[JusticeAdv]

I have flown JetBlue Airways for over 25 years and after what happened to me last week, I will never fly them again. To explain, I was traveling home from vacation with my granddaughter and her mother. When we arrived at the airport for our 5 pm flight, we were informed of a significant delay to 12:00 a.m. Despite the extended delay, JetBlue provided no compensation or assistance, leaving me and my family to endure the prolonged wait without support from the airline.

It is crucial to note that I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and other health conditions, so the extensive delay caused me to feel very ill, with severe fatigue, dizziness, weakness, and excruciating pain in my legs, feet, and ankles.
During the boarding process at approximately 12:00 a.m., my granddaughter accidentally dropped her tickets, and as I attempted to retrieve them, I lost my balance due to an RA flare-up. Despite the pain, I managed to reach our seats on the plane. Overwhelmed by fatigue, I closed my eyes momentarily to rest and intended to sleep on the plane. To my shock and dismay, a JetBlue staff member named Ponelle approached me at my seat, falsely accusing me of being intoxicated in front of approximately 170 passengers and in the presence of my young granddaughter. She then ordered me to leave the plane.

I must emphasize that the seven-hour delay and the subsequent exacerbation of my medical condition compelled me to take medication prescribed by my doctor, which often induces drowsiness. As a result, my speech was slightly slurred, but I was not drunk. , I complied with Ponelle's request and exited the plane, albeit without obtaining her last name due to vision issues. Nonetheless, I managed to capture her image on my iPhone. During this encounter, she physically grabbed my left hand, attempting to take my phone and causing damage in the process. When I informed her of my intention to pursue legal action, she informed me that I was permanently banned from flying with JetBlue Airlines again. I would like to note that no security personnel approached me.
.
I ended up having a severe anxiety attack, leaving me overwhelmed and uncertain about how I would return home. Consequently, I took the prescribed anxiety medication that my doctor had provided for travel. With the airport closed and no available accommodations, I sought refuge at a chair and table to rest until the following morning. Unfortunately, while sleeping at approximately 3:30 a.m., I suffered a fall from the chair and woke up in a local emergency room.

Shockingly, the airline staff provided false information to the emergency room intake, falsely claiming that I was intoxicated from alcohol. However, no hospital test results indicated the presence of alcohol. Instead, the records noted some abnormalities in my blood work and a head injury from the fall from the chair. I was also placed on a heart monitor. No medical staff or JetBlue staff members ever contacted my family so while in the hospital nobody knew where I was. I ended up getting discharged from the hospital at 7:30 a.m. and got home the next day on a Southwest Airlines flight.

Never in my life have I ever experienced such abusive treatment as an airline customer. I wanted to share my story since I've been traumatized to the extent that I'm afraid to get on another flight ever again. JetBlue wouldn't compensate tickets for my traveling party so they could stay with me for the next flight, leaving me alone in a closed airport in a poor medical state. I keep questioning why I would be singled out like that, and my husband thinks we were profiled because my granddaughter is black.