Spirit Airlines passenger denied boarding after cosmetic procedure; airline cites medical safety concerns
"Even though y'all have my medical clearance, even though my doctor's—y'all are still restricting me to fly," Shataria Banks is heard saying in the video recorded Wednesday afternoon at the Spirit Airlines counter.
Banks told reporters she had arrived in Miami from Houston last week for a cosmetic procedure she preferred to keep private.
After several days of recovery, she returned to the airport with documentation from her doctor clearing her to fly. But when she tried to check in for her flight at the Spirit counter, she was told she would not be allowed to board.
"Well, we don't have it in writing—verbatim—from their spirit supervisor. It was just how I was treated on top of them just neglecting what my doctor said," Banks said, describing the exchange with Spirit employees.
In a statement, Spirit Airlines said: "The safety and well-being of our Guests is our top priority. Our records show the agents followed our procedures and consulted with a designated on-call medical professional via our vendor MedLink to verify the Guest's fitness to travel."
"The medical professional at MedLink was informed of the Guest's documentation and advised that the Guest was not fit to travel based on their condition at the time and in the interest of their safety. The Guest was ultimately issued a refund for the flight."
Banks said she understands the need for safety but felt there should be clearer protocols in place for passengers traveling post-procedure.
"I'm not saying that they can't deny their travelers and they're looking out for their safety, but have something in place, because everybody don't have money to waste for a new flight. I never want to fly with them, ever, ever," she said.
Although she received a refund, Banks and her husband had to pay for an extra hotel night and were booking a return flight to Houston on another airline.
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