[NAGDU] Horrible Experience with JetBlue

Thu Feb 22 02:44:02 UTC 2024

Christina,

Your thoughts are shared by many at times... I certainly went through this
thought pattern when waiting for my new guide.

Now if you have someone who drives you everywhere and don't have actual
meaningful work for your guide to do then don't get another guide. Some
handlers knowingly get a dog push the rules and are lucky if there guide
works more than 200 meters a week, they even get family members to walk the
guide to keep it fit. So if you are one of those people then don't bother.

However only going on what I read, it does sound as though you are out and
about, you walk your dog and it actually guides you correctly. This being
the case the stress is probably worth it.

If your working your dog, keeping up its training go right on ahead and get
another dog.

Cheers.

Brent.

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Christina Moore
via NAGDU
Sent: Thursday, 22 February 2024 1:06 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Christina Moore
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Horrible Experience with JetBlue

I'm sorry this happened to you. There is no reason this should have
happened in the first place.
All of the trouble people have been having with rideshares and the flights,
make me question if I should get another dog altogether...I'm on the
waiting list for Seeing Eye however things are complicated right now with
our ability to travel freely with our dogs so I'm not sure what to do. I
really want and need a new dog but is all of this stress worth it when I
can just bring a cane? I'm unsure about this because I know with a dog I
travel more-easily, more-freely if that makes sense and I feel
more-confident than with my cane (though I have good cane skills) I feel
like my preferred tool is the guide dog. I'm more independent with a dog
than a cane. Thoughts?
Christina

On Wed, Feb 21, 2024 at 8:43 PM Michael Forzano via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> Exactly. Since the very beginning of the interaction I kept saying that
> I'm blind and she's my seeing eye dog, I filled out the form already and
> can you please just add her to the reservation. There was no empathy or
> coppassion shown by these employees. I was viewed as in the wrong until my
> girlfriend and I somehow got through to them. It was really surprising,
> honestly.
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Feb 21, 2024, at 6:39 PM, Tracy Carcione via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> wrote:
> >
> > This is outrageous.  Is it time to start calling the media?  They beat
> the
> > heck out of the emotional support peacock.  They might at least show the
> > blind guy with his Seeing Eye dog being hassled by the airlines that
> > everyone despises.
> > How long, O Lord, how long?!
> > Tracy
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Michael Forzano via
> > NAGDU
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2024 5:20 PM
> > To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> > <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> > Cc: Michael Forzano <michaeldforzano at gmail.com>
> > Subject: [NAGDU] Horrible Experience with JetBlue
> >
> > Hi All,
> >
> > Below is the text of the DOT complaint I submitted yesterday regarding
> > my
> > experience with JetBlue this past Sunday. I wanted to post here so the
> board
> > is aware in case it helps in our advocacy efforts, and so that the NAGDU
> > community is informed of the kinds of experience that await you if you
> > choose to fly this airline.
> >
> > On February 18, 2024, I traveled from New York (JFK) to Fort Lauderdale
> > (FLL) on JetBlue flight 1401. I am blind and travel with a Seeing Eye
> dog.
> > I filled out the required DOT form weeks before my flight and received
> the
> > email from the Open Doors Organization, which JetBlue partners with,
> that my
> > travel was approved. At JFK Terminal 5, JetBlue has instructed the TSA
> > boarding pass checkers not to let anyone with a dog through unless they
> have
> > the dog listed on their boarding pass. Mine was not, so I was told that
> > I
> > needed to go to the check in counter. I refused and asked to speak with
> > a
> > supervisor. As I checked in online, I should not have to go stand in
> another
> > line and requiring this of me is discriminatory.
> >
> >
> >
> > Most of the employees I dealt with were rude and confrontational, and
> would
> > not listen when I explained that I had filled out the form and it had
> been
> > approved. I even showed them the approval email from Open Doors which
> > confirmed I was approved to fly with my guide dog on the applicable
> > confirmation number. The email is also attached to this complaint. I was
> > even asked to fill out the form again despite having the email proving I
> had
> > already filled it out. As a totally blind person, filling out a print
> copy
> > of a form is not something I am capable of doing. I had to argue with
> > 4 different people before a supervisor finally agreed to just add my dog
> to
> > the reservation. At the end of it, I was told that it was a glitch in
> > the
> > system where even though I filled out the form it was not linked to my
> > reservation. The last employee I spoke to even said he has a family
> member
> > who has a guide dog, and this happens to them all the time. This is
> > absolutely unacceptable. All said and done, I wasted a half hour of my
> time,
> > with my girlfriend and I standing there humiliated as people streamed
> past
> > us going through TSA. It was beyond embarrassing and the emotional toll
> this
> > incident has taken on me is significant. I worry that in the future, I
> will
> > end up missing a flight because an issue such as this one occurs.
> >
> >
> >
> > It's one thing to have these burdensome forms to deal with, but another
> for
> > the systems to not work correctly so that people who follow the rules
> > are
> > still penalized. I fly every month and have flown just about every US
> > airline since the regulations have gone into effect and this is by far
> the
> > worst experience I have had. Most airlines are at least respectful and
> > do
> > their best to work with us, but not JetBlue. Throughout the whole
> ordeal, I
> > was talked down to as if I didn't know what I was doing and this was my
> > fault, and it took literally half an hour and 4 people for them to admit
> > that the airline dropped the ball.
> >
> >
> > I am filing this complaint as JetBlue needs to be held accountable for
> their
> > mistake. I would like to be made aware of steps that JetBlue is taking
> > to
> > prevent this from happening again. The systems need to be rectified so
> that
> > the forms are correctly added to the reservation when filled out, and
> > JetBlue employees need training on how to interact with customers with
> > disabilities and how to treat them with the dignity and respect they
> > deserve.
> >
> >
> > In addition to the DOT complaint, a complaint was filed on my behalf by
> > airport staff. JetBlue responded today, denying any wrongdoing under the
> DOT
> > rules. They stated that my dog was added to the reservation on December
> 31,
> > when I filled out the form, and that she wasn't listed on the boarding
> pass
> > due to a technical glitch. Despite having to relive the entire
> experience on
> > a phone conversation with their executive team, they were not at all
> > apologetic about the conduct of their employees and refused to offer me
> any
> > compensation even when I explicitly asked for it. Apparently, we are
> > expected to live with these "technical glitches" and just suck it up and
> > deal when we are held up at the airport. They have also given me no
> > guarantee that this won't happen on my return flight on Saturday. At
> > this
> > point, I'm considering cancelling and booking with another airline, even
> if
> > it would cost me over $600 for my girlfriend and I.
> >
> >
> > I'm truly frustrated with not only what happened but their totally
> > inadequate response as well.
> >
> >
> > -Michael
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
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