ATLANTA (WSB/CNN) - When Delta Air Lines employees couldn’t find a wheelchair with straps to hold up a disabled woman, they improvised.
Now her family is sharing a photograph that shows the woman tied to a chair with a blanket.
Maria Saliagas has no mobility because five years ago she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
On April 1, she and her husband traveled from Atlanta to Amsterdam on a Delta Air Lines flight.
The couple’s son, Nathan Saliagas, said he planned his parents’ trip as he does every year, by making sure Delta staff had the proper chair with several straps for his mother, because she cannot sit up in a chair on her own.
He said when they landed in Amsterdam, the chair they requested was not available.
Maria Saliagas said Delta staff members instead tied her to a chair with someone else’s blanket.
"They took a dirty blanket and tied her forcefully with it, and she has bruise marks on this part of her arm where it was tight," said Nathan Saliagas, pointing to his upper arm.
Maria Saliagas said the lack of disability services her family was promised by Delta is the reason why they took a photo and shared it.
"I want them to show initiative that they're willing to change their disability services," Nathan Saliagas said.
A Delta official responded to requests for a comment by releasing a statement.
"We regret the perception our service has left on these customers," the Delta official said. "We have reached out to them, not only to resolve their concerns, but also to ensure their return flight exceed expectations."
The Saliagas family said the resolution Delta offered was 20,000 free sky miles – but the family still wants to see changes to the airline’s disability policy.
"I definitely know that they're a good airline, I'm not doubting that at all," Nathan Saliagas said. "But in this specific situation, there was no courtesy, no respect. There was complete operations failure."
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