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A Delta passenger with multiple sclerosis was tied to a wheelchair with a blanket for transport, family says (DAL)

A Delta Air Lines passenger named Maria Saliagas was tied to a wheelchair with a blanket after the airline failed to provide a wheelchair with extra straps for her flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam, her son told WSB-TV.

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  • Nathan Saliagas told WSB-TV that Delta did not fulfill his request for a wheelchair with extra straps upon her arrival and that airline employees instead tied his mother to a wheelchair with a blanket, causing her discomfort.
  • A Delta representative said the airline was "disappointed that our customers didn't have a satisfying travel experience and will ensure that their return flight exceeds expectations."

A Delta Air Lines passenger named Maria Saliagas was tied to a wheelchair with a blanket after an international flight earlier this month, her son told the Atlanta news outlet WSB-TV.

Saliagas was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis five years ago but didn't want to end her yearly tradition of traveling to Europe with her husband, WSB-TV reported. She flew from Atlanta to Amsterdam on April 1.

She told the outlet that Delta usually accommodated her by providing a wheelchair with extra straps to keep her upright. But her son, Nathan Saliagas, said that Delta did not fulfill his request for such a wheelchair upon her arrival and that airline employees instead tied her to a wheelchair with a blanket, causing her discomfort.

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"They took a dirty blanket and tied her forcefully with it, and she has bruise marks on part of her arm because it was so tight, and she started crying," he told WSB-TV.

The Saliagases told WSB-TV that Delta offered them 20,000 SkyMiles after the incident but that they wanted the airline to reconsider how it treats passengers with disabilities.

A Delta representative told Business Insider that the airline had a different perspective on the incident.

"We are disappointed that our customers didn't have a satisfying travel experience and will ensure that their return flight exceeds expectations," the representative said. "While Delta always looks for ways to improve the overall customer experience, our findings do not align with details shared by the customer's family."

In a separate incident in March involving Delta, a passenger said the airline's customer-service representatives didn't properly communicate with him after his dog was placed on multiple incorrect flights.

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