[NAGDU] FW: [Njagdu] Blind woman and guide dog kicked off American Airline flight

[Tracy Carcione]

I wonder, as airlines have started charging for sitting in the bulkhead, if
it will be harder to switch to sit there.  I don't care myself, but some do.

Tracy

 

 

From: NJAGDU [mailto:njagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ginger Kutsch
via NJAGDU
Sent: Monday, March 13, 2017 9:41 PM
To: New Jersey Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Ginger Kutsch
Subject: [Njagdu] Blind woman and guide dog kicked off American Airline
flight

 

Blind woman and guide dog kicked off American Airline flight 

Samantha York, WLBZ 7:24 PM. EDT March 13, 2017

Video at
http://www.wlbz2.com/news/local/blind-woman-and-service-dog-kicked-off-ameri
can-airlines-flight/422219883

 

FRANKLIN, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- After requesting a different seat -- Sue
Martin, who is blind, and her service dog were kicked off of an American
Airlines

flight -- she said the pilot claimed she was a "danger to the flight".

 

Sue Martin of Franklin has had her seeing eye dog, Quan, for the past year.
She depends on him to navigate through her daily life. Martin had never run

into an incident like this before her most recent trip to San Diego. There
were several connecting flights -- all of which went smoothly until her
connector

flight from Washington DC to Dallas. She requested a different seat on the
aircraft after she saw it would not accommodate her service dog. "There was
not enough room for a 75 pound dog and three adult humans" Martin said.The
two were asked to step off of the plane after several requests were made to
change seats. "The man said, you have to leave the plane -- I asked him why
and he said the crew had decided I was a danger to the flight" Martin said.
"I've

never had anything happen like this before". Martin claims there was no
altercation between she and the flight attendants and that she couldn't
understand why it escalated the way it did. 

 

She was traveling with her husband as well -- they had to re-book their
flight with a completely different airline at a different airport. "I stood
up, reached for Quan's harness and almost began to cry -- this is just so
far out of the realm of anything I have ever experienced in all my years of
travel" Martin said. "I felt helpless, I felt afraid, I was terrified.

 

Martin filed three separate complaints with the Airline -- it says it will
be investigating the matter. NEWS CENTER reached out to the airline as well,
a spokesperson said "We take all disability complaints very seriously, and
are thoroughly investigating these allegations".

 

Martin stated she's worried about traveling with the airline in the future,
especially if she is alone.

 

"Some reassurance that American will better train its personnel is the only
way I will feel comfortable getting on another American Airlines flight"
Martin said. "I mean if they can kick a blind person off a plane whose dog
is perfectly behaved, what can they do next? I don't know".

 

 

 

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