Marissa Bode Calls Out Southern Airways Over Disability Boarding Denial

Marissa Bode is speaking out against Southern Airways following what she describes as a discriminatory incident at the gate.

The 25-year-old Wicked star posted a TikTok video Thursday, April 23, recounting her experience while traveling to a speaking engagement in Pennsylvania. Though she boarded her initial flight without issue on a different airline, complications emerged when she attempted to connect through Southern Airways.

At the gate, Bode requested assistance locating her boarding pass. When staff members asked if she could stand and she replied that she couldn't, they informed her boarding would be denied, she explained in the video.

"They proceeded to tell me all the planes within this airline have stairs to get on the plane," Bode said. "Never heard of that before. To which I said, 'I've never heard that before. You're telling me none of the people who have flown on your plane before are disabled?'"

According to Bode, a staff member raised concerns about her 35-pound wheelchair and luggage fitting on the aircraft—a claim she found unfounded given that she only carried a small duffle bag and that her wheelchair weighs less than she does. She also noted that other passengers likely travel with heavier baggage.

Bode indicated her manager had previously contacted Southern Airways to arrange accommodations, and the airline had confirmed they could provide them. Despite that pre-flight coordination, the gate staff proceeded with the denial.

The incident reflects a broader pattern Bode has experienced with air travel. She previously shared an example of her wheelchair nearly being routed to San Francisco, a city where she doesn't reside.

"It's so much more than a mistake. These are our lives," she said. "My wheelchair is my freedom."