Overview
- Bode, who posted a TikTok Thursday, says gate staff asked if she could stand and then refused to board her.
- She says her manager was assured of help before booking, yet agents cited stairs and the 35-pound chair, forcing a three-and-a-half-hour drive.
- Southern Airways says it is investigating and has contacted her, and Bode says a company representative called her mortified and apologetic.
- The carrier’s contract requires passengers to climb steps and cites a federal rule that planes with 28 or fewer seats are not required to have mechanical lifts.
- The Air Carrier Access Act bans disability discrimination and requires boarding assistance, underscoring a long-running gap between policy and real travel for wheelchair users.