Mrs R LEONG was appalled by the service she received with Tiger Airways with regards to the treatment of her handicapped mother. She made several special requests but her efforts were futile.

She said that on her Mar 4 from Singapore to Hong Kong, she had requested for wheelchair assistance.

And yet her mother was still made to climb a steep flight of stairs at the budget terminal.

“The staff told us they would normally arrange four men to carry passenger such as my mother up the plane.  However, they did not have the manpower that day citing staff shortage. My mother climbed the steps with much difficulty and pain.” She wrote.

 
“The return flight on Mar 8 was total nightmare. At the Hong Kong airport, we were told no wheelchair assistance was noted in the booking and we repeated our request for assistance at budget terminal in Singapore. This before the Tiger staff at the counter refers to my mother as ‘That Old Lady’ and not even by her name.

 
“Onboard the aircraft the crew advised my mother she is not allowed to seat on the aisle seat. I informed the staff that she did so for the ongoing sector SIN/HKG trip. 

“I also booked the seat for that very purpose.  The crew apparently spoke to the pilot and then told me the pilot will not fly the plane until my mother changes her seat.

“She said that we are causing flight delays which will affect all other passengers if we decline to move to the window seat.

“The reason given that it was for ‘safety reasons’ that my mother must seat near the window.

“During the flight my mother needed to use the lavatory, she slowly wobbled to the toilet which was occupied then. We waited a few minutes and as her leg was in pain and fearing she may fall, I opened the crew seat next to the toilet for her to sit while waiting.

“To my disappointment, a crew said my mother cannot seat on the crew chair and again citing for ‘safety reasons’.

 
“Not until ten minutes prior to landing, I was told to pay SGD400 for the lifting services. I advised that I could not afford it. The crew made no effort to see how she can assist but said ‘okay’ and walked away.

 
“Before the flight landed, the crew told me someone will assist my mother while going down the flight of stairs. It was then 1.15 am in Singapore. 

“That particular person did not do anything except to carry our luggage down the stairs. The wheelchair was placed at the bottom of the steep flight of stairs and my mother, in tears as she bore with the pain, wobbled down slowly.”