Grounded after a glow-up.
A Texas woman claimed a Spirit Airlines agent refused to let her check in for a flight due to safety concerns from a cosmetic procedure she underwent days earlier.
Shataria Banks wasn’t permitted to board her flight at Miami International Airport on July 23 despite her doctor alleging that she had clearance to fly.
“Even though y’all had my medical clearance, even though my doctors cleared me, you are still, you know, restricting me to fly,” Banks recalled during an interview with CBS News Miami.
Banks filmed part of the afternoon’s heated confrontation with a Spirit agent, who said they were following company protocol.
“So, um, do you all have that policy online before you book?” Banks was heard asking on a cell phone video shared with CBS News Miami.
“We have a procedure that I have to follow,” the unidentified agent responded.
The two women talked over each other until the Spirit employee was heard saying, “It’s about your safety.”
Banks didn’t reveal which cosmetic procedure she underwent, but claimed that she spent several days recovering before she tried to fly home to Houston.
“I’m not saying that they can’t deny their travelers and they’re looking out for their safety, but have something in place, because everybody don’t have money to waste for a new flight. I never want to fly with them, ever, ever,” Banks told the television station.
The rejected flyer said she was given a typed-out “flight certificate,” allegedly written by her doctor.
“I’m writing this letter to request a flight assistance certificate for my patient. After a thorough assessment, I confirm that my patient can travel by air,” the document stated.
Spirit Airlines insisted that Banks was “not fit for travel” when she tried to check in for her flight back home.
“The safety and well-being of our Guests is our top priority,” Spirit Airlines told the outlet.. “Our records show the agents followed our procedures and consulted with a designated on-call medical professional via our vendor MedLink to verify the Guest’s fitness to travel.”
MedLink is a medical advisory service that connects aviation-trained emergency physicians with flight crews and passengers when needed, according to the company’s website.
“The medical professional at MedLink was informed of the Guest’s documentation and advised that the Guest was not fit to travel based on their condition at the time and in the interest of their safety. The Guest was ultimately issued a refund for the flight,” the statement added.
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