[gloriastravel]

After a connecting flight was delayed for 6 hours in the Ft Lauderdale, FL airport, during which we were given 3 different stories as excuses, Jetblue finally gave us $12/pp vouchers for dinner which was not even available in this terminal so we ate cold, stale sandwiches that cost more. They kept changing their story about this flight delay, then they wanted us to go out to the counter and through security a second time! My husband and I started out at 9 a.m. from JFK and trying to spend 4 days in Nassau, had to change planes in Ft. Lauderdale. We were supposed to be landing at around 7:30 pm well it was 9:30 pm before we learned this flight was being cancelled. We were offered a replacement flight being put together for 11:30 at night, not even sure we still had a hotel room waiting for us and completely exhausted, we had to agree with this. At the original gate, a number of us were queing up demanding to know what was going on because they continued to provide very sketchy and conflicting information. A man started yelling at a few of us and it turned out he was a flight attendant, waiting for this flight, and he started complaining that HE only got paid for time in the air, and HIS time was being wasted in the terminal. I am in bad health and need to be on some kind of a schedule, now I had a 20 hour long day being dragged around airports with little food and no rest. By the time the replacement flight boarded after 11 pm, I was dizzy as I am diabetic and have a lot of associated medical issues and I needed badly to put my head down. I put my seat back while the plane was on the runway, and one flight attendant came over told me I had to put the seat upright. I explained that I was feeling ill - I'm also a senior citizen - and he said, well, just till we take off....so I put my seat upright. My husband was seated next to me and my purse with my blood glucose test kit, my insulin, syringes, and some of my medications, was at my feet on the floor so the flight attendant that screamed at us on the ground, now came over and told my husband to kick my purse under the seat in front of me. So my husband did this, and I had put my headphones on to try to rest and look at the tv screen so I didn't hear him. He wasn't satisfied with this. He leaned in (the fl. attendant), started talking to me, so I took off my headphones. He said "you have to keep your purse under the seat in front of you" so I said yes, whatever; I've never been picked on this much on an airplane." that was my only statement to him. I never pulled my bag out from under the seat, although I needed to check my blood sugar, I left it alone so this guy wouldn't harrass me anymore. 5 or 10 minutes later 2 big thugs from the airline came over and threw my husband and me off the plane. They also had 2 sheriffs deputies with guns escort us up the jetway and bark orders at us. We are 2 professional people in our 60's with multiple health issues, we tried to get away for a 4 day trip. We mind our own business and are respectful of others and never bother anyone. We've never been in trouble in our entire lives. My husband is a retired military officer and is now in an important government position and always treats people wonderfully. I said ONE THING to the flight attendant, who clearly had a chip on his shoulder. I couldn't walk so the sheriffs deputy told me he could "see why I was thrown off the plane" and threatened to arrest me.
We didn't get to Nassau until the next day on a different flight, and while I have a complaint in to Jetblue, I'm not expecting much. They were rude to us back at the airport, all everyone did was yell at us and treat us like criminals. We don't even get a parking ticket, I'm a professional woman and follow rules everywhere I go. I was so humiliated, embarrassed, and caused so much mental distress, I cried all night; I was sick and actually throwing up during about half of our 3 days in Nassau and I wasn't even able to go out on the beach. I'd gotten dehydrated and my blood pressure and blood sugar were off so I was too ill to do anything on this trip except sleep and throw up. Thanks Jetblue, I scrimped and saved for months for a trip for a few days. My husband is having cancer surgery in a few weeks, what a great send-off you gave us, I never want to fly again and I am an experienced traveller. What a disgrace, I don't think I will ever get over it.