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A disabled traveller whose £2,700 wheelchair broke on an Aer Lingus flight said he was “staying at home” for months, spending his life savings on taxis and food deliveries after the airline refused to refund him.
Winter Mraz, 36, a design director at Liverpool-based craft supply company Sophie & Toffee, noticed her power chair was bent and making a squeaky sound after travelling more than 20 hours from Phoenix, Arizona, to Manchester on April 3.
Winter, who was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and fibromyalgia in 2009, meaning she can't walk more than a few feet without pain, contacted wheelchair manufacturer EZ Lite Cruiser to assess the damage.
Their report concluded that the chair had suffered “severe damage to the frame” and “we recommend replacing the device as it is not safe to use under the current conditions.”
Aer Lingus, which has since apologised, initially refused to offer compensation to Winter because the damage was not reported at the time of arrival or within seven days.
Now, four months later, the airline has agreed to cover the cost of a new seat, but will not offer any additional compensation.
Winter, who will begin a master's degree at Liverpool University in September, has spent months afraid to use the damaged chair for fear it might collapse, leaving the house only a few times when necessary.
Winter said living without a chair has decimated her savings due to additional costs, such as having to pay for food deliveries and Ubers to get around.
To help Winter cover her losses, her close friend Dana Andersen launched a GoFundMe fundraising campaign that raised more than £3,000.
“I can stand, but I can’t walk more than a metre unless it’s on safe, familiar ground,” Winter, who is non-binary, told PA Real Life.
“Since March, I have been leaving the house once or twice a month, either because I have a doctor's appointment or an unmissable event to attend.
“It doesn’t make up for the £4,500 in savings that are now completely depleted and it doesn’t make up for the mental and physical stress.
“To hell with this policy, it has to change.”
Winter traveled to Phoenix to handle her father's final personal matters following his death last year.
On 3 April 2024, Winter returned to the UK, flying from Los Angeles to Manchester via Dublin with Irish airline Aer Lingus.
Winter's electric wheelchair, which was stored in the cargo hold, was “fully functional” during the transfer at Dublin Airport.
“I have to carry my wheelchair to the gate, where the plane is,” Winter said.
“Then the chair folds up and I have to take the batteries on the flight.
“They put it at the end so it's the first one out.”
But after arriving in Manchester, after more than 20 hours of travel, Winter noticed that the chair didn't feel right.
“I am in extreme pain right now because we have been traveling for over 20 hours and I have had over 50 back surgeries, minor and major,” Winter said.
“They lift the chair up and every strap and buckle is undone, so we put everything back together and when I go to sit in it, it sits weird.
“The wheels are supposed to be straight, but you could see there was a visible tilt… and it just didn’t feel right.”
Winter said they reported the issue to the special assistance staff member, but was told that because it was late at night, none of the desks were open to file a complaint.
“He said if it worked it would be great, that I could get home safely and if there was any problem I could get a report from the engineers and email it to us,” said Winter, who did just that.
A report from the EZ Lite Cruiser wheelchair manufacturer concluded: “Photographs received indicate severe damage to the frame where the wheel assemblies, both front and rear (motors), appear to have been bent in a manner indicating a great deal of pressure being placed on the device while in the folded position.
“Each of the wheels appears to have been pressed down with extreme force, causing them to tilt outward.
“We recommend replacing the device as it is not safe to use under current conditions.”
Winter sent the report to Aer Lingus several times, requesting compensation for the £2,700 chair and the cost of hiring a temporary one, which they did not cover.
According to the company’s website, “Damage not reported upon arrival must be reported via our post-trip enquiry form, within seven days of receiving your baggage.”
On May 15, Winter was told the company could not accept claims after seven days and therefore could not offer any compensation.
Fearing the damaged chair would collapse, Winter stopped using it whenever possible and only left the house in an emergency.
“When it collapses, if I sit on it, I’ll hurt myself and then I’ll have a huge mess of broken metal that I can’t put down or push away,” Winter said.
“I literally don’t know what I would do if it collapsed beneath me.”
As a result, Winter said, they canceled medical appointments, were unable to go grocery shopping and had difficulty meeting work commitments and socializing.
They even missed the opportunity to officiate a close friend's wedding on May 25 due to safety concerns.
The whole experience also took a serious toll on Winter's mental health.
“I went from being completely independent to having to rely on others to meet my basic needs,” Winter said.
“It’s been a horrendous mental stress and I’ve been more depressed than I’ve ever been since I was a goth in an American high school.
“It got so bad that my friend Dana was texting me every day reminding me to eat because I was so depressed and in so much pain.”
The extra cost of living at home has decimated Winter's savings, which have plummeted from £4,500 to just £200.
“At this point I have used up all my savings just trying to get around and live, because I can’t go to Tesco or the supermarket, I have to pay for home delivery which costs a lot more money.
“Not to mention the huge number of Ubers I’ve had to use.”
In a bid to regain independence, Winter's friend Dana, who has a large following on YouTube, launched a GoFundMe fundraiser which has so far raised £3,000, with one anonymous person donating £1,000.
“The response has been incredible and has helped put pressure on the company,” Winter said.
Four months after Winter reported the damage, Aer Lingus finally agreed to cover the cost of a new chair, excluding shipping.
“I got paid last night (August 27), but they were happy to let me rot for four and a half months,” Winter said.
An Aer Lingus spokesperson said: “Aer Lingus sincerely regrets that this customer’s wheelchair was damaged whilst travelling with us.
“Our policy is for customers to report any damage to their property within seven days of travel, but we understand this was not possible in this case.
“Our customer service team contacted this customer directly to advise them on their options for repairing or replacing their damaged wheelchair.
“We recognize that this issue must have been very stressful for the customer and we apologize for that.”
