Shataria Banks, who is recuperating from a cosmetic procedure, has expressed her disappointment that Spirit Airlines refused to let her board at Miami International Airport even though she had her doctor’s approval.
In a video shot at the Spirit Airlines counter, the Houston woman was heard saying, “Even though y’all have my medical clearance, even though my doctor’s—y’all are still restricting me to fly.”
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Banks told CBS News Miami that she traveled from Houston to Miami last week for a cosmetic procedure she preferred to keep private.
After a few days of recovery, she returned to the airport with the doctor’s clearance to travel. However, she was informed she would not be permitted to board when she attempted to check in at the Spirit counter for her flight.
“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 told the outlet, 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.”
Although Banks acknowledged the need for safety, she believed that passengers traveling after having a procedure like hers should have clearer guidelines.
“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.
Despite the reimbursement, Banks and her husband were forced to pay for a hotel room and had to search for a different airline to fly back to Houston.
