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

Jordan Gallacher jordanandbelto at gmail.com
Thu Mar 16 22:36:39 UTC 2017 

I always book a window seat but it was crazy when the agent moved my seat
telling me it was still a window seat when in fact tit was an isle seat.
Had she bothered to say that I had the entire row to myself, I would not
have said a thing to Delta about it once I had gotten to where I was going,
but between that and the lengthy wait to get assistance in Atlanta, Delta
heard from me.
Jordan

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cindy Ray via
NAGDU
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 2:50 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Cc: Cindy Ray
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] FW: [Njagdu] Blind woman and guide dog kicked off
American Airline flight



-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Buddy Brannan via
NAGDU
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 2:42 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Buddy Brannan <buddy at brannan.name>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] FW: [Njagdu] BOh, yeah, Buddy, I figured that. I
suppose they thought the sighted guy should have the window seat so didn't
ask. I'm not sure how much you see in those seat at those altitudes anyway.
Cindy Lou Ray
cindyray at gmail.com
lind woman and guide dog kicked off American Airline flight

Thing is, about the aisle seat flight, yes, I normally request a window
seat, but the ticketing agent at the counter specifically booked me a waisle
seat. I wouldn't have had any problem changing to a window seat with the guy
in my row, but no one bothered to suggest that. 

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




> On Mar 16, 2017, at 3:34 PM, Cindy Ray via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> No no, Joe! We don't know the whole story for sure, but it is safe to
> imagine that we know enough of it. If you say you want to change, or you
> don't, and they want you to, or they don't, and you debate it, they will
> accuse you of being a hazard to the others on the flight. I was accused of
> yelling on a Southwest flight and alarming other passengers. I was not
> yelling. And you can say what you like, but to even have it threatened to
> throw you off the flight is alarming. If you actually get tossed off that
> flight, well, that just adds to it. I think that we need not assume the
> other side. Also, Joe, I would say that while it is important for us to be
> "nice", mostly, when you have taken so much off of people, sometimes you
get
> a little testy. Seems OK if the sighted public screams at the flight
> employees and pushes; if I ask for a different seat or say I'm not going
to
> sit in the bulkhead, then I should be allowed that, too. They do say in a
> lot of the rules that the dog should not be in the aisle seat for fear of
> getting its paws out in the way of carts. I always go for the windows. 
> Another thing is they will tel you it's for your own good, or that's their
> policy. I think we know what is for our own good, and as for policy: You
ask
> them to read it they won't. The Southwest people told me it was on their
> website. It was, and that said I could sit where I like pretty much except
> they encouraged me not to sit in the aisle seat.
> 
> 
> Cindy Lou Ray
> cindyray at gmail.com
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Joe Orozco via
> NAGDU
> Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2017 10:49 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Joe Orozco <jsoro620 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] FW: [Njagdu] Blind woman and guide dog kicked off
> American Airline flight
> 
> Can we agree we only have one side of the story here, and a limited one at
> that? No, an airline should not kick someone off a flight, but to claim
> danger to the flight, to me, suggests there could be more to the story. I
> have seen fellow guide dog users become rather adamant in their defense of
> their rights, and in a sensitive mode of transportation such as airplanes,
> passengers with a variety of needs should be mindful of the hyper
> sensitivity the crew is exercising in prioritizing security. I am glad
> complaints are being filed. If wrong is proven, the airline should do a
lot
> more than issue an apology, but let's remember we only have limited facts
> surrounding the incident.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Joe
> 
> 
> On 3/16/17, Buddy Brannan via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Apology hell! She wants assurances and proof that they've had training 
>> on, you know, things like what the ACAA says (how many ways can we 
>> violate that in one flight?). But really, Sue Martin should freakin' 
>> *own* her an airline. Just sayin. While this sort of behavior was more 
>> common 30 years or so ago, ask Mike Hingson, just...wow.
>> 
>> --
>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>> Phone: 814-860-3194
>> Mobile: 814-431-0962
>> Email: buddy at brannan.name
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Mar 16, 2017, at 11:06 AM, Chantel Cuddemi via NAGDU 
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 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-o
>>>> ff-ameri
>>>> can-airlines-flight/422219883
>>>> <http://www.wlbz2.com/news/local/blind-woman-and-service-dog-kicked-
>>>> off-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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>> 
>> 
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> 
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