'Elite' flyer refuses to give up seat

[Welsh-Kiwi]

Interesting article in the New Zealand Herald this morning. Seems like a Gold Elite didn't want to give up 1A for a disabled person.

'Elite' flyer refuses to give up seat - National - NZ Herald News

W-K

 

[ALH]

Gob Smacked is all I can say! Hope someone leaks the DYKWIA's name by"accident"!

 

[eric2011]

Shocking stuff

 

[Anna]

If AirNZ had managed 1. Their seating plan and 2. Their transfer chair availability properly then this would never have happened - and should never have happened IMO.

I'm not saying the DYKWIA did the right thing either though.

 

[serfty]

FWIW Air NZ do have a policy of not forcing a GE from their allocated seat if the GE declines the request.

There are other things about the story that don't gel.

1A on NZ domestic 737 doesn't exist.

If it was one of the new A320's, seats 1A/B/C are designated exit row seats - having a wheelchair PAX their would surely be in breach of exit row policy.

 

[amaroo]

Gob Smacked is all I can say! Hope someone leaks the DYKWIA's name by"accident"!

Disgusting person.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

FWIW Air NZ do have a policy of not forcing a GE from their allocated seat if the GE declines the request.

There are other things about the story that don't gel.

1A on NZ domestic 737 doesn't exist.

If it was one of the new A320's, seats 1A/B/C are designated exit row seats - having a wheelchair PAX their would surely be in breach of exit row policy.

also flight NZ247 doesn't seem to exist

 

[MEL_Traveller]

seems odd - the pax in wheelchair wanted 1A but wouldn't accept 1C occupied by her teenage children?

 

[Happy Trails]

seems odd - the pax in wheelchair wanted 1A but wouldn't accept 1C occupied by her teenage children?

I read it as the teenagers belonging to Mrs Elite Flyer.

 

[vetrade]

also flight NZ247 doesn't seem to exist

Like everyone else I don't know the true facts but the sceptic in me can't help but think, given the inconsistencies in the story, that it would have made terribly convenient promotional material for the wheelchair-bound woman who just happens to be a TV producer making shows about the prejudices disabled people face.

 

[Duffa]

Sorry, but I'm with Mrs Gold Elite.
She paid for 1A and Air NZ should have honoured that commitment. Furthermore, they should have had an aisle chair available and all the hyperbole would have been unnecessary.

 

[mannej]

Like everyone else I don't know the true facts but the sceptic in me can't help but think, given the inconsistencies in the story, that it would have made terribly convenient promotional material for the wheelchair-bound woman who just happens to be a TV producer making shows about the prejudices disabled people face.

I can saw that thought also crossed my mind as well...

 

[serfty]

There were only 2 320's operating AKL-WLG yesterday morning, NZ405 (7:00am) and NZ407 (7:30am) the latter at 7am departed 4 minutes late.

 

[Welsh-Kiwi]

Let's not let the facts get in the way of a good story!

 

[samh004]

The flip side of this is that instead of Gold Elite giving a priority seat, she's saying her disability gives her a priority seat, and to be fair, all things equal, there couldn't have been just one seat that would have worked for her on the whole plane.

"Our whole thing is by showing how disabled people are getting out there and living their lives we can change perceptions around disabled people."

She can start by changing the perception that 1A was the only seat that would have fit her needs, and perhaps openly question why AirNZ couldn't have moved a less valuable customer from any other aisle seat on the plane... why they had to ask the Gold Elite, who would probably be more used to getting their way. Perhaps it's all for the camera

 

[Awesom Andy]

The flight was delayed for only 8 minutes, meaning that it is quite possible that an aisle chair was available, but they were to lazy to get it.

 

[JohnK]

This story did not sound quite right when I was reading it with too many inconsistencies which have been confirmed by serfty.

 

[lukenet]

I will just say up front, I would have just moved if asked.

That said, I also would have been a little pissed off with AirNZ for putting me in that position. Air NZ stuffed up and one of their better customers had to be inconvenienced unnecessarily. The gold passenger would have known better than most the procedure for loading a handicapped pax was not being adhered to.

I also think this was more a case of a clash of personalities, as their was more than a little sense of entitlement with both parties involved.