[NAGDU] [nagdu] Blanket Prosciption Against Advance Notice

[David]

Danielle, I am very glad that you had a good experience.  My experiences 
with them on 10 flights with Claire Rose have always been good.  Their 
disability desk has been very helpful and knowledgeable for me.  I am 
somewhat fearful when sharing a positive experience that someone else 
may find the experience less so, especially when I am contradicting the 
head cheese. :-)

David and Claire Rose in Clearwater, FL

On 11/27/2016 2:27 PM, Danielle Ledet via NAGDU wrote:
> Delta is awesome! there attendants are very well educated on these things.
>
> On 9/8/15, David via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>    Marion said, "As we have said so many times before, never, never,
>>    never give advance notice that you have a guide dog. This only creates
>>    problems, since the guide dog is irrelevant."
>>
>>    Dear Marion, I realize that as a new NAGDU member and newly minted
>>    guide dog handler, I may have less of a basis for an opinion on your
>>    statement, above, than you or others.
>>
>>    As with most blanket proscriptions, however, I feel that there are
>>    nuanced and important exceptions that should be noted or discussed. I
>>    generally agree with your proscription as it applies to hostelries,
>>    restaurants and most forms of transportation. I understand that a
>>    simple rule can help corral the tendencies of many us toward
>>    over-disclosure, but my experience so far has been different -- at
>>    least with respect to travel on one airline. Before I retired 9 years
>>    ago while I was cane traveling for years. I often traveled as much as
>>    80,000 miles by air. I am very familiar with many airports, with the
>>    demeanor of airline personnel, and many of the peculiar exigencies of
>>    travel while visually impaired.
>>
>>    My experience while flying with my 70 lb pup, Claire Rose, on Delta
>>    Airlines has been extremely positive, however. Flight attendants have
>>    been solicitous and have even offered to relocate an Emotional Support
>>    Animal that was creating a disturbance. Because I must use connecting
>>    flights to many locations from the Tampa airport, it is often quite
>>    difficult to create connections with sufficient time between flights
>>    in Atlanta to go outside security and return so that I have enough
>>    time to relieve Claire Rose. Calling the regular reservation number at
>>    Delta is vexatious at best and operators are often not helpful. The
>>    connection with a representative can take a very long time and
>>    disconnects are not uncommon.
>>
>>
>>    Delta, however, has a disability line that is answered quickly. The
>>    reps with whom I have talked are knowledgeable about seating space and
>>    ask about seating preferences. During my last reservation the rep
>>    moved passengers with existing reserved seats so that Claire Rose
>>    could be accommodated in a seat with a larger floor area. Connection
>>    times that would have taken me hours to try to figure out online were
>>    resolved during my 15 minute call and I was asked whether they could
>>    provide me with assistance to exit and return from the relieving area
>>    outside the commercial car pickup area at the end of the airport.
>>    Since I was based in Atlanta for 16 years and know the airport well,
>>    this wasn't necessary.
>>
>>    Nearly all of us have experienced ignorance, discrimination, and
>>    prejudice, but I think there are times when we need to temper
>>    stridency with respect for others. When a company shows itself to be
>>    responsive and is demonstrably accommodating my needs, I am more than
>>    willing to give them advance notice, so that they do not have to
>>    scramble to accommodate me at the last minute with harried gate
>>    personnel handling overbooked flights, weather delays and
>>    'temporarily' disabled passengers.
>>
>>
>> -- David and Claire Rose in Clearwater, FL
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>