Emirates apologises to passenger ‘humiliated’ over oxygen equipment on flight

Emirates airline has apologized to a Pakistani passenger who “faced humiliation” after being told to pay “excess baggage fee” for her portable oxygen equipment. Amna Raheel had checked-in at Dubai International Airport for a flight to Karachi on August 9 when she was told that her oxygen concentrator weighed above her free baggage allocation. Raheel suffers from muscular dystrophy, a disease that weakens the muscles, and chronic pulmonary disease that requires her to use an oxygen concentrator to help her breathe properly. She regularly travels with the device. “I was told that I was overweight and my oxygen concentrator would be counted in my baggage allowance, which was highly absurd since I was carrying a medical certificate with me,” said Raheel on social media. “That would mean that if a person with disability is carrying a life-saving equipment with them, they are not allowed to carry any other form of luggage, including essential items like clothes, shoes or toiletries. “If a wheelchair for disabled passengers is free of baggage allowance, then lifesaving medical equipment should be too. I am a frequent traveller and I have never in my 31 years of travel life faced such humiliation by airport staff,” she said. Emirates allows similar medical devices to be carried on board a flight, provided there is a supporting medical certificate. Raheel said that despite her medical certificate issued by a pulmonologist in Karachi, Emirates ground crew insisted that she pay an excess baggage fee. She said that she was ultimately forced to leave her luggage at the airport in order to bring the life-saving oxygen machine with her. She described it as the “absolute worst experience of life”. Emirates airline has since apologized to Raheel for the “distress and inconvenience caused”. “We were disappointed to learn that our policies relating to the carriage of portable oxygen devices were misinterpreted by check-in staff, coupled with behaviour that did not reflect our values and service standards,” Emirates said, adding that it is reviewing its policies and have gotten in touch with Raheel. “We take this feedback seriously and are taking the necessary steps to ensure that incidents such as this do not happen again,” according to the airline. ICA/Expat Media
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