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Cheers
Russ
British Airways treating disabled people as an unwanted underclass.
Myself and another paraplegic wheelchair user booked return flights from Heathrow to Denver leaving on Jan 23rd and returning on Feb 4th with British Airways. At the time of booking and again during the week before flying BA were very clearly informed that we two paraplegics flying unaccompanied and would need assistance to embark and disembark the plane.
We checked in reported at the gate early as requested expecting to board prior to the main body of passengers as we had both done before with other airlines. At the last minute and after talking to the cabin crew with a view to getting us into our seats the gate attendant came to us to inform us that we were not to be allowed to board the plane as we did not have a able bodied companion to help us to the on board toilet should we need it. We assured the gate attendant that there was absolutely no way we would need the toilet and asked him to get the chief steward who was refusing to allow us to board to come to speak with us. A number of to and fro trips ensued for the gate attendant between us and the steward who refused to budge from his position or to actually speak directly with us even though he was only about 20m away, reinforcing his position by showing the gate attendant the rule book which gave him the authority to refuse us. After about half an hour and as a last resort we went through the whole embarrassing medical reasons (catheters and leg bags) as to why we could absolutely guarantee we would not need the toilet. The gate attendant then spotted that there was an exception for people with catheters and went back to negotiate with the steward. We were at last told we could board. As a last insult the Steward asked us to make sure that we didn’t remove our catheters during the flight – As if! We then had to be manhandled into our seats in the midst of everyone else boarding.
On our return we were again embarked in the midst of everyone else. Then our chairs were taken from the hold to baggage reclaim and we were told in no uncertain terms that we were going to be pushed in the transit chairs through the airport like inconvenient pieces of luggage in spite of our requests for our chairs to be fetched for us. The staff allocated to us getting quite aggressive in their responses to our requests for our dignity to be respected.
All of the above goes against the Department of Transport Guidance dated March 2003, ‘Access to Air Travel for Disabled People - Code of Practice’
http://www.dft.gov.u...lity_507855.pdf
It’s clear that this is either a BA ploy to try to discourage disabled passengers or the result of untrained uncaring staff. I have sent a 5 page letter of complaint to BA which they as yet have not even seen fit to acknowledge after 2 weeks.
What to do? Publicising this as much as possible to warn other disabled passengers not to travel with BA seems like they’re achieving exactly what they want to and not having to have the inconvenience of disabled passengers. I can’t use the DDA because as I understand it Air Travel isn’t covered. So all I can do is try to get every person – disabled or able bodied who reads this and thinks that our National Airline really ought to be treating disabled people with just a little respect and sensitivity and not as inconvenient bits of baggage to choose another airline wherever possible.
If you want to read the whole letter of complaint it's here
Letter of Complaint
Edited by russ1, 02 March 2006 - 09:04 PM.
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