[Travelandtourism] Airline Discriminates Against The Blind:

[David Andrews]

>
>Blind man barred from Dubai flight over disability
>Blind American traveler barred from Dubai flight over disability;
>FlyDubai airline apologizes
>
>
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>Blind American man Zuhair Mahmoud who was rejected from his flight, in
>Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010. He says he was
>stopped from getting on a flight in Dubai on Tuesday because of his
>disability - a decision the government-run airline insists was a
>mistake which it regrets. Mahmoud, of Arlington, Virginia, told The
>Associated Press he ran into problems when he went to check in for a
>10:10 a.m. flight on FlyDubai to Amman. He was planning a brief stay in
>the Jordanian capital before heading back to the United States.(AP
>Photo/Farhad Berahman)
>Adam Schreck, Associated Press Writer, On Tuesday October 5, 2010, 3:38 pm EDT
>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- A blind American traveler says he
>was stopped from getting on a flight in Dubai on Tuesday because of his
>disability -- a decision the government-run airline insists was a
>mistake it regrets.
>
>Zuhair Mahmoud, of Arlington, Virginia, told The Associated Press he
>ran into problems when he went to check in for a 10:10 a.m. flight on
>FlyDubai to Amman, Jordan. He was planning a brief stay in the
>Jordanian capital before heading back to the United States.
>
>"They looked at me and said: 'Well, we can't take you. ... You're
>traveling alone,'" he recalled.
>
>Mahmoud protested and asked employees to check with their superiors. He
>said he was told that there was nothing they could do because it was
>airline policy not to allow a blind traveler onboard unaccompanied.
>
>"I was mad. ... I couldn't believe it," the 37-year-old information
>technology specialist said. "I tried to reason with them, but I just
>got a single cold answer."
>
>He left the airport and went to stay at a brother's house in Dubai
>until he could catch another flight out.
>
>The airline doesn't dispute Mahmoud's account.
>
>Its chief executive apologized for the incident and said the carrier
>does not discriminate against blind passengers or others with special
>needs. FlyDubai also promised to rebook Mahmoud on another flight
>that's convenient for him and offered him a voucher for a free flight
>to make up for the mishap.
>
>"This morning's events were extremely unfortunate and should not have
>happened. We will conduct a full investigation to find out what went
>wrong in this situation and take all means necessary to ensure it does
>not happen again," FlyDubai CEO Ghaith al-Ghaith said in an e-mail to the AP.
>
>The discount carrier has grown quickly since it was launched by the
>Gulf city-state's government in June last year. It focuses on low-cost
>short-haul flights throughout the Middle East.
>
>Al-Ghaith is a former executive at Dubai's flagship airline, Emirates.
>The two carriers operate as separate airlines, though both are owned by
>the emirate of Dubai and are chaired by an uncle of the sheikdom's ruler.
>
>Mahmoud said he is keeping his options open, including possible legal action.
>
>He wants the airline and UAE government regulators to take steps to
>ensure the same thing doesn't happen to others.
>
>"I'm probably not going to come back to Dubai ever unless I'm assured
>these sorts of things aren't going to happen anymore," he said. "The
>real test is how it's handled and how it's reacted to. Mistakes happen
>all the time. It's how you deal with them that defines who you are."
>Kenneth Chrane

                         David Andrews:  dandrews at visi.com
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