American Airlines failed to provide wheelchair

*Salute!*

=)

Do not put the responsibility for the wheelchair on the complainant!
American Airlines dropped the ball. Incompetence is everywhere and,
unfortunately, people do not seem to care with regard to providing
simple accommodations for the disabled.

In my experience, the disabled should be allowed to board flights
early. In the future, until everything is taken care of, airline
employees should be bothered about taking care of business until the
job is done. I'm talking about bugging airline employees as they walk
by. They'll help just so that they are no longer bothered.

I am not sure I understand why you would not just bring your own
wheelchair. Surely you would not get hasseled by security or
something.

Is there some weird rule that you are not allowed to bring your own?
If so, I would consider flying with a different airline next time.
Otherwise just bring your own and avoid all this clearly frustrating
mess and having to deal with incompetant employees

American Airlines really doesn't seem to care.

I have seen this happen to several people, and the airline's response
always is the equivalent to a shrug of a shoulder and an insincere
apology.

Why would you fly without your own wheelchair? Won't you need it once
you arrive at your destination, to be out and about? I mean, you will
need a wheelchair at both ends -- home and destination. Why not take
your own? I mean, people who use motorized wheelchairs and who have
next to zero mobility, surely they travel with their own power
wheelchairs.

Or do people in those kinds of wheelchairs not travel? Can those
bigger chairs even fit on planes?

=(

you deserve better than that after serving the country.

i hope they give you a response - and get their act together in
situations like that.

I'm so sorry that you had to go through this.
This happened to my grandmother, also a veteran, on a Delta flight to
Atlanta last year. She requested a wheelchair, and got by just fine
until she came home from Atlanta. The plane, for whatever reason,
couldn't actually pull up to the terminal and they had to exit down
the stairs and walk into the airport from outside the plane. Lucky for
her she's able to walk short distances and the flight attendants
helped her down the stairs. I can't imagine what it would have been
like for anyone not able to walk.

You are absolutely correct in your last sentence, but I would expand
that to all airlines.

I have bad knees that give out or lock up when going down /up stairs.

I'm really sorry this happened to you. It is really frustrating when
you see a problem coming, try to prevent it, and the inaction of
others results in the anticipated outcome.

When I took my mother to Scotland and England, I was so impressed with
the assistance we received, EVERYWHERE. We rode in the Queen's
elevator at some venue, so she wouldn't have to use the stairs. That
was a hoot. They were so gracious and kind, from the airports to
everywhere we visited.

When the story about the Lockerbie bombing convict being released by
Scotland on humanitarian grounds hit the press, it reminded me of the
treatment we received, and gave me a different view of the situation.

I hope AA takes your letter to heart and reexamines its procedures.
They should.