Emma Bennison, who is blind, is pleased Jetstar will improve its passenger services with a new help line after she was left stranded in a Melbourne Airport lounge after disembarking a Jetstar flight.
Emma made a disability discrimination complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission about her experience, where she was represented by the Justice and Equity Centre. The complaint has been resolved, with the airline committing to trial a new escalation process. Customers who are unable to locate or contact Jetstar airport staff at Australian domestic airports will be able to call a telephone help line when they need assistance.
In February 2024, Emma flew from her home in Hobart to Melbourne on a work trip. When she booked the flight with Jetstar, Emma had arranged for a Jetstar staff member to meet her at the gate in Melbourne and assist her through the airport. This ‘specific assistance’ is a disability access measure Jetstar provides.
When Emma arrived in Melbourne, Jetstar staff escorted her to a seating area and left her there.
‘I was left for an hour and a half, not knowing where I was or what was around me. To be left alone with no way to contact the staff who were supposed to assist me was really stressful and humiliating, and potentially dangerous,’ said Emma.
‘I stood up a couple of times and called out, but nobody responded. Eventually I called my travel agent, and they called the airport, and the airport called the airline.’
Emma complained to Jetstar, which initially failed to respond to her suggestions for improvements to make its services more accessible. She then took her complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
‘This isn’t just a problem with Jetstar. People with disability are treated poorly across the board when they travel by air,’ says Emma.
‘Every time I go to an airport I brace myself for something to go wrong. I leave extra time to deal with problems with my booking or requests, which makes travel days long and exhausting. And I prepare myself emotionally for the disregard that airlines and airports seem to have for people with disability. Having to consistently fight for decent treatment really wears you down.’
‘I’m really pleased Jetstar has listened to my feedback and is taking active steps to make its services more accessible. It seems like a small change but it will set the standard for other airlines to follow.’
Mitchell Skipsey, Senior Solicitor with the Justice and Equity Centre, says people with disability should not have to lodge discrimination complaints to receive fair treatment.
‘While our laws require services to be accessible, lack of detail and enforcement has let airlines and airports off the hook. It’s been left to people like Emma to make complaints after things go wrong, and demand improvements that ensure people with disability can travel safely and independently.’
‘The disability community has been crying out for change for years – and offering practical solutions for improvements.’
‘Last year, the Australian Government committed to developing disability standards for air travel. If done well, these standards will go a long way to removing the barriers people with disability face time and time again when trying to travel by air.
‘This is a once in a generation opportunity and it’s critical government gets it right. The standards must be co-designed with people with disability, who have the solutions that will work. And a dedicated regulator must oversee and enforce accessibility, with meaningful repercussions if airlines or airports continue to discriminate.’
Read a joint statement from Jetstar and Emma about the complaint and the new accessibility initiative.
Media contact: JEC Media Manager Dan Buhagiar 0478 739 280
