airplane travel with disabled child

[leise]

Your story made me cry with anger too...
Please please make them give you compensation and tell as many people as possible about your awful experience. I certainly won't be travelling Delta now. The attitude of the person on the phone just beggars belief.
Good luck and hope you have a better time next time

 

[D L and K's Mom]

I have been going through all the Delta policies and chceking out the info Sue told me to check out. I have been highlighting all the things that the airlines neglected to do and then, and only when I have all the facts organized I am going to write my letter. One of the ladies I teach with told me she would photograph the cuts and bruises that I have on my legs from the wheelchair if she was me. I think that that is a little drastic but I am going to write a very long letter. I will definitly let you all know what happens. I am sorry to say that it does say that most of the policies are from Delta and not its connections which awes me as my ticket says DELTA, the plane said DELTA but it is considered a DELTA connection flight. Hmmmm oh well I am still writing.

 

[SueM in MN]

Good luck.
I might not send the pcitures of the bruises with the initial letter, but I guess I would have the pictures taken in case I needed them later.

 

[poohster]

I have found this whole thread most interesting. I travel frequently with my adult autistic daughter. Our airline experiences have been varied, but we consistently have difficulties getting the airlines to seat us together. When we are successful in getting advance seating, we will invariably get to the airport to find that our seat assignments have been changed and we are all seated seperately. We then have to spend time haggling over why we need to be seated together, etc. I was even, on one occasion, told by the ticket agent that I should just go ahead and board and "ask someone to switch seats with you."

I had no idea ther was a special person at the airlines we should talk to. Thank you so much Sue in MN for this helpful and valuable information.

 

[SueM in MN]

I had no idea ther was a special person at the airlines we should talk to. Thank you so much Sue in MN for this helpful and valuable information.

There was a situation a few years ago that involved a woman who could not move without a wheelchair who was left helpless by the airline. I can't remember the exact facts and don't have time to look it up right now, but I think she was actually left sitting in the airplane. Anyway, because of that and other complaints from consumers, the airlines were forced to come up with ways to deal with people with disabilities.

I never liked the "throw yourself on the mercy of the other passengers" idea of seating. Most are nice, but you always have a few who will refuse. My older DD and I were on a flight once where a man (who was already on) asked if we would switch our aisle seat with him so he didn't have to sit the third seat in on a row of about 10 seats across. His 6 or 7 year old autistic daughter was sitting on an aisle row about 3 rows up and he wanted to be able to keep an eye on her. They had preboarded with the "I'm sure someone will switch with you" assurances, but the people who had those seats (2 adults and 3 older teens traveling together) refused to switch. DD or I offered to switch with his DD so he could sit with her, but he said she had already settled in and would not want to move. So, he spent his whole trip up and down in his seat, traveling between his DD and his wife and toddler son who were sitting about 20 rows behind him.

PS> I am pretty sure they have a way of "locking" some seat assignments so that they can't be changed. If you deal with the Special Needs people, they should be able to lock your assignments in. We've been told that until you actually have a boarding pass with the seat assignment, it is subject to change.

 

[videogal1]

If you have questions regarding special needs and airline accommodations, contact Fred.Schotz @ ADAconsulting.com.

 

[goofyandmore]

We are booked with continental now, but regarding seats, they said I had to wait until that day unless I wanted just 2 seats in the bulk (sp?) areafor my daughter and myself. I really need my husband with me though if she acts up, so that would make the situation worse.

Thanks, Carolyn