A Denver-based comedian claims that he and his girlfriend were removed from a Frontier Airlines flight on Sunday because his girlfriend is deaf and couldn’t “understand what the attendant was saying”.
Mike Stanley says he is “absolutely disgusted” with the way that his girlfriend was treated, claiming that a flight attendant mocked his girlfriend for her disability.
“Frontier just kicked my deaf girlfriend off the flight after she couldn’t understand what the attendant was saying,” Stanley wrote on Twitter. “She said ‘I’m sorry I’m deaf, and only read lips’ then the flight attendant mocked her and called the service rep to have us removed.”
“Her mask slipped as she was putting her things in the overhead compartment,” Stanley explained. “She immediately put it back over her nose when she figured out what the attendant was saying. Then the attendant said “ugh… I’m so over people” and mocked her by saying ‘I ONLY read lips’ to every row behind us”.
Stanley says they had paid extra for additional legroom seating at the front of the aircraft specifically because it’s difficult for his girlfriend to hear.
The reason why the couple were removed was because of non-compliance with the federal face mask mandate but Stanley says that both he and his girlfriend support the mandate “100%” and that they never complain about having to wear a mask.
To add insult to injury, Stanley alleges that the ground rep that Frontier sent to escort them off the plane was wearing her face mask below her nose.
The incident comes just over a week after another couple was removed from an American Airlines branded regional flight for a mask slip that occurred when a passenger was hauling her luggage into the overhead bin.
The mask had apparently already slipped upon boarding and an eagle-eyed flight attendant insisted that the couple wear a disposable mask provided by the airline. The couple refused and insisted their masks were compliant and fitted properly but this didn’t convince the flight attendant.
After they declined to switch masks and then refused to get off the plane, all the other passengers were deplaned. The couple completed the journey unmasked on a private jet.
Ross O’Rouke vowed to take legal action against American Airlines for its “treacherous and dastardly behavior“
Frontier Airlines has been contacted for comment.
I can’t believe the others agreed to get off! We flew Frontier in February & I asked the young woman calling boarding what she said and she said I didn’t call you! Well when it was our turn to board she let my husband board and then when I was getting on she said I needed a different mask. The airline didn’t accept mine because it didn’t cover my mouth & nose. It was a mask sold as a mask & I used it on our flight to Denver but she was not going to let me on. She was VERY RUDE & was probably 19. She gave me a mask and I put it into my jeans pocket and boarded! The other people sitting around us were complaining about her also. My husband assured them I’d be getting in touch with the company. I made sure she saw I was looking at her name tag. All uncalled for
I am also severely hard of hearing. Covid has not made life any easier. Face masks compound the problem as voices become muffled. There should be a dry erase board for the attendents to use. Also the most common issues should be printed on cards to share with the deaf what they need to do. I am not one to sue but HR seriously needs to read the ADA law and make this company compliant. I will never fly Frontier after reading this. Hard enough to navigate in a hearing world.
I understand completely… I go through the same thing. Very frustrating.
That flight attendent is a disgrace and should be fired!
I had a skyhag rip my earphones out on an AA flight from Japan to Los Angeles. She SCREAMED that she was sick and tired of moron disbled peolle like me. I complained to AA and got the typical BS fake apology. After pushing it and hiring an attorney we were given a $300 credit and the employee was “retired” from service. Seriously, if you hate your customers that much why are you still working there? And point blank AA and their “policy” can shove it up their freindly sky hind end.
As a deaf person, I would file a compliant first with the airline, then get a civil rights attorney who deals with disability issues and sue for non-compliance of ADA. This is not about winning money. It is about holding this airline accountable.
Also, as a traveler, I make sure to make the gate attendant aware, which also allows me early boarding, as I enter the plans, I let the flight attendants know. I do both even if I’m flying with others. This helps to avoid a number of issues and miscommunications.
They should have sign language flight attendants on every flight because of mask requirement.
I am hard of hearing and before I got hearing aids my husband had to’ interpet’ for me. Now with everyone wearing masks it’s still difficult to hear and obviously I can’t read lips anymore… people should be a bit more gracious. It’s frustrating for us, too.
Most, if not all, should have written or captioned (if video) instructions for deaf people (even the hearing people who can’t hear for its worth). The airlines I have been on have either written instructions or attendants go through the process while it is announced overhead. Sometimes I get both. The only thing that they won’t do is seat us by the exit doors. The ADA has been around for over 30 years and we still address these issues today. Sometimes it boils down to nasty employee attitude towards the people who pays their checks. Filing a complaint and contacting an ADA lawyer are 2 steps to get things resolved. The idea of written instructions and/or captioned videos can and do benefit people who can hear as well.