Disabled traveller left ‘housebound’ for months after airline error

A disabled traveller whose £2,700 wheelchair was broken on an Aer Lingus flight has said they were left “housebound” for months squandering their life savings on taxis and food deliveries after the airline refused repayment.

Winter Mraz, 36, head of design at craft supplies company Sophie & Toffee, from Liverpool , noticed their power chair was bent and making a “squeaky-grinding” sound after travelling more than 20 hours from Phoenix, Arizona, to Manchester on April 3.

Winter, who was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) and Fibromyalgia in 2009, which means they cannot walk more than a few feet without being in pain, contacted the wheelchair manufacturer, EZ Lite Cruiser, to evaluate the damage.

Their report concluded the chair had suffered “serious damage to the frame” and “we recommend the device is replaced as it not safe to use in the current condition”.

Aer Lingus, who has since apologised, initially refused to offer Winter compensation because the damage was not reported at the time of arrival or within seven days.

Now, four months later, the airline has agreed to cover the cost of a new chair but will not offer any further compensation.

Winter, who is due to start a Masters at the University of Liverpool in September, has spent months afraid to use the damaged chair for fear it would collapse, only leaving the house a handful of times when necessary.

Winter said that living without a chair has decimated their savings due to additional costs, such as having to pay for food deliveries and Ubers to get around.

To help Winter cover their losses, close friend Dana Andersen has launched a fundraiser on GoFundMe which has received more than £3,000.

“I can stand but I cannot walk more than a metre unless it’s on safe, known ground,” Winter, who is non-binary, told PA Real Life.

“Since March, I’ve left my house once or twice a month, because I had a doctor’s appointment or an unmissable event that I had to go to.

“It doesn’t make up for the £4,500 in savings that’s now completely depleted and it doesn’t make up for any of the mental and physical stress.

“Screw this policy, it needs to change.”

Winter travelled to Phoenix to sort out the last of their father’s personal affairs after he died last year.

On April 3 2024, Winter returned to the UK, flying from Los Angeles to Manchester via Dublin with Irish airline Aer Lingus.

Winter’s power wheelchair, which was stowed in the hold, was “fully functional” during the transfer at Dublin airport.

“I have to take my wheelchair right up to the gate, where the airplane is,” said Winter.

“The chair then gets collapsed down and I have to take the batteries on the flight with me.

“They put it in last, so that it’s the first out.”

But after arriving in Manchester, after more than 20 hours of travelling, Winter noticed the chair did not feel right.

“At this point I’m in an extreme amount of pain, because we’ve been travelling for over 20 hours and I’ve had like more than 50 back surgeries, minor and major,” said Winter.

“They bring the chair up and every single strap and buckle has been undone, so we put the whole thing back together and when I go to sit in it, it settles weird.

“The wheels are supposed to be straight, but you could see there was a visible tilt…and it just didn’t feel right.”

Winter said they flagged the issue to the special assistance staff member but was told because it was late at night, none of the desks were open to make a complaint.

“He said if it runs that’s great, you can get home safely and then, if there’s a problem, get an engineers’ report and email it to us,” explained Winter – who did just that.

A report by the wheelchair manufacturer EZ Lite Cruiser concluded: “The photographs received indicate serious damage to the frame where the wheel assemblies – both in the front and rear (motors) – appear to have been bent in a manner indicative of a large pressure being put on the device, while in the folded position.

“Each of the wheels seems to have been pressed down with an extreme force causing them to camber outward.

“We recommend the device is replaced as it is unsafe to use in the current condition.”

Winter sent the report to Aer Lingus several times, requesting compensation for the £2,700 chair and the cost of renting a temporary one, which they did not cover.

According to the company’s website, “Damage not reported at the time of arrival must be reported through our Post Travel Enquiry form, within seven days of receiving your baggage”.

Winter was told on May 15 the company could not accept claims after seven days and was therefore unable to offer any compensation.

Fearing the damaged chair would collapse, Winter stopped using it whenever possible and would only leave the house in case of emergencies.

“When it collapses, if I’m sitting in it, I will be hurt and then I will have a huge, broken metal mess that I can’t leave or push,” said Winter.

“I literally don’t know what I would do if it collapses under me.”

As a result, Winter said they cancelled medical appointments, was unable to go food shopping and struggled with work commitments and socialising.

They even missed out on officiating a close friend’s wedding on May 25 due to safety concerns.

The whole experience also took a heavy toll on Winter’s mental health.

“I have gone from being completely independent to having to rely on others to have my basic needs met,” said Winter.

“It’s been a horrendous mental stress and I’ve been more depressed than I have been since I was a goth in an American high school.

“It got so bad that my friend Dana was sending me text messages reminding me to eat every day because I was that depressed and in that much pain.”

The additional cost of living without being able leave their home has decimated Winter’s savings, which have plummeted from £4,500 to just £200.

“At this point I’ve just drained all of my savings just trying to get around and live, because I can’t go to Tesco’s or the grocery store, I have to pay for delivery which costs so much more money.

“Not to mention the sheer amount of Ubers I’ve had to use.”

In a bid to regain independence, Winter’s friend Dana, who has a large following on YouTube, launched a fundraiser on GoFundMe which has so far received £3,000, with one person anonymously donating £1,000.

“The response has been amazing and has helped put pressure on the company,” said Winter.

Four months after Winter reported the damage, Aer Lingus has finally agreed to cover the cost of a new chair, excluding shipping.

“I received the payment last night (August 27) but they were happy to let me rot for four-and-a-half months,” said Winter.

An Aer Lingus spokesperson said: “Aer Lingus sincerely regrets that this customer’s wheelchair was damaged during travel with us.

“Our policy is that customers report any damage incurred to their property within seven days of travel but we understand that this was not possible in this instance.

“Our customer team liaised directly with this customer to advise them of their options for repair or replacement of the damaged wheelchair.

“We acknowledge that this issue must have been very stressful for the customer and we apologise for this.”