A FURIOUS uncle has blasted Delta for not offering his family cheaper flights home after his young nephew broke his leg in Thailand.
Tyler Davis wrote a series of messages on Twitter about the issue that’s divided the internet.
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Tyler’s nephew broke his leg in Thailand after he was hit by a motorbike.
According to a series of tweets, Tyler’s brother wanted to fly home early with his son for treatment with a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon and requested business class seats so the boy could keep his leg elevated in a bid to avoid blood clots.
Tyler accused Delta of leaving them abroad as they were unable to offer the father and son business class seats on a flight for less than £5,000.
He wrote: “They booked the whole trip with Delta and Delta partners initially.
“It was a week long vacation in Thailand. But due to my nephew getting hit by a motorcycle, they had to change flights to get back home.
“Delta tried to get a flight – but swelling was too high to travel.”
The family were eventually able to travel after the child’s swelling went down, but then came the challenge of finding affordable and available seats.
Tyler said: “Swelling went down and went to travel but Delta was unable to get them onto a partner that had 10 seats available to Shanghai and then to the US.
“They’ve been sitting in a Phuket waiting for flight to Shanghai and then onto the US. Beyond all these mishaps .@Delta still wants 7k.”
Tyler explained that the airline had asked for $3,125.73 (£2391.81) per person to fly the father and son back in business class.
The family did eventually make it home in economy, with the boy finding a row of free seats in economy.
Flying with broken bones
If you have a bone break that’s set into a plaster cast, you may still be able to travel, although it’s best to check with your airline.
According to the NHS: “Some airlines require you to wait 24 hours after a plaster cast has been fitted for flights less than 2 hours, and 48 hours for longer flights.
“This is because there’s a risk of swelling after a plaster cast is first fitted, which can affect your circulation.
“If you’re planning to fly with a newly fitted plaster cast, you may need to have it split.
“This is done to prevent swelling and reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and compartment syndrome, a potentially serious condition caused by swelling.”
However, social media users were conflicted over who was to blame.
Some said the airline should have done more.
One person replied to Tyler: “That’s insane! When I broke my leg back in 2010, Delta upgraded my flight for free all the way from Paris to Dulles.
“Can’t believe they were this awful to you.”
Another said: “Poor little man hope they all get home safe and sound, and he gets the care he needs.”
Someone also tweeted: “The system needs some fixing. This is rediculous (sic).”
Others were less sympathetic, saying the prices were fair.
One user wrote: “And 6.3k, which is $3158/person, for a reservation date change, 12+ hour, international flight, in First Class. I’d say that’s a deal.”
Another remarked: “How is this the fault of the airline? Things happen in life, and we feel for the kid, but if you change a ticket, especially and international one, it costs money.
“The airline is not at fault, and it’s not their responsibility. Just sayin.”
In a tweet, Delta said: “Hello Tyler, we were able to move Bennett and his mom to bulkhead seats, which provides additional leg room.
“We also informed the crew on his PVG flight to assist as much as possible while onboard. HYC.”
A spokesperson for the airline told Sun Online Travel: “We are reviewing the details to better understand what happened and have worked to re-accommodate the family.”
Delta Air Lines were forced to apologise to a passenger with MS last year after they tied her to her wheelchair with towels.
Maria Saliagas was told to “shut the f**k up” or she wouldn’t be allowed on the flight.
