Dubai: An ex-flight attendant is demanding an apology and refund from Emirates airline for offloading her because of an itch.
Canadian Rasouleh Kazerouni was travelling business class to Prague with her fiancé on November 29 to celebrate their engagement when she was taken off the plane. Ironically, it was the same airline she worked for five years. Both Kazerouni and her fiancé are privileged cardholders and were treated well until she developed an itch.
That itchy feeling
Kazerouni recalled: “The stewardess had just served us some drinks when I felt a slight itch on my hands. I also developed a small hive on my cheek, so I asked the stewardess for a Claritine tablet. It is a common anti-histamine drug available across the counter and does not require prescription.
“She asked me why I wanted the tablet. When I told her it was for an itch, she returned with a paper with questions like: ‘Are you allergic to something? Are you pregnant? How old are you?’
“While I was happy with the extra care I felt they were taking, little did I know there was something sinister brewing.
“A couple sitting in front of us gave me a tablet and I immediately felt better. The itching stopped and the hive vanished too. Kazerouni said she had barely settled when a pursor came and asked if she was good enough to fly. “I was taken aback, as I looked and felt just fine,” she said.
“Just then, I heard the pilot come on the P.A. and apologise for the delay due to a medical emergency. Within minutes two paramedics came onboard and rushed towards me. They sat next to me and checked my vital signs. I was getting really embarrassed about all the fuss. I just kept thinking to myself — it is just an itch!”
After the check-up the paramedics called the airport doctor on the ground, she said. “They asked me to sign a waiver and cleared me to fly. Imagine my shock when a stewardess told me that we will have get off the plane because of my itch. When we protested, the purser told us we had no choice. Since we did not want to create a scene or have security come on board, we got off the plane.
“The pilot did not even bother to come and see me, yet he decided not to fly me. How could he take that decision without even seeing me?”
The flight was scheduled to depart at 9.05am but was delayed by an hour. At around 10.20am Kazerouni got a ‘fit to travel certificate’ from the doctor on ground. But it was useless as the plane had already taken off minutes earlier.
Kazerouni said the airline offered her to fly on the following day, but she turned them down. “There was no point. We had planned a three-day trip and I had already wasted one day. We had made hotel bookings but I had to cancel everything. The airline played doctor, jury and judge – all by themselves. It was very humiliating for me and my fiance. ”
Kazerouni said she has lodged a complaint with the airline and was awaiting a response.
An Emirates Spokesperson said: “It would not be appropriate to go into the finer details of this case. However, our cabin crew are trained to deal with medical incidents and where necessary consult doctors by phone, and of course the captain of the aircraft, as to the course of action to take. On this occasion, it was decided, as a precaution, not to allow the passenger to take the flight to Prague. We apologise for any inconvenience caused, but the safety of our passengers and crew is a top priority and will not be compromised.”
