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A British Columbia resident says that he was kicked off of his WestJet flight after he fell asleep before takeoff.
Bennett’s wife Josefa Sapelino woke him from his nap while the plane was still on the ground because a flight attendant was telling him that “he had to go,” he told the outlet.
Bennett told the Canadian news outletCBCthat he had a stroke two months ago, and took a sleeping pill for tiredness and a pain in his leg. A nurse on the flight reportedly examined Bennett after the flight attendant raised a concern. “She said that he was fine,” Hickey recalled.
Nevertheless, paramedics escorted Bennett off of the plane. “It was so humiliating,” he told the BBC. “Basically, the stewardess became judge, jury and executioner.”
Bennett said that he was not allowed back on the flight even after the paramedics cleared him to fly and his doctor sent an email confirming he was in good health. “I was in tears,” Bennett told CBC.
“To be clear, this is not about sleeping but about being under the influence of drugs upon boarding,” a spokesperson for WestJet said in a statement to PEOPLE. “In addition, we have accounts from our crew that differ significantly from the account the guest is giving.”
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“When our crews observe a guest who is exhibiting signs of not being fit to fly, we will, out of an abundance of caution and in adherence with Transport Canada’s regulations remove the guest from the flight,” the statement continued. “These decisions are not taken lightly, but are made for the safety of the guest in question, other guests on the aircraft and our crews. We regret the inconvenience to our guest when situations like this occur.”
Bennett told CBC that he went to a customer service desk at the airport and called the airline for help, but was told the next available flight wasn’t until a week later.
“They just kept talking down to me, cutting me off in conversation, telling me, ‘Look, you don’t understand, it’s your fault,'” he told the outlet.
He also claims he had to pay $1,600 to book himself, his wife and his son on another plane and to stay in Toronto while they waited for their next flight.
“We’re financially hurt. I’m so emotionally hurt,” he said. According to CBC, he plans to seek compensation and an apology from WestJet in court.
source: people.com
