Marissa Bode Denied Boarding by Southern Airways Over Wheelchair
Key Points
- Southern Airways refused to board Bode because she couldn't climb the small plane's stairs while using a wheelchair.
- Airline had earlier assured accommodations, yet failed to uphold them, leaving Bode to drive 3.5 hours.
- Bode called the incident segregation, urged airlines to "do better," spotlighting potential discrimination against disabled passengers.
MARISSA Bode has hit out at Southern Airways after claiming she was refused boarding on a connecting flight because she uses a wheelchair.
The 25-year-old ‘Wicked’ actress says staff at the gate told her she couldn’t board because she couldn’t stand to use the plane’s stairs.
Bode, who has used a wheelchair since a car crash at age 11, shared the ordeal on TikTok, describing it as “awful” and “blatant segregation.”
She explained that her first flight on United Airlines went without issue, but the trouble began during her layover with Southern Airways, which operates smaller planes without lifts.
At the gate, staff asked if she could stand.
When she said no, they denied her boarding, saying all their planes require passengers to climb steps.
Her wheelchair, weighing 35 pounds, was also cited as a concern despite her team having arranged accommodations beforehand.
“My manager spoke to them beforehand and they fully assured that I would be set for my flight,” Bode said, highlighting the airline’s failure to uphold those assurances.
She called the experience more than just a mix-up, stressing, “These are our lives.
This is our entire existence you’re talking about. My wheelchair is my freedom.”
Frustrated and tearful, Bode felt she was unfairly portrayed as the problem during the confrontation.
With no other option, she drove three and a half hours to her destination instead, blasting Southern Airways for the treatment.
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” she said, adding a blunt message to all airlines: “Once again, do f—ing better.”
Under US law, airlines must not discriminate against disabled passengers and must provide assistance, but Southern Airways’ contract states passengers must be able to use steps due to their small aircraft design.
Bode’s story arrives as she gains more attention following her role as Nessarose in the 2024 ‘Wicked’ film, where she’s also faced online backlash connected to her disability.
She previously spoke out against hateful comments aimed at her character’s disability, saying, “Disability is not fictional.”
