Girl too “sick” to board plane, turns out she’s just a ginger

In the latest hilarious aviation story, a Scottish woman has been prevented from boarding her flight – but why?

Etihad Airways stepped in to stop 14-year-old Grace Wain, saying with her naturally pale complexion she looked “sickly.”

Now, as a fair skinned, red haired individual myself, I can tell you, aside from bottles of orange fake tan, there’s not a great deal we pale people can do about this.

But travelling to the Maldives for a family vacation, young Wain was standing with her mother at Manchester airport waiting to catch a connecting flight to Abu Dhabi, and was called out by an agent at the check-in desk, according to reports from the NY Post.

“Grace was a bit tired and hot and bothered. She was cuddling into her mum in the line,” father Paul Wain told the UK Mirror.

“One of the Etihad check-in girls then made the decision that she wasn’t fit to fly based on the fact she was pale in color and was leaning against her mum.”

Wain had reportedly been saving up for the exotic vacation for years and the family was apparently unimpressed – and rightly so – that they might miss their chance to escape the Scottish chill.

After an airport paramedic performed a check-up and deemed Grace fit to fly, the Etihad staff still demanded that the Wains produce a doctor’s letter to confirm that Grace was well enough for the trip to Abu Dhabi.

“I told them, ‘We live in Scotland.’ She is a redhead and she has a pale complexion. That’s just the way she is,” Paul Wain said.

Just two hours before the Wains’ flight was scheduled to depart, they were able to obtain a letter from the family practitioner, at which point they were allowed to board, the NY Post reported.

But the saga did not end when they arrived in the Maldives, with Etihad clumsily losing both parents’ luggage, not delivering it for three days.

Etihad issued the following statement:

“Staff were concerned about the wellbeing of a young passenger ahead of a lengthy flight. The team called for a medic who examined the child and requested a ‘fit to fly’ letter from a doctor, allowing the family to board.

“Our team on the ground continued to provide support ahead of the flight. Unfortunately, when the family arrived, some of their baggage was missing.”

The airline apologised and took all measures to find and deliver the baggage to the Wain family as soon as possible. Compensation in line with standard guidelines will be provided.”

Here’s hoping Grace Wain gets a tan in the Maldives and avoids the same problem coming home.

Advertise with us

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

etihad airways grace wain maldives scottish