Maria Saliagas was reportedly tied to a wheelchair with a blanket after the airline failed to provide the correct wheelchair, according to WSB-TV.
- Her son, Nathan, said Delta did not fulfill his request for a wheelchair with extra straps during her April 1 flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam.
- Instead, Nathan said airline employees tied Maria to a wheelchair with a blanket that caused her discomfort.
Delta Air Lines passenger Maria Saliagas was reportedly tied to a wheelchair with a blanket after the airline failed to provide the correct wheelchair, according to WSB-TV.
Saliagas was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis five years ago, but didn't want to end her tradition of traveling to Europe with her husband. She told WSB-TV that Delta usually accommodates her by providing a wheelchair with extra straps to keep her upright, but her son, Nathan, said Delta did not fulfill his request for the special wheelchair during her April 1 flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam.
Instead, Nathan said airline employees tied Maria to a wheelchair with a blanket that caused her discomfort upon her arrival at the airport in Amsterdam.
"They took a dirty blanket and tied her forcefully with it and she has bruise marks on part of her arm because it was so tight and she started crying," he told WSB-TV.
Delta reportedly offered the Saliagas family 20,000 SkyMiles after the incident, but the family told WSB-TV it wants Delta to reconsider how it treats passengers with disabilities.
A Delta representative told Business Insider that the airline's perspective on the incident was different than the one shared by the Saliagas family.
"We are disappointed that our customers didn't have a satisfying travel experience and will ensure that their return flight exceeds expectations," the representative said. "While Delta always looks for ways to improve the overall customer experience, our findings do not align with details shared by the customer's family."
In March, a Delta passenger said the airline's customer-service representatives failed to properly communicate with him after his dog was placed on multiple incorrect flights.