On a recent skiing trip to Whistler, my 5 year old daughter had the ill fortune to break her leg. After dealing with the acute aspects of this injury, we started to deal with the logistic difficulties. Seven days prior to our scheduled flight from YVR to Newark, NJ, we contacted our travel agent. He talked with the medical desk at Air Canada, describing her injury and needs. Because she was in a full-leg, straight cast, the medical desk agent reassigned us to seats with supposedly adequate clearance. We were assured that AC was expecting us and our injured daughter, and that reasonable accommodation would be made.

36 hours before departure, we called Air Canada just to be SURE that our travel experience--already guaranteed to be fraught, given my daughter's injury--would not include any nasty surprises. We were, after a 45 minute "on hold" at roaming rates, connected with the medical desk. They told us we needed to fax a letter from the emergency physician to their offices. We had no access to a fax machine, but did have our letter in hand. We read the letter verbatim to the agent, and were told that it was fully adequate and that we should just bring the letter in person to YVR on our day of departure. We also checked that a wheelchair (as requested previously) would be available to transport our daughter from the shuttle to the gate. We described her size and condition and were assured that a chair would be waiting.

The night before departure, we visited the emergency room again to be sure our daughter was fit to travel. By now, her cast had been on for 7 days and was quite loose, and the MD strongly advised against splitting the cast, suggesting that the attendant loss of stability could do permanent harm to the healing bones. The MD wrote us a new letter, again stating that our daughter was fit to travel, and would require extra space due to the fixed, extended position of her leg necessitated by the cast.

The next morning, we boarded our shuttle for the 2 hour trip to YVR. Upon arrival at the airport, we detained the shuttle as my husband searched for the wheelchair. After a 10 minute wait, he was attended to by an AC agent who offered an adult size wheelchair that lacked leg support (it could support the foot of a bent leg, but could not accommodate a fixed, extended leg). He protested that we had been assured that an appropriate wheelchair would be provided, which resulted in the words "too bad, this is all we have!" being repeated in a variety of phrases and tones (none sympathetic). So, we loaded my daughter onto this huge chair, where her head barely cleared the armrest, and used string to tie her casted leg in place. By now she was crying copiously, both from pain and confusion. So, with no help at all from the AC wheelchair people, we struggled to the check-in area. At this point, we were 4 hours ahead of departure time.

We approached the check-in desk, and were met with befuddlement. A disabled passenger on this flight? They knew nothing about it, sorry, you can't check in. We explained our long history of contact with AC, the check-in agent frowning and shaking her head throughout. She then looked over our medical documents...more head shaking...hmmph! I will have to call my manager! Off she goes. 30 minutes pass, daughter meanwhile slumped in the monster chair, crying, mom and dad nonplussed. Upon return, sorry, you can't fly. You were supposed to fax this letter. More explaining, away goes the agent again. This time, she returns to tell us that only a split cast is allowed on the plane. We protest that 1) no such directive was ever mentioned, and 2) medical advice was explicit that the cast should not be split.

The whole saga is incredibly long, but we ended up dealing with a "manager" who (supposedly) phoned the "medical board" who persisted in insisting that my daughter not fly. All of these consultations between the agent, manager, and AC highers-up occurred behind closed doors, and typically involved a 10-30 minute disappearance of the person "helping" us.

By now, my daughter is intermittently weeping quietly and shouting "can I please go home? why won't they let me go home?" as she writhes in her wheelchair. I do not exaggerate for effect when I tell you that NOT ONE AC agent even looked at her, much less spoke to her or offered any reassurance. Now clearly this is my child, not theirs, so I hardly expect them to drop everything to comfort her. Yet the level of indifference was truly astounding. It was as if I had some messy food in my hand that was just too gross for them to acknowledge. Or like I was discussing a piece of misdirected luggage!

We, during these absences by the AC personnel, were phoning madly for answers/help. At last we reached the emergency MD who treated my daughter. She was SO ANGRY. She told us the clinic keeps a copy of Air Canada (and all other airline) regulations posted on their wall, and that the AC policy explicitly states that a split cast is ONLY required within 48 hours of an injury. Subsequent decisions about cast care are ONLY to be made by the patient (or guardian) and their doctor, NOT by AC. At our request, she phoned Air Canada. Naturally, she was put on hold. After 20 minutes, she finally got through and stated our case.

5 minutes later, the AC manager comes out to say "good news! we decided to let you fly!" as if this were some great kindness on their part. By now, we have just 30 minutes to check our bags, go through security, and catch an international flight. Which does not provide food, which of course we have not had time to purchase, thanks to anxiously hovering by the door behind which our fate was being decided.

In the end, we did catch our flight. My daughter was in a state of near collapse by then (she is a tough kid, but the combination of pain and confusion was too much for her). Although I should perhaps be grateful that at least they "let us" fly, I am still incredibly hurt and angry. No one ever apologized or admitted that their behavior had been unnecessary and, in fact, had run counter to the AC policy.

As you can guess, I will not be flying Air Canada in the future, and am not even sure I ever wish to visit Canada again if AC is a fair representation of Canadian kindness.