[mmdwalsh]

My parents(age 89 and 87) recently flew on US Airways and had their flights flagged for wheelchair transport and were seated in handicapped seats. They were flying between major cities (Boston and Pittsburgh) and on travel days that were not too busy. They boarded during preboarding and the US airways staff watched them head down the jetway, my father with his cane and my mother hobbling along on 2 artifical knees and at the end of the jetway, found they had to go down a set of stairs in the semi dark and in the rain, across the tarmack, and up what my father described as a steep ladderlike device. No one offered them any help or considered that people who arrived in wheelchairs might have problems with two flights of outside, wet, semidark stairs.
After four attempts to contact US Airways, I finally got a call back and was told that my parents should have gone back and asked for help, but they didn't consider that as an option-I think they were afraid that they would have ended up stranded in Boston if they couldn't navigate all the stairs. US Airways also said that they should have been listed as unable to board the plane indepently, which would not the case normally, but I haven't had to go on the tarmack in many years in the US at a major airport-it never occurred to me that they wouldn't directly board a plane at the end of the jetway. I am very disappointed at the callous attitude this airline showed. My parents regularly fly to visit their children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren, but after this unsafe experience, they say they can't travel anymore, which will be a big loss to them.

[jimworcs]

You need to file this complaint with the DOT. US Airways failed to meet their obligations under the ACAA Act. There is a link to the complaint section of the DOT in the quick links. I would encourage you to do this, as the DOT is taking a hard line on disability issues.

[xjcaptain]

I feel bad that they feel that they can't travel anymore. I also know that air-travel can be confusing for those that don't travel very often. However, if your parents didn't ask for help, how can you blame the airline? Keep in mind that it is a tricky situation when offering un-asked for help to passengers. Some are offended, others are appreciative. Kind of like walking a tightrope. All I can say is to encourage them to continue to travel if they are able, and make sure to ask for assistance every step of the way. When boarding from the ground instead of a jet-bridge, lifts are available so that a passenger with a disability does not have to climb the stairs to the aircraft. All you have to do is ask.

[jimworcs]

My parents(age 89 and 87) recently flew on US Airways and had their flights flagged for wheelchair transport and were seated in handicapped seats.

Xj, I agree that it is important for people to ask, but this doesn't apply in this case. They gave advance notice of the need for wheelchair assistance and were sat in handicapped seating. It is a breach of the ACAA to fail to provide the service requested. It is often difficult for people of that generation to "speak up" and many people with disabilities also find this difficult. Once a airline has been notified formally of the passenger's needs they are obligated to meet them. The passenger is not required to remind them, beg or repeat the request over and over.

[azstar]

Originally Posted by jimworcs

The passenger is not required to remind them, beg or repeat the request over and over.

I agree. It is the gate agents responsibility to 1) ask them if they need assistance or 2) seeing that they are elderly, walking with a cane or having difficulty moving to call someone to assist them, especially if they are boarding the aircraft from the ramp.

[mmdwalsh]

Thank you very much. I will pursue it. I didn't know if I was being unreasonable but it sounds like I am not. It is very difficult for my stubbornly independent parents to accept wheelchair transportation and until my father broke his hip, he would not accept that this was necessary. The staff the does the wheelchair pushing has been very kind, but the process tends to infantilize mentally competent adults-one time I had to watch as the staff put name tags on them, like they were unaccompanied minors and I knew how much they hated it (but they were very gracious and tip the attendants very well). I guess this wish to continue to be independent competent adults made them unwilling to go back to the gate to say they couldn't do two flights of steep narrow stairs (in addition to the fear that they would be told that if the couldn't do it, they couldn't fly home that day)
Again, than you all