Kin says United yet to pay 94-year-old Pinay grandma for seat downgrade

The 94-year-old woman, who was allegedly moved to economy after paying for a United Airlines business class ticket, has yet to be compensated even after the pain she had to endure for a week following the downgrade.
According to the account of her granddaughter Marianne Santos Aguilar, United has yet to refund Paz Orquiza the $3,600 that her grandchildren paid to fly her in business class due to her degenerative bone disease.
Aguilar said the bump down to economy left her grandmother, who has severe arthritis and degenerative vibe structure in her neck, in pain "for over a week."
"Like the Asian doctor forced to deplane last night, United also caused my disabled grandma pain. Not visible like a bloody mouth, but she was in pain for over a week! We also still haven't received our refund and it has been over 2 months," she wrote.
Orquiza's ordeal began on her flight back to Melbourne from a family reunion in L.A.
Unlike the crew on her flight from Australia to the US, the crew on Orquiza's flight home to Melbourne did not allow her daughter in Economy to assist her with simple tasks such as adjusting her seat, opening food packages, nor helping her walk to and from the lavatory.
The crew, specifically a flight attendant named Shauna, refused to perform the tasks supposedly listed under United's services for semi-ambulatory customers.
Shauna then offered them to either move Orquiza to Economy or purchase another ticket for Business class.
Feeling like "she had no choice", Orquiza moved to Economy, had her seat sold to a passenger willing to pay for the upgrade, "and spent the next 16 hours in distress and pain."
"Upon arrival to Australia, my grandma's legs had swollen, she suffered from a stiff neck and her whole body ached. She was in great distress and pain from this ordeal. She was prescribed stronger pain medication and Valium to help with sleep," Aguilar wrote.
United has insisted that no disability regulations were broken.
They also gave Orquiza $500 in travel vouchers and are in the process of refunding her $860 despite her seat costing $3,600.
The older Filipina's woes precedes that of the involuntary deplaning of Dr. David Dao, who was dragged bleeding from his seat, and Geoff Fearns, who was threatened with handcuffs.
United has yet to recover from a previous incident where two teenagers were turned away from a flight for wearing leggings. — NB, GMA News

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