A 19-year-old Australian woman, Lily Winward, had a nightmare-like flight with Etihad Airways back in September. Winward, who is an athlete, was returning home from Europe when the airline told her that she needed to stay at a hotel in Abu Dhabi as the flight was overbooked. She suffered a panic attack as another passenger was harassing her, finally convincing staff members to allow her on the flight. However, she was forced to carry a toddler from Abu Dhabi airport to Sydney.
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Winward had just competed at an athletics competition in Austria and was returning home from Athens. During her Abu Dhabi layover, however, she was delivered the news. The flight was overbooked, and staff members told her that she needed to stay at a hotel, 40 minutes from Abu Dhabi airport. Winward, however, was not willing to comply.
Given that she had been at an athletics competition, Winward was wearing activewear tights and a singlet, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. So, understandably, the Australian teenager, who was traveling alone, was unwilling to go uncovered to the hotel by herself. It was the middle of the night, so it made the whole ordeal even more problematic. Moreover, another passenger who was bumped from the flight too began harassing her. He was even attempting to force her into a taxi with him.
Panic Attack
She insisted that she needed to board the plane, as she felt unsafe. However, Etihad staff members did not respond to her pleas. "I was quite upset. I was crying, and I said, 'I just want to get home; I don't feel safe going to a hotel, especially with this guy bothering me'," Winward told The Herald.
Winward's insistence and the staff member's carelessness eventually led her to suffer a panic attack. It was only then that one of the staff members, seeing her state, agreed to let her on the flight. However, even after suffering a panic attack, Lily Winward had to travel at least 13 hours to Sydney while holding a toddler. The airline had assigned her to the toddler's seat.
"I just think it's not good enough, for someone who has paid $3000 for flights, it shouldn't happen," Winward said. Despite her travel agent's complaints, Eithad hasn't provided an explanation or even an apology to Lily Winward.
