I am disabled and was stranded on the Heathrow aerobridge floor by American Airlines after pre-booked special assistance did not arrive. Instead of helping, a staff member filmed my distress. Due to my various health conditions, I require a wheelchair to board and deplane. There were no problems at New York’s JFK Airport. But when the plane landed at Heathrow, there was no one to pick me up. I finally asked. I was told a wheelchair had arrived and wheeled me onto the aerobridge. I noticed it wasn’t there so I turned around and sat down to wait.
However, the crew blocked the door, told me it was illegal to re-enter the cabin, and ordered me to wait on the jet bridge. I couldn’t stand up anymore and could only sit on the floor. The crew watched my pain from the door and one of them filmed me on his phone. The remaining passengers, even the pilot, had to step over me with their luggage. I complained to the airline multiple times over the next three months, but the airline blamed the incident on me and refused to investigate the shooting because it was filmed on a personal cell phone. I’ve been disabled most of my life, but I’ve never felt so inhumane.
Communication Centre, London
American Airlines’ stated mission is “to care for people on life’s journey.” Its attitude towards your experience is quite extraordinary. When you complain, it first tells you that you did not request special assistance despite this being stated on your booking, while insisting that the assistance person was at the gate when the flight landed. It confirmed that a wheelchair was available at 9:08am, but did not mention that this was more than 80 minutes after the flight landed. It assures you that “constructive criticism” helps it stay “focused” and offers you 10,000 bonus miles.
I encountered similar nonchalance when I contacted the airline. It took over three weeks and three attempts to get a response, three months after your first complaint: “We have contacted the customer to learn more about her experience. We hope to resolve it as soon as possible this problem.
This contradicts a letter sent to you at the same time, which appears to be the result of my own initiative, which states that it has investigated and concluded that there was no regulatory breach or harassment. It curiously added: “We understand that our policies can be confusing at times and we apologize for any inconvenience or uncertainty you may experience.”
It provided a $400 credit note for late response. If you want to take the matter further, you can complain to the Civil Aviation Authority’s Passenger Advice and Complaints Team, which has the power to mediate with the airline but cannot impose a solution.
Eurostar’s liquidity problems remain
In April, I highlighted the plight of a disabled passenger who booked wheelchair assistance from Eurostar but faced difficulties due to a new policy banning staff from pushing his chair. Another passenger with limited mobility was advised to cancel her booking after Eurostar staff refused to deploy a ramp for boarding.
Based on my investigation, Eurostar has rewritten its accessibility policy and retrained its staff. It told me it’s committed to providing a “safe and inclusive travel experience” for everyone. One month after making this commitment, the wheelchair user PN Riding alone from his home in Belgium on his new folding electric scooter. He invested in it precisely to avoid being trapped by Eurostar’s unpredictable aid policies.
“I successfully flew from Brussels to London but when I arrived in St Pancras to return I was told that my scooter did not meet the requirements because the backrest was not high enough,” he wrote. “I was also told that I needed to purchase a seat ticket and bring the scooter, but due to my limited mobility this was not something I could do.
“Eurostar’s website only states that e-scooters must not exceed specified dimensions, but mine does not. There is no mention of backrests. I spent 40 minutes calling Eurostar’s helpline to no avail. After checking in Ten minutes before the airport closed, I was finally allowed to travel but was told I wouldn’t be able to use it again.
Inadequate training in the absence of a well-thought-out and revised accessibility policy means disabled passengers cannot be sure they will receive the help required by equality laws.
The staff seems to be making up the rules as they go. I raised the issue with Eurostar and it told me accessibility was a priority and acknowledged “there are some miscommunications and gaps in our service”. The company said it has re-informed staff on “best practices” to offer you a free return trip and promised to mark your next booking for personalized assistance.
I asked what it planned to do to address ongoing confusion among employees about disability obligations, but it did not respond.
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