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

Buddy Brannan buddy at brannan.name
Thu Mar 16 15:42:31 UTC 2017


She was in bulkhead and wanted to switch to something else, because there was no room. A safety risk? Pilot couldkick her off the plane "because he said so". Good on ya, American. Guess whose friendly skies I'm not flying?

BTW, I also flew American, and:

* First flight: after I got on the plane, with some help from airport personnel, no one acknowledged me until the plane was approaching the airport, at which time I was told to wait on the plane for someone to come and help me off the plane. Uhh, no. (Notably, when the beverage service came around, I wasn't offered one.) I also did not get my mandatory safety briefing, but at least they publicly told everyone which rows had emergency exits. Luckily, I can count. 

* Second flight, I also did not get my mandatory safety briefing.

* Third flight, I got on, got settled (in an aisle seat, no worries). Got up to go to the restroom, when Hilde got up to look for my return. Came back. Plane is pushed back and starts taxiing. *Then* the flight attendant decided that this would be a great time to tell me that they wanted me to switch seats with someone in the bulkhead. I said I wasn't interested. Then they said the one thing that would be guaranteed to make me uncooperative: "It's for your own good". And how they wanted to move me, because it's pitch dark, and they didn't want to run over my dog with the cart if she got into the aisle. She was safely tucked under the seat, and I'm very conscientious about keeping her there. Again, I said I wasn't interested, and they went away grumbling. Two things. If that was the problem, why not switch with the person in the window seat of the same row? And, more to the point, why did they wait until the plane was moving?
* Fourth flight: completely uneventful. 

--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: 814-860-3194 
Mobile: 814-431-0962
Email: buddy at brannan.name




> On Mar 16, 2017, at 11:12 AM, Tracy Carcione via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> I think they owe her more than an apology.  I've had to re-book a flight
> when one was cancelled, and it was a huge hassle.  Add to that the distress
> of being thrown out for nothing.
> I was gaily assuming she wanted to switch to the bulkhead, but maybe she
> wanted to switch away.  In my experience, when there are 3 people in the
> bulkhead seats, the dog is all over everyone's feet.  However it was, the
> airline crew way over-reacted.
> Tracy
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Chantel Cuddemi
> via NAGDU
> Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 11:06 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Cc: Chantel Cuddemi
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] FW: [Njagdu] Blind woman and guide dog kicked off
> American Airline flight
> 
> I saw that article on another list!
> How horrible! I am very disappointed .
> They owe her an apology for this.
> Chantel.
> On Thu, Mar 16, 2017 at 10:58 AM Tracy Carcione via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> wrote:
> 
>> 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
>> <http://www.wlbz2.com/news/local/blind-woman-and-service-dog-kicked-of
>> f-american-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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