AirTran Fort Lauderdale nightmare - sorry so long

[girlsaylor]

On my last flight, I booked AirTran, out of Fort Lauderdale FL. My physician had cleared me to fly one week earlier. The flying experience was a total nightmare. I have multiple disabilities, and require wheelchair assist when traveling by air. I have OSA, so travel with a bipap machine. As I live on a boat, I do not have a printer to print my boarding pass prior to arriving at the airport. Fort Lauderdale airport employees denied me wheelchair assist until I entered the terminal and stood at a kiosk and printed a boarding pass. Nowhere in my research of airline regulations have I found this preprinted boarding pass requirement in order to receive disability accommodations. Airport employees at the curb instructed me to return outside for a wheelchair after I stood at a kiosk and obtained a printed pass. It got worse from that point. AirTran employees were the rudest service people I've ever encountered. I was shuffled into a wheelchair after an hour, only to wait yet another hour for transport to my gate. I pleaded with AirTran employees to take me to my gate so I could purchase food and water to take my medications with. I was repeatedly denied food or water access by virtue of being kept in the main terminal in the wheelchair. I noted disability assistance was required when I booked my flight, so it should have been provided in a timely manner, and the 2 hour wait prior to my flight occurred over mealtime, which could have been easily handled by a swift wheelchair escort through screening and to my gate. I don't mind waiting my turn, mind you, but does it take two hours to provide a simple wheelchair assist? I asked numerous AirTran employees at the AirTran counter for a CRO and was told there was none available. We all know otherwise.

My bipap machine was removed from its case for me despite my requests to allow me to do it. I did not appreciate the employees handling my breathing equipment with gloves that had been used on shoes, computers, what have you, as it is unsanitary, despite my request to please change to clean gloves. Further, the screener dropped my purse and dumped all its contents all over the floor, despite my request that they hand me the bin and allow me to place my own belongings into it. After all, my hands work very well, thank you. Next I was instructed to walk through the metal detector, and advised the screener I could not stand very long and that my prosthetic hip would set off the scanner, which it did. My wheelchair was held back on the other side of the detection device, and I was denied the wheelchair for a full 10 minutes, and told I would have to stand and be screened and wait for the wheelchair to be brought to me! I repeatedly asked for a chair to sit on and was denied one in the screening process, despite repeatedly identifying myself as being physically disabled. This treatment of disabled passengers is unconscionable, to say the least, if not downright inhumane.

It gets even worse. When I returned to Fort Lauderdale airport, on an AirTran flight once again, with the same wheelchair assist request in place when booking the return flight, there were no AirTran employees willing or able to provide wheelchair assistance when I deplaned. I found a wheelchair and sat in it, wheezing from my lung disease and the exertion of having to walk with a cane and carry my purse and bipap and carry on. I asked every single AirTran employee I saw, and every single Fort Lauderdale airport employee I saw, to get me wheelchair assistance. I was fearful my luggage would be stolen off the conveyor belt, and I had a cab waiting for me. Sadly, not one single airport employee or AirTran employee would provide wheelchair assist. I had to try and hold my bipap case, carry-on bag, and purse on my lap and try and use my own hands to wheel myself through the airport. I was becoming increasingly ill from the exertion, short of breath, and in terrible pain. With every attempt to manipulate the wheels, my bipap case, carry-on, and purse fell off my lap to the floor. The only communication I received was repeated harrassment from an airport employee telling me I could not stop in the corridor to catch my breath! She kept threatening me with calling security. I asked her to simply call for wheelchair assist for me and she refused and admonished me some more, all the while watching me struggle. When I finally tried to claim my luggage, an hour and a half later (and this is not a large airport), and very ill from the exertion, my luggage had been removed and I had to go to an office in a corridor where my luggage had been plopped, unattended, for anybody to steal if they felt so inclined.

So, heads-up to any disabled persons who even think they might fly on AirTran, especially in or out of Fort Lauderdale airport. I've sent my written complaint to both the airport and AirTran. We'll see how they respond, if at all.

girlsaylor

[kteague]

girlsaylor - Thanks for the warning. Since it involved multiple employees and both visits, it must be their normal mode of operation. Glad you wrote a letter to the airlines. So sorry you had to go thru that - sounds so horrible.

Just recently I was treated rudely at a department store. Since on steroids for several months, I have gained weight and had to buy some temporary (I hope) clothes. I was limping painfully and holding on to the racks and tables just to walk, and could hardly catch my breath. Feeling this bad is new to me, and I thought I felt well enough to get out, but quickly became overwhelmed with the effort it took. I asked for a chair from the dressing room to be brought to the area where I was shopping. The young lady responded that I was welcome to go to the dressing room (far away) when I needed to sit down, I said "If I could walk that far over and over, I wouldn't have asked for a chair. I guess I won't be shopping much today." A few minutes later an older employee saw me in obvious distress and by then with tears escaping, and asked what she could do for me. In a flash I was sitting down and she was bringing clothes to me for consideration. I hope they get paid on the volume of their sales.

My incident was minor compared to yours. I can't imagine being treated like that in a situation that is difficult even for the able bodied, and being unable to help yourself. Sure hope you won't have to use that airline again. Thanks again for the warning.

Kathy

[Julie]

What a horrible time you had!! I would take out a large ad in the local paper and basically repeat everything you've said here.. then see if the airline responds! I'd also speak to a lawyer. Outrageous!

[RachelM]

Not just one incident, but many on your trip. I'm indignant for the treatment you were given by the various aviation personnel. No matter how they were, basic human kindness for a fellow human being in distress should have come out in someone.

I have accompanied my elderly handicapped mother to and from the gates, and we also experienced extremely long delays in getting a wheelchair and assistance. One time during a plane change when alone, she gave up waiting and somehow walked to her next flight. Even though unsteady, she was made to stand for inspection during security checks. I go along with the protocol of airline security, but there must be a better way to handle those physically challenged besides having to take along a traveling companion helper.

[TXKajun]

What a nightmare! I think I'd write letters to all the newspapers for printing in the "Letters to the Editor" section of the papers.

Kajun

[Reidan]

I tend to fly on Delta when I have to fly. It may cost a little more, but I always feel you get what you pay for. Of course, I live in Atlanta where Delta is based. If they do not have good customer services here, they would not have it anywhere else.

I took a trip from Atlanta to LA a few weeks ago. First time I have had to fly in a few years. I saw several people in wheel chairs moving to and from the gates. When I arrived at the gate for my flight there were already 3 people in wheel chairs at the gate for my flight.

The Delta people took very good care of them. A man was dropping off the third passenger and helping her into a seat at the gate. After he left it was just one woman for all 3 passengers, but she was in contact with all three of them. She asked them to please sit together so that she would be able to communicate and assist all of them. She boarded each one of them before anyone else was allowed to board, even first class. I know because I was in first Class and watched her board them.

Before she started boarding them she told each of them I will board you first, you second, you third. Told them to have their flying companions to be ready to go and to please help with any extra carry on items. She was in and out of the plane quickly.

When she went in with the last passenger they started boarding First Class. When I got down the tube to the plane she was just finishing up with the last person and bringing the chair back out to the concourse.

When we arrived in LA I passed a wheel chair on the ramp. It was headed to the plane to start bringing out the passengers.

So, it is not all airlines that have such poor service. Atlanta and LAX are both major International Airports so you expect a higher level of service than you may get at a smaller regional airport. I guess you can say it really is a "Buyer Beware" situation.

[OutaSync]

I'm so sorry for your experience. I was in the Ft. Lauderdale airport yesterday, flying Delta. The wheelchaired passengers were given preferential treatment, as were people traveling with small children. The employees did take my CPAP machine away from me to swab in an area where I could not see all that they were doing, but I could see that they took the humidifier out ans swabbed it separately.

[girlsaylor]

Thanks for the feedback friends. For what it's worth, the cost of the airplane ticket has nothing to do with compliance with the ADA. The airlines must comply, Period.

That said, I did get an acknowledgement in my e-mail today that my letter was received and is being forwarded to the airport's ADA coordinator. So they are very much aware of what's going on, which maybe is already helping this season's holiday travelers.

Kathy, I am so sorry you had such a shopping ordeal. Being one with numerous major health problems, I've also been in that same situation. If I even dare go shopping in a clothing store, it can only be one with a good-sized handicap accessible fitting room with a chair to sit on. I cannot stand and dress, and the floor is not an option! Very scarey. So mostly I shop online now, as it's physically almost beyond me to go into a store for more than a very brief time.

Sadly, with our nation's aging population, there will be more and not less disabled persons needing all manner of services in the years to come. Do you realize that the first ADA law in the United States was passed way back in 1973?! That means the public and private sectors in the USA have had approximately THIRTY FIVE YEARS to plan how to do what they should have been doing all along! Think this fight doesn't affect you? Think again. You could be the next person in an auto accident, have a stroke or heart attack, and find yourself in this same situation.

girlsaylor

[RichCMH]

girlsaylor...

You also need to contact the FTL airport's manager.
Generic Email: ContactFLL@broward.org

ALSO:
Contact the DOT (Dept Of Transportation) 202-366-2220 to record your complaint. Calls are returned Monday through Friday, generally between 7:30 am and 5:00 pm Eastern time.
or write:
Aviation Consumer Protection Division, C-75
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20590
or use this link to fill out a form:
http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/forms.htm

Best of Luck.