Yes, we booked the flights with British

Airways. Um, we we rang him before we

went. We explained exactly

everything we could possibly say. We

explained that there's a very strong

chance that he probably would say the

word bomb, plane crash, everything that

you could think of that was linked to an

airport. There's a high chance that he's

going to say it. Um,

and and they were fine. They told us,

"No problem. Don't worry. You go to

accessibility lane." We got the languard

for him. So, it clearly said, "I have

Tourett or whatever it said on it." We

had the diagnosis letters with us. Um we

went through security seamlessly. Uh no

problem. Went right through the assess

the accessibility um lane.

>> Brilliant. Uh and then when we went to

board the plane, we literally got to the

door of the plane, the um the duty the

British Airways duty um duty manager was

there and she said, "Can we can we speak

to you in private?" Um and I we kind of

knew at that point what was going to

happen. Uh, so we just said, "Well,

actually, you can do it in front of

every pasture. If you're going to tell

us we can't get on this flight because

my son's a disability, you can say it in

front of another 200 people." Um, so,

uh, yeah, that that was basically it.

And then she said that, um, she wait

made us wait for 45 minutes and the

captain wanted to speak to us. He didn't

talk to us. We didn't even meet him. Um,

waited there for 40 minutes. Uh, you

know, at this time the kids are getting

very agitated, stressed out. um

especially Mason and then in turn his

ticks were getting a lot worse. Um and

then she the duty manager the same lady

come out.

>> I completely believe you and I

understand why you're upset but we have

to have to take these allegations.

>> Basically said you're um due I think the

words were exactly due to being a safety

threat to the passengers and a bomb

threat.

>> So we are refusing

your son and yourselves travel simply

based off of safety. fact that

>> but you are under he has lots of

refusal.

>> Yes. And I've said that to that's why I

have consulted.

>> Can I ask is that because he had said

bomb at some point in the

>> but the this this is for us we just

really trying to understand the

situation. We can't get heads around.

Mason said bomb throughout the whole

process of the airport when we were

checking in when we went through

security when we're in the airport. He

said it at the gate and he said it at

the plane. But he said it continuously

throughout the day. Wasn't just bomb.

There was lots of other things that were

said as well, but bomb was one of the

ones that he he frequently used. Um he

said it throughout the airport. So we

just can't get our heads around why

wasn't we pulled aside a lot earlier. I

told from the very beginning actually

you're probably not going to get on a

plane if he does use this word. And then

we could have seek advice before we

went. But they waited until we got to

the very very door of the plane before

they turned us away. Um,

which for me that probably isn't even

the worst part. Um, the worst part after

that is obviously Mason's then land on

the floor. He's crying his eyes out,

ticking a lot, apologizing to people.

Um, and and he said to one of the other

party, which we only found out yesterday

that what's the point of my life if I

can't if I can't do anything? Um, which

is, you know, it's heartbreaking as a

parent to hear hear that sort of thing.

and and their response to that and the

way Mason was, which they could clearly

see um was to escort us out with three

armed officers. There was no assistance,

no help. We just got I mean it's

intimidating as an adult with a

policeman with a gun behind you, let

alone a distressed child. So all the way

through the airport, he'd become worse,

more vocal.

>> I mean, I'm listening to your story for

the first time. anyone listening to this

for the first time. You had given them

advanced notice of what might happen.

>> Yeah.

>> And the reason for it, it did happen. So

they should have understood the reason

for it. What I don't understand, and I

wonder whether you've asked this

question, why didn't they think to just

let the entire plane know that there was

a young lad with

>> This kind of brings me on. So

eventually, this is the ironic thing. We

actually flew over. We're over here now.

Um, we managed to fly over a company

called, I believe, pronounced Fueling.

>> Yeah.

>> Um, ironically, it's a sister company of

British Airways. Um, so it's is

technically owned by the same people.

Um, we went on with them and I cannot

praise him enough. The captain boarded

us first. The duty manager met us before

we ever went to the gate. He chat to us.

The captain come out, give every give my

wife a big cuddle, went onto the plane.

He put us at the back of the plane,

blocked out the front row seats in front

of us. Um, and then once we're on the

plane, he then went into the waiting

room and made an announcement to all the

other passengers of the situation. And

then every passenger then were

absolutely brilliant. There was no And

then with that happening, Mason's ticks

were a lot calmer because he felt

relaxed. So, you know, there was a few

ticks on the plane and there might have

been the, you know, maybe in the two and

a half hour flight, he must have been

once, but no one had an idea.

>> Have you told BA this?

>> We haven't heard from BA at all. um on

the Saturday morning when we sorry the

Sunday morning when we reject the

flights on the Saturday night um I rang

them uh and they basically just said we

can compensate the free flights um and

obviously I explained the bigger

situation and he said well you're a bomb

threat you know uh but this is a bit

above me and he was going to pass it on

and um I personally haven't heard

anything from BA uh albeit I didn't make

the booken our friend made the booken uh

he has written a formal complaint, but

as of yet, he's not received anything

back. Um, so we've not heard anything.

We've asked all the questions. We've

asked everything we can.

>> To the contrast between the two flights,

>> you know, armed police officers

escorting your son and his parents away.

Um,

and you have you have a one-year-old

daughter, don't you? And an older child

as well, older than

>> Yeah. So, so this was our second part

part of the argument because obviously

we have we have an older an older child

who 16, a friend was with us as well.

Um, and even my friends, we booked as a

party of 10. And if like I say, the

reason the reason we were refused to fly

was being a bomb threat. If that was

true, why would they then my daughter

back on a plane when we have mixed

luggage underneath the plane? She had

our items in her suitcases. If it was

that much of a bomb threat, how can they

then let six other passengers back on

the plane? To me, from this terrorist

cell.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. You know,

we've literally been marched out. No

feeling feeling that way.

>> Take me to that moment with the armed

officers particularly from the impact

that had on Mason.

>> So, the three free officers were uh they

actually come down to the bridge uh and

they stood there. So, we kind of knew

what was going to happen straight away

because they they sent the passengers

up. They brought the three armed

officers down. Uh they didn't really say

a lot. They just stood there. um the

gentleman that took us out when when he

escorted us out. So once we come off the

bridge, the other two left and he he

took us the rest of the way through the

airport. Um to be fair, he was he was

okay. He wasn't he wasn't too bad. But

the fact that you know he he was

escorting us out and you get the other

passengers all staring and then you know

I think he was I think you know I did

think he sympathized with us a little

bit but obviously he's doing his job.

He's got to stay in partial and I

completely understand that. A and you

mentioned there that there might be

compensation for the extra flight that

you had to buy.

>> No, no, no, no, no, no.

>> Did I misunderstand that? Sorry.

>> Yeah. No, sorry. They offered refunds

for the original flight for the free for

the three of us that come up with

>> but not for the subsequent ones. Yeah.

>> Yeah. The British Airways flights.

>> What lesson do you want them to take

away from this and and anyone listening

to take away from this?

>> Oh, I just think if one airline can do

it, then every line every airline can do

it. you know, it wasn't difficult. It

wasn't the plane set off on time. There

was no disruptions. So, if if if that's

the standards that one airline can set,

then then the rest of them, I think,

should be on par with that. Uh it's

just, you know, this is what we're

trying to do now is create awareness

that it isn't behavior. He he doesn't

choose to do it. It is invol completely

and utterly involuntary. He, you know,

he's the last person that wants to be sh

He doesn't want to be shouting these

things. He just can't help it. the way

the way sorry the way he he described it

is almost like a he a sneeze that you

that you're trying to hold in. So it's

the way he you know he he described that

as me which obviously I don't even

understand really you know I'm only

going by what

>> but there's there's a wider there's a

wider lesson in it isn't there for for

people with disabilities or and about

the rest of us when we deal with people

with when we meet people with disability

not deal with them. Um, you did your

bit. You played your part ahead of ahead

of the flight and and you were greeted

the way you were, you know, in that

first flight with BA. Um, do people

typically do you think, not just

Tourette's, but do you think we are

still far too nervous of people with

disabilities of all kinds?

Yes, I I think yeah, I I definitely do

think that I was actually I must admit I

was absolutely shocked because the

awareness especially around Tourette's

at the moment with the film and and and

the charity Tourette's action what

they've been doing it is is really

relevant at the moment and so much

awareness about it. So this one

especially is a little bit harder to

sort of take because there is so much

about it, especially with the bafters,

you know, a little while ago. It's is so

sort of recent at the m I'm struggling

to understand

why they they ain't they ain't um

they're not following sort of any sort

of training or or You think?