Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Thinking caps...

Put 'em on, folks! I'm all worked up and ready to leap headlong (in my non-existent spare time) into wheelchair activism, specifically the area of TREATMENT OF WHEELCHAIRS BY THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY.

This week I flew to Boston for some big school auditions. Many of you are well aware of my history with airlines and wheelchairs. (On the bright side, they didn't lose it this time...! And I'm getting my new one in teh next week or so). I have now taken six round-trip flights since getting my wheelchair, and my damage score is 4 out of 6 (e.g. 66%, 2:3). That figure is calculated ignoring cosmetic damage (destroyed paint) that costs nearly $1000 and several weeks without the chair to have repaired. (The last airline refused to repair the gross, ugly paint damage anyway, despite my having a disability lawyer involved for most of the four month duration of the argument.)

Here's where I need ideas. What can be done to get the message across to airlines... they CANNOT damage wheelchairs they transport more often than they don't. Damaging a person's means of locomotion is NOT providing equal access to their services. If two out of every three times you rode on an airplane you came off with a broken leg, would that be an acceptable industry standard? Although I have not collected scientifically accurate data from my fellow human companions on the planet earth, I humbly assert that the answer is no.

I eagerly await the responses of my brilliant KA colleagues...

'Erie

P.S. The auditions went really well!

Just because I'm bitter and malicious, the offending airlines in my cases are:
1. United Airlines (also worst on customer service/satisfaction after the damage)
2. Continental Airlines (nicer, but refused to repair/accept responsibility for some damages)
3. United Airways
4. Northwest Airlines
5. unsure-Air Canada (don't know as the chair actually flew this airline, this is the time the chair was lost by continental and flew separately from me)

Both successful flights were on Delta.

Hello Erie....sorry to hear about all the problems you have had with the airlines...I'm sure it must take all the enjoyment out of flying.
I found a few sites that had discussions and tips on flying with a wheel chair or a scooter...maybe there will be something helpful in them for you???
Here are the links
Dan

http://www.haseltine.com/travelers.html

http://www.access-able.com/tips/air.htm

http://www.casa.gov.au/airsafe/disable/wheeltips.htm

http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/campaigns/flight/flightrights_invest_200406.htm

http://www.scootaround.com/scooternews/archive/november2004/

Irei, aloha

look, being perfectly honest...the airlines american and united on 11 sept 2001 couldn't keep 19 guys with
box cutters from stealing their 100million dollar airplanes...they are lost, insensate and don't care about
anything that has anything to do with customer service...they are cattle cars in the sky and every time a
plane takes off they loose more money...baggage handlers steal stuff from luggage, the tsa wants to grope
every women who boards a plane.

two weeks ago in burlington vermont, a woman with an artificial leg was told to strip to her underwear
in the main terminal in front of all the other passengers, she was arrested upon refusal for 'interfering with security'
and jet blue wouldn't even refund her ticket money...

it's a stay put or drive in a car world these days...your frustration is dearly noted, but don't think these guys care.
you're just burning up energy you could put into violin music...taint gettin' any better out there.

besides boston's just too cold for you and moving the chair around those unshoveled sidewalks would be a hassle.

all the best
aloha Ben

you've a better chance for an outright cure in your lifetime than customer service from the airlines.

Thanks Valerie,

You are being very 'chair'itable for putting Air Canada on the not sure list. Maybe the chair liked our airline?

Queenie and the family all say Hello. Me too.

George

Great reply Dan, that's what kickas is talking about!

I do a lot more flying than I used to. In the past 24 months I've flown with:

Air Canada - very good
Northwest - not good at all
British Airways - somehow worse
My Travel Airways (international charter) - you get what you pay for with charter - not much
JetsGo (Canadian domestic) - cheap yet good
West Jet (Canadian domestic) - cheap yet good too

I'll be trying out American Airlines in 2 weeks time, we'll have to wait and see, but for now, my advice for all is this: if a Canadian airline flys your route, choose it!

Hey Loz

I flew American Airlines to LA, then Quantas to Australia. I had no problems with either. Hope your experience is as good as mine was with AA.

Continential had lots of late flights, but did wait for us to make a connection on one, so that was good.

Southwest Air treats you like a bunch of cattle, but is cheap.

Delta Song is my favorite. Not as cheap as Southwest, but good service, and you are comfortable...if that is possible in an airplane.

Good luck on your next trip.

Lori

Quantas has a great reputation, and well deserved I've no doubt. When I spent 3 months in Australia I made the budget choice and went with Olympic Airways. Never again! It wasn't that Olympic were bad as such, but 24 hours is a looooog flight in economy! What I've said ever since is that I'll never travel to Oz again until I can afford to go club class. That time is still a very, very long way off....

Thanks for the good wishes Lori, I'm sure it'll all go fine

"Chair-itable"... Haha, that's good! Of course we all know the Canadians could never do anything wrong!
My regards and hugs to Queenie and family!

'Erie :-)

P.S. A message for Dorrit... I thoroughly enjoyed her email about the concert weeks and weeks ago, I just never got a chance to write back. Thanks and sorry!

Hi Dan, thanks for the links! I've seen those haseltine containers for wheelchairs before... I wish they would design one for rigid frame chairs! I think airlines should be required to have an use them--the purchase would probably be a lot less than what they pay to repair everyone's chairs!
'Erie (-: