I occasionally help out a friend who is a paraplegic. English is his third language. He is usually very capable of looking after himself and lives an independent life, however when it comes to going to the airport with luggage he needs some help. He is very familiar with flying (with QF and AN in the past) and what is required.
He booked a flight with DJ by phone (as the DJ website asks for passengers needing assistance). He informed DJ he was unable to walk being paraplegic. This was duly noted on the itinerary that was emailed to him. There were no other requests made by DJ about what else was required.
I took him to the airport early in the morning arriving at 4:30am for a 6am flight. At check-in I was asked if I was flying as well, and I said no. Nothing further was said by the agent. My friend was asked to transfer to the narrow aisle wheel chair and his wheel chair was taken away. I wheeled him to the gate and after the security bozos tried to insist he walk through the scanner, we reached the gate and waited.
As we approached boarding time I was surprised that no one approached us about boarding - as it was pretty obvious that a wheelchair passenger was there. So at 5:30am I approached the desk and asked if it was possible to board early - I was told to wait and a call would be made.
A call was made for those needing assistance and so we went forward. I was taken aback when the agent after asking me whether I was traveling then rebuked me for not accompanying my friend as it was DJ policy. She then asked my friend whether he could walk - when it was clear in his booking record that he can't. After a lot of sighing and rolling of eyes she took the boarding pass and got some help to wheel my friend on board. She then proceeded to close up the gate and lock the door while my friend was taken aboard. I thought everything was ok so I started to head off, but I decided to remain at the rear of the gate area to see that all worked out. After a while the gate agent reappeared and started to board other passengers so I went back to the car and went to work.
About half an hour after arriving at work I was shocked to receive a call from my friend telling me that they had removed him from the plane. They told him as he had no accompanying passenger, no oxygen bottle, nor a medical report he would not be flying. Some supervisor delivered this news to him while he was already in the seat on the plane. This was the first that my friend had heard about these things.
He was in a completely powerless and marginalised situation being surrounded by a number of DJ employees. So he had to transfer out of the seat back into the chair and was pushed back up to the gate area behind the desk so that, he was told "to be out of the way" and that he would "be dealt with later". He also had to face the very embarassing situation of being pushed past a whole plane load of people who were boarding.
After boarding was completed he was wheeled downstairs and given his luggage back and his own wheelchair and left to himself.
Some kind person helped him with his luggage out to the taxi rank and after a $80 fare he was home again.
I am bristling with rage about this unjust and discriminatory situation - but I don't want to fire off too soon lest I ruin things further for my friend. I should add that his confidence has really taken a serious blow over this and he hasn't been out of his house since it happened.
If anyone has constructive advice about how this should be approached I would be very grateful for your help, especially concerning rights and legal avenues.
He booked a flight with DJ by phone (as the DJ website asks for passengers needing assistance). He informed DJ he was unable to walk being paraplegic. This was duly noted on the itinerary that was emailed to him. There were no other requests made by DJ about what else was required.
I took him to the airport early in the morning arriving at 4:30am for a 6am flight. At check-in I was asked if I was flying as well, and I said no. Nothing further was said by the agent. My friend was asked to transfer to the narrow aisle wheel chair and his wheel chair was taken away. I wheeled him to the gate and after the security bozos tried to insist he walk through the scanner, we reached the gate and waited.
As we approached boarding time I was surprised that no one approached us about boarding - as it was pretty obvious that a wheelchair passenger was there. So at 5:30am I approached the desk and asked if it was possible to board early - I was told to wait and a call would be made.
A call was made for those needing assistance and so we went forward. I was taken aback when the agent after asking me whether I was traveling then rebuked me for not accompanying my friend as it was DJ policy. She then asked my friend whether he could walk - when it was clear in his booking record that he can't. After a lot of sighing and rolling of eyes she took the boarding pass and got some help to wheel my friend on board. She then proceeded to close up the gate and lock the door while my friend was taken aboard. I thought everything was ok so I started to head off, but I decided to remain at the rear of the gate area to see that all worked out. After a while the gate agent reappeared and started to board other passengers so I went back to the car and went to work.
About half an hour after arriving at work I was shocked to receive a call from my friend telling me that they had removed him from the plane. They told him as he had no accompanying passenger, no oxygen bottle, nor a medical report he would not be flying. Some supervisor delivered this news to him while he was already in the seat on the plane. This was the first that my friend had heard about these things.
He was in a completely powerless and marginalised situation being surrounded by a number of DJ employees. So he had to transfer out of the seat back into the chair and was pushed back up to the gate area behind the desk so that, he was told "to be out of the way" and that he would "be dealt with later". He also had to face the very embarassing situation of being pushed past a whole plane load of people who were boarding.
After boarding was completed he was wheeled downstairs and given his luggage back and his own wheelchair and left to himself.
Some kind person helped him with his luggage out to the taxi rank and after a $80 fare he was home again.
I am bristling with rage about this unjust and discriminatory situation - but I don't want to fire off too soon lest I ruin things further for my friend. I should add that his confidence has really taken a serious blow over this and he hasn't been out of his house since it happened.
If anyone has constructive advice about how this should be approached I would be very grateful for your help, especially concerning rights and legal avenues.
ver ecent times Tiger/JQ & DJ have all copped serves for these reasons.
There is no suggestion that the person involved is a midget or suffering from dwarfism. I'm of average height, if I have to use the oxygen mask on a DJ flight am I expected to stand up to reach the mask, once deployed. All the video etc., I've seen of these masks suggests that a normal sitting person would be able to reach the mask.
