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

[Tracy Carcione]

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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