Bravo Federal Court Judge Alan Robertson.

A 75 year old disabled woman lost her case against Jetstar for refusing to allow her on a flight in 2008. 

Ms Sheila King who suffers from post polio syndrome and further injuries from a car accident in 2008 failed to let the airline know that she was confined to a wheelchair when she booked her flight and found that when she rang to confirm her flight that the airline's two wheelchair assistance seats were already taken.  She was offered a seat on another flight which she refused.  Instead, she decided to sue Jetstar claiming that she had been discriminated against.

This is what Graeme Innes acting on Ms King's behalf, had to say on the ABC's Lateline on the 31st October 2011:
GRAEME INNES, DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION COMMISSIONER: This problem seems to relate to budget airlines. Qantas certainly doesn't have a policy excluding people - more than two people who use wheelchairs on their aircraft and never has had. And I don't know any other airline in the world that does.

Well Graeme, I'll say this real slow so perhaps even you can understand.  Budget airlines offer cheap prices to customers by keeping costs low.  Wheelchair assistance seats cost money, they require extra staff, extra space and often special meal requirements.  Limiting the available spaces limits costs.  Jetstar were no more discriminating against your client than they would be against me when they did not provide me with a 1st class seat if I'd asked for it.  They don't have any 1st class seats.  They're a budget airline.


In response to this loss, Joanna Shulman from the Redfern Legal Centre wants the government to strengthen the laws regarding the rights of people with disabilities, so that future Ms Kings will win a case like this.  Ms Shulman fails to mention what this sort of reform would cost.  At the very least it would put up the cost of a ticket on Jetstar (putting air travel out of the reach of some people) not that Ms Shulman would care she probably doesn't fly Jetstar anyway.