https://www.foxnews.com/travel/american ... s-canceled

A good example of the really outstanding service AA provides to the elderly and infirm.

Just letting an old lady sitting in the wheelchair for the night, after canceling the flight.

https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/12/01 ... -canceled/

Always blame the airline. Does this woