Has anyone had there chair damaged by the airport staff? I was flying out of London City Airport today when the security staff told me that my chair had to be scanned, I had to transfer from my chair into an airport chair while they loaded my chair on to a conveyer belt going into a large scanner, when the chair reached the scanner it snagged and wouldn't go in but the belt was still going, I told them to stop but they kept going and starting hitting and trying to push my chair through with a stick, the chair still wouldn`t move, eventually they stopped the belt and tryed to reposition the chair and try again with the same thing happenen when they eventually got it in the machine and i got it back I checked the upolstery and there was a hole burnt through it from the belt rubbing against it while the chair was trapped, I got in the chair to then find it was twisted and the back rest was bent and sticking into my ribs and kidneys, the chair is unusable due to the discomfort and causes you to sit to one side.

Now I can't say that i have much faith in the airport system, I have logged a complaimnt and the damage and they have started a investigation.

Has anyone else had a similar experiance and had it sorted out sucesfully.

Ohh it was a RGK ridged framed titanium chair so not the easiest thing to damage i wouldn't of thought

People dont understand us.They can't imagine that the wheelchair how important for us.

That's always been my biggest fear when traveling. I'm sorry it happened to you.

hi voodoo the same happened 2 us a couple of yrs ago the air line company{b.a}did not want to know ,,,, i had to claim off my own insurance after there investigation,,and then my insurance would only pay for the repair when they found out the price of for a new chair keep us informed please how you get on roo

Oh Dear!!! You've got me worried now as I'm flying out of Heathrow at the end of the month, on my way to South Africa. Its my first long haul flight, so I'm a little nervous to say the least, I just hope my chair doesn't get damaged. I'm sorry you had problems and hope you get satisfaction from your claim.

BA damaged a chair on the way back from Thailand about 6 yrs ago, They twisted the frame! They sent me a box of cheap plonk, I went further, and they replaced the chair. Sooo I had a chair built that would fit in the locker above my head. The new airline chair ( my cyclone mirage) was what I bought with the money, I've never had a chair in the hold ever since!!!

Twisted chair...... Cyclone had it sent it to an expert report writing engineer to write a report on it for BA. Forget what BA tell you, or anyone else for that matter, it go's in a safe place.. NOPE!!!! IT DOESN'T!!!
Insist that you chair stays with you. I've not had a problem since with 6 yrs of flying at least 4 times a yr.

Please excuse my dirty fireplace!!!!

Hey Voodoo. My chair has been damaged and lost by the airport staff. I go every year to Florida and I have to go to my vendor before I go and they look at the chair. When I come back there are times when it has been damaged and they contact the insurance company and it gets fixed. It has been fixed and it is still running strong after 7 years of going back and forth. But the airport staff really could care less about the chair. When they lost my chair, I think that was the first time they actually looked concerned.

I would guess that chair has been dropped from great height! I have always had CYCLONE chairs and they are pretty robust.

Tin

PS: That fireplace is a disgrace:)

I'm so sorry to read of your problems.

When my husband gets a new wheelchair, he keeps his previous one as a backup for vacations. However, we keep that one in good shape and it still gets thrown around like a piece of junk. My husband has tried to explain that his wheelchair is an extension of his body and should be treated that way.

We flew Southwest the last time and they really messed up the chair. We got back in town late and I was carrying most of the luggage and hubby carried some on his lap, so we didn't really notice right away how out of line it was and also his push handles were damaged, which I didn't notice b/c hubby was rolling himself.

We called the airlines the next day and they were really snooty about why we didn't notice earlier. We obtained an estimate from a vendor and received a check from Southwest Airlines, but the letter enclosed contained a few words they could have just left out. We were just glad to get reimbursed.

When my husband transfers into his seat, I take everything off the wheelchair that can come off (except the back wheels) and I store it up above us. The less the luggage handlers have to throw around the less damage we have.

It's really too bad the airport you dealt with doesn't have a better scanning system. Like something hand held. Good luck and I hope you get this resolved soon.

I flew for the first time a several weeks ago and coincidentally found some damage to my chair the two weeks later. One of the welds cracked which I noticed it when I was doing some maintenance. Can't say for sure whether the airline mishandled the chair but stories like these do make one suspicious.

I suppose it should be on video so there shouldn't be any chance of them not approving the claim. That is really annoying though. Would they make an amputee leave their appliances in the hold? I think not because they don't identify with a wheelchair as legs. As soon as these airport goons learn a bit of compassion and respect the sooner we will all get better service from the vandals and thugs they pass off as security at some airports.

I had a major mishap at JFK (NYC) before. Aside from my chair missing a few parts once I got to it, I had to sit and wait on a plane for 1.5 hrs because the staff 'forgot me'. The crew coming to park the plane over night are the ones that found me. Was a pain in the ass, then of course I get through customs to arrive at a chair that is missing parts. All I wanted was to transfer over, go to the restroom and have a smoke, but I couldnt. So instead I cried out of frustration and got in line at the baggage claim. The first lady to help was very nice but was just interested in mailing my parts to me "if they found them"... So I balled some more and laid my entire shitty day on her. It obviously worked. Within 10 mins my parts were back, chair was together, and I was set.

Shit happens that you cant prepare for. Its life.

Well Southwest is the devil. My fiance flew to the verterans games in Omaha, Nebraska this summer. I would say a good 10,000 wheelies were there. He had about 10 in the group he was flying in. The dumb asses broke down every ones chair. They made two stacks of wheels and chairs. They didn't feel the need to lable which wheels went with each chair. They gave is wheels to some one else. So there he sat in some ramdom folding chair, thankfully he did take his cushion with him on the flight or he would have been just sitting on the chair. He had some one from Southwest ask if he could borrow some one elses wheels. He replied, can you borrow some ones elses legs?. Anyway~they did find the correct ones and have us 2 first class tickets. Next time I'm gonna zip tie the wheels and place a HUGE note to leave it alone!

well a quick update, BA have taking full responsability, got to give credit to the girl at BA's call center who has been handling my claim, she has been on the ball from the word go and very helpfull, BA are replacing my chair and I got measured up for my new one today so looks like I will be having a late xmas present mid January I'm just glad we got it sorted sort out quick without to much hassle.

still a pain tho the uncomfort and inconvenience it has caused just because of someones carelessness

Excellent!!!!!

hope you've maxed that order out ;)

Emma.

Here is a letter I wrote to United Airlines. I'm an attorney in Boston and they paid me $21,000. It felt great!

December 14, 2007

Marcy Ford
UNITED AIRLINES
P.O. Box 66100
Chicago, IL 60666

Re: Michael F. Mahoney
Violation of Air Carrier Access Act of 1986, 49 U.S.C. § 41705
August 26, 2007, Chicago to Boston

Dear Ms. Ford,

I would like to take this opportunity to review the facts and circumstances of my claim against United Airlines in an effort to determine if a fair and equitable settlement can be accomplished without resort to litigation.

As you know, I am a quadriplegic and rely on a wheelchair for mobility. I have been in a wheelchair since a diving accident in 1980 when I was 21 years old. On August 24, 2007 my 15-year-old son, Paul, and I traveled without incident on United Airlines Flight #537 from Boston to Chicago for the Red Sox-White Sox game at U.S. Cellular Field. (See enclosed photograph). Since Paul was nine years old we have traveled throughout the country to different parks to see baseball games and we hope to be able to experience games in all the stadiums in the United States. So far we have been to 20 different ballparks. We have often traveled on United Airlines and expect to do so again.

However, on the return flight United Airlines Flight #882 from Chicago to Boston on August 26, 2007 I was subjected to conduct and treatment from United Airlines personnel that was offensive and humiliating, which deprived me of my civil rights and violated the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 (ACAA), 49 U.S.C. § 41705, and regulations promulgated thereunder. The ACAA specifically prohibits discrimination by air carriers against persons with disabilities.

On August 26, 2007 I arrived early to board the scheduled flight in accordance with airline policy. I was placed in an aisle chair for transportation to my assigned seat, while Paul began to take apart my wheelchair to stow it in the closet on the plane. My wheelchair is a lightweight titanium folding wheelchair and the process to take off the wheels and fold the chair takes less than a minute. The chair weighs less than 25 lbs and is approximately 8 inches wide when folded. As Paul was taking apart the chair a female Flight Attendant told him that the wheelchair must be checked as baggage. Paul cited the regulations promulgated by the Department of Transportation (DOT) 14 C.F.R. §382.41(e) pursuant to the ACAA which states: carriers shall provide for on-board stowage of passengers’ wheelchairs as carry-on baggage (2) in an aircraft in which a closet or other approved stowage area is provided in the cabin for passengers’ carry-on items, the carrier shall designate priority stowage space for at least one folding, collapsible, or break-down wheelchair in that area. Paul and I travel with a copy of the regulations in order to avoid any misunderstanding and he is very familiar with assisting me on planes and with the applicable regulations. At this point the female Flight Attendant summoned the Head Flight Attendant, David Pornay.

