Anger as EasyJet tell passenger to prove she is deaf

A deaf woman has accused easyJet check-in staff of asking her to prove she couldn't hear. Lesley Stewart claimed the airline demanded proof of her disability before they would let her hearing dog, Molly, on the plane with her.

She said the row took nearly two hours to sort out and caused her to miss her plane. And she accused the airline of charging her an extra £43 before allowing her to take Molly on a later flight.

Lesley, 49, said: "To be asked to prove I was deaf was absolutely ridiculous. I want an apology, money back for the flight, and an assurance that the airline will make sure no one else with a disability has to go through that kind of experience."



Lesley, of Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, said she was challenged over her deafness as she tried to catch a plane from Gatwick to Edinburgh. She said she responded by pulling back her hair to reveal her hearing aids.

Lesley insisted she warned easyJet in advance that her hearing dog would be travelling with her. She said she waited an hour and 40 minutes for a manager to come to talk to her, by which time her plane had left.

She claims easyJet only let her board the next flight after the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People confirmed by fax that Molly was a hearing dog. And she says she had to pay £43 for the fax to confirm Molly was a hearing assist dog.