[blindkid] Missed Flight

Peter Donahue pdonahue1 at sbcglobal.net
Sun Jun 14 04:37:42 UTC 2009


Hello everyone,

    We have had to fight long and hard with airlines, the FAA and the DOT to 
get us to where we are were airtravel is concerned . Blind persons have been 
bodily removed from airplanes, arrested, gone to jail, and on some instances 
have been beaten and injured by airline an law enforcement personnel. Those 
girls inherit that legacy and should honor this privilege and those who 
fought long and hard for us to be left alone should we not wish assistance 
when flying.
    We always make it a habit to sit as close to the jetway as possible so 
one way or other we'll know when the flight is boarding. If we request 
assistance we get it. Otherwise we want to be left alone. There's nothing 
wrong with taking assistance but airline personnel over-step their bounds 
when they try to shove it down our throats. Southwest Airlines was sued on 
several occasions for rendering assistance when it wasn't needed and for 
physically injuring a blind person on one of their flights. He refused to 
sit in a bulkhead seat because he traveled with a guide dog. Mike Hingson 
also suffered at the hands of airline personnel and police for the same 
reason. What happened today is a great opportunity to teach the girls 
responsibility. I'm with others on this topic as it was their responsibility 
to locate themselves in a area where they could monitor the jetway to know 
when their connecting flight was boarding and not the duty of the airline 
personnel to, "Take care of them." Here's hoping they got to Denver all 
right.

Peter Donahue

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dave Wright" <gymnastdave at sbcglobal.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)" 
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 13, 2009 3:58 PM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Missed Flight


Good afternoon Kim,
I travel often and have had a similar experience with another airline. I
believe it is the obligation of the personnel on duty to make sure that
anyone who receives a preboarding pass gets aboard their flight. This is the
whole point of checking in with them in the first place. I'm really dismayed
that you had this negative experience with Southwest as I've always gotten
excellent service from this airline. I don't think you are being too
concerned, however, I would encourage you to remain positive and take a
moment to assess the situation. You should definitely take this up with the
airline management,however, don't forget that your children are ok and they
have also learned something positive from this experience.


Best Regards:
Dave Wright
Work Phone: 651-636-5184 X803
Email:
dwrigh6 at gmail.com
WebPage:
http://www.knfbreader.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kim Cunningham" <kim at gulfimagesphoto.com>
To: "Blindkid" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, June 13, 2009 2:33 PM
Subject: [blindkid] Missed Flight


I am so mad right now! My daughter and another blind friend left Houston
this morning heading to Colorado Center for the Blind in Denver. They are
both attending the Earn and Learn Program for eight weeks. My daughter's
flight was booked by our local DARS agency and since they booked a couple of
days before they were to leave, they were unable to get a direct flight. The
girls were to change planes in Dallas. My daughter was very confident in her
abilities to get to the right gate and make the connection. She has flown
several times by herself and had no worries. So, the girls got off the plane
in Dallas and were met by airport personnel. My daughter informed him that
she didn't need the cart and would find the gate if he could point her in
the right direction. Apparently, one of the passengers offered to show them
to their gate and my daughter allowed. My daughter told me that she walked
in front of the passenger and found the gate on her own and was
 feeling very proud of herself. The passenger left the girls at the gate and
the girls then proceeded to get a pre-board pass. There were no seats in the
pre-boarding area, so the girls sat in a row of seats next to this area.
After waiting to hear boarding information, my daughter went to the desk and
was told that they missed their flight! Appparently the speakers were not
working in this area and no one from the airlines came to tell them of the
flights departure. Does this happen to blind people often? Should there have
been something else that my daughter should have said or done while at the
check-in desk? I spoke to the supervisor and she was so rude to me! I asked
her how can someone check in for a pre-board pass and then no one ever make
sure that the passenger knows when the flight is boarding (especially if the
passenger has a white cane and the airlines already know the speaker doesn't
work)? This lady said - "Well, we don't know IF the
 girls were in the pre-board area (insinuating they left the gate) and we
didn't even know they were there (although the girls had pre-board passes).
Since I was upset, I expressed my dismay about not being able to trust the
airline upon which the supervisor told me the only way to make sure that
your children are safe is to fly with them! This statement made me feel as
though she was saying I wasn't a good mother. I really expected to here her
apologize as soon as she got on the phone, but instead, she didn't want to
assume any of the blame for the situation. I plan to file a complaint on
Monday with their customer service department, but I need to understand
whether the airlines have any requirements to make sure that blind people of
properly notified of flight status. Southwest Airlines knew that the speaker
wasn't working, but did not tell the girls. Now I'm sitting at home in
Houston worrying about if the girls will make their next flight (4-1/2
 hours later). Both of the girls are in good moods and reading braille books
and listening to their Victor Stream at the moment. The people at CCB are
going to have to go out of their way to pick up the girls at a much later
time also. Y'all tell me - Am I being an over-protective mother or do I have
a right to be upset with the way Southwest Airlines deals with blind
passengers?
One pee-o'd Mom,
Kim Cunningham
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