The mother of a 10-year-old boy with a rare muscle-wasting disease has criticised Jet2 after staff demanded proof of his disability before allowing him to board a flight home from Croatia.
Alex Johnson, 33, said her son Jack, who suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy and uses a motorised scooter, was left 'humiliated' when check-in staff at Split Airport claimed they had no record of his condition or his scooter. The family were eventually allowed to fly after Mrs Johnson produced Jack's blue badge, but the incident caused a two-hour delay.
Mrs Johnson said she had informed the airline of Jack's needs when booking the flights weeks earlier, but administration staff had failed to pass on the information. She described the treatment as 'appalling' and said it ruined the family's holiday.
Jack, the son of former rugby league star Andy Johnson, told the Mail: 'I really want this to be highlighted. I don't want any of my friends with Duchenne to go through the same thing.' The family runs the Joining Jack charity, which has been supported by England rugby star Owen Farrell.
Mrs Johnson said Jet2 offered her a £300 voucher as compensation, which she described as 'insulting'. She is calling for staff training to ensure disabled passengers are treated with dignity.
A Jet2 spokesperson said: 'We are sorry to hear about this customer's experience and we are investigating the matter.'
