The new reality is that airlines barely have enough personnel to check in a single flight, let alone have additional personnel available for people who need assistance. Sometimes an airline will have two or three flights arrive at the same time. That could mean 600+ people descending on the airport at once. They have to open the plane door, arrange wheelchair assistance, deal with mishandled baggage, connecting passengers, ad nauseum. So, in spite of what someone tells you on the phone, the only assistance you can generally be certain of getting (although there are plenty of foul-ups) is wheelchair assistance because it's required by law. It's a sad fact in the USA.
|