Thank you for the reference to the DOT employee. I will look for the link.
All in all, I am glad I took the precaution of booking flights which allowed us a minimum of 90-120 minutes between segments, so as to have breathing room in case of weather-related or other delays.
Ours was decidedly not an adhoc request and you make the same point I raised to a Delta staffer in Atlanta on the way home. I booked the tickets online almost 30 days before travel and requested a wheelchair for my aunt at that time. The request appeared on the printed itinerary. I also called the airline three days later and confirmed it was on the reservation. The wheelchair request appeared on the boarding tickets as well when I checked in online 24 hours in advance of the flight.
Our best wheelchair experience was at DFW airport as we were starting our trip. We were immediately tended to curbside and the gentleman was polite, efficient and extremely helpful. He received an extremely generous tip as I was most appreciative. Arriving in Atlanta, we waited long enough that all passengers had left the plane, the cleaning crew had boarded, we had chit-chatted with the captain for some time, and even he had inquired a couple of times as to the status of the wheelchair before it finally arrived. Reboarding in Atlanta was timely. The same person helped us both times (deplaning and reboarding) and was tipped well. In Miami, we again visited with the flight crew, captain, and cleaning crew and were the last ones off the plane. Our attendant there was most cordial, efficient and helpful, and received an extremely generous tip.
On our way home from Miami, the attendant met us once we were inside the terminal. She was polite, efficient and extremely helpful. Interestingly, when we were boarding, the gate agent tried to stop her, saying that they were only boarding first class passengers. He was insisting she turn back when I clarified that we were in fact flying first class and he let us continue. Apparently he thought that “needing assistance boarding” was not a high priority. She received an extremely generous tip. In Atlanta the wait was loooooooooooong and the attendant was fine. We had to change terminals and I was very grateful for her help. She was tipped quite handsomely but I was tired and tipped her when she delivered us to the gate, instead of waiting until we boarded the plane. We never saw her again – that was the “disappearing wheelchair attendant”. A Delta staffer actually got a wheelchair for my aunt and got her on the plane. Once home in DFW there was an extremely long wait once more. That was the not-a-spare-seat, jam-the-carryon flight. You can imagine how long it took for all passengers to exit the plane, and even the cleaning crew had finished by the time the wheelchair showed up.
I recognize that an argument could be made about the needs of the many vs the needs of the few (interrupting boarding/deplaning temporarily to allow a passenger needing assistance to proceed). But a passenger is a passenger is a passenger. Everyone should be able to board and exit the plane in a timely manner.
Yes, I will definitely be pursuing that issue. Thanks again.
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