While I was being pulled to my seat in the aisle chair I explained the regulation to David. As you know the aisle chair is a narrow chair for transportation through the plane to my seat. It is a discomforting accommodation under the best circumstances. I have control in my wheelchair, but I have no control in an aisle chair and have to be strapped in and rely on others to get me to my seat. Having to explain the regulations of which he should have been well aware while in this disadvantageous position exacerbated an already degrading situation. David was angry, but stated that stowing the wheelchair in the closet was OK, if it was not needed for something else. I was then brought to my seat #32B and the rest of the passengers boarded. A Flight Attendant in the back told me that I was right, but that she couldn’t say anything because she was an “extra.”

When the plane was full, the Gate Supervisor, Ferdinand, came on the plane and told me that he was going to check the wheelchair as baggage whether I liked it or not, and if I didn’t like it, I would have to deplane. He was agitated. He yelled and shouted drawing attention to myself and my situation in front of everyone on the now full plane. I asked to speak to his supervisor. He said I could not. I asked that he look at the DOT regulations and he refused. His conduct was intimidating and abusive such that the passenger seated next to me told me she would be willing to testify regarding the incident. Faced with the humiliating prospect of deplaning under the scrutiny of the entire plane, I told Paul to go ahead and get the wheelchair. I felt that I was being retaliated against for the earlier exercise of my rights. Paul then went to the front of the plane to put the wheelchair back together to store as baggage while the whole plane watched. Although I think Paul was brave, I was ashamed that he had to witness this incident and endure the pressure of the situation created by ignorance and indifference. When Paul returned to his seat he had tears in his eyes and he told me there was plenty of room in the closet that had in it only a coat and two briefcases.

When we landed in Boston I asked David for his last name. He refused to give it, stating “I’ve had enough from you.” He also stated that it wasn’t his idea, it was the Captain’s idea and it wasn’t in his policy book or manual. When I got to the parking garage I realized that a part of the wheelchair, the pant guard, was missing. I later obtained David’s last name from the Service Director Yvonne Fucci who told me that I had correctly cited the regulations.

Throughout the events in Chicago I was shocked by the condescension and disrespect of the United Airlines employees towards me and the willful disregard of the applicable regulations that I had available for their review. I was also amazed that employees in leadership positions were completely unaware of the regulations pursuant to the ACAA and that the regulations, or summary thereof, was apparently not included the policy book or manual for Flight Attendants. I also note that the United Airlines website, United.com, does not accurately reflect the accommodation of wheelchairs that is required by statute and regulation.

Following and as a result of this incident, it is my main concern that I never again be subjected to the conduct and treatment I experienced from United Airlines personnel, and that no one else be put through a similar ordeal. Therefore, based on the above, demand is hereby made that United Airlines include in its next issue of the policy manual or handbook for Flight Attendants the ACAA regulations, or summary thereof, affecting passengers; that United Airlines clearly define its obligations with regard to wheelchair stowage, with reference to the applicable regulations, on its website; and for monetary reparation in the amount of $150,000.00.

This demand is based in part on the decision of Beach v. United Airlines, Inc., 202 F. Supp.2d 807 (2002), enclosed herewith, and a review of similar cases that have settled or obtained judgments in excess of the amount of this demand. In particular, the Beach case illustrates a factually similar situation involving United Airlines in Chicago in 2001, more than six years before my experience.

I have also enclosed a copy of the Complaint that I intend to file in U.S. District Court should we fail to resolve this matter at this stage. Please note that the involvement of management personnel in this incident; the corporate policy of United Airlines in contravention of the ACAA and regulations as expressed by management and on its website; and the failure of United to rectify its failure to comply with the ACAA and regulations in the six years since the incident and violations identified in Beach, also exposes United Airlines to punitive damages in this case. In addition, we reserve the right to amend the Complaint to allege further claims under state and federal law including civil rights violation, and tort and contract actions.

Please advise.


Very truly yours,



Michael F. Mahoney


Enclosures as stated

MFM/ac

My husband and I haven't flown anywhere yet, but it is great to know that these regulations exist.

On a flight from New Jersey a couple of weeks ago Matt's chair was damaged when it was put underneath of the plane. It pulls to one side now and is very uncomfortable for him. He filed a compliant and the airline is buying him a new chair.

Sure amazing when they actually LOOK for the damn things how quick they show up

Yeah seriously Ratti, sometimes it just takes a little extra effort for it to sink through thick AB heads. Its amazing how unimportant wheelchairs seem to the uneducated.