��һ�ǿ�����

THREE KEY FACTS��

- A woman living with a rare disorder was waiting in the airport lounge for her flight when she was told she couldn’t keep her business class seat��

- She says she feels humiliated by the airline��

- Qantas says that it “should not have happened” and has apologised to the passenger��

A Queensland woman who can only fly business class due to a medical condition said she was humiliated and in tears after��Qantas��asked her to give up her seat to accommodate its crew.��

On June 3, Donna Carlson intended to go to Cairns on flight QF710 to visit her daughter - who she hadn’t seen for a year - after accumulating frequent flyer points for a seat in business class.��

She was already at the business class lounge at��Brisbane��Airport when she made the difficult choice to cancel the booking, the��Courier Mail��reported.��

Staff made arrangements for a wheelchair and took the Toowoomba local to the flight lounge before initially telling her that the flight had been oversold, Carlson claims. She said she was given three options: downgrade to economy, take an alternative flight - or cancel and get a refund.��

The problem was that Carlson has Type 3 Achalasia - a rare medical condition that affects the oesophagus and ability to swallow - and she made the booking for business class to cater to her medical needs.��

Carlson said that she has no choice but to eat through a feeding tube and the extra space in business class lessens the likelihood of the tube dislodging. She also needs to be close to the toilets.��

“I was left sitting outside the service desk outside the business class lounge feeling distressed and completely humiliated,” she told the��Courier Mail.��

“I hadn’t seen my daughter for a year and I was really excited to be going to Cairns and I was in tears because of the frustration of being told by Qantas that they had overbooked the flight and nobody could help me.”��

She added that flying business class is not a choice, but a medical need: “Business class is the way I have to travel.”��

The passenger’s husband, Brian Carlson, lashed out at the airline following the booking ordeal.��

He told the��Courier Mail: “What we’re upset about, annoyed about and to be honest, angry about is that she was chosen when other passengers could have been chosen��

“All the airlines oversell flights, but they picked the one passenger who couldn’t be downgraded.”��

A Qantas spokesperson said in a statement when approached for comment by the��Herald: “We understand how upsetting this experience must have been for Ms Carlson and have apologised. It should not have happened.”��

The airline added that the flight was not oversold. The seat was required for technical crew who were required to travel at short notice for operational reasons.��

It’s not the first time the Australian carrier has faced backlash this year.��

Last month��Qantas apologised to another Queensland passenger��after telling him that his medical certificate did not qualify for their compassionate fare refund rules.��

In February, an angry traveller accused the airline of��providing an “inedible” breakfast.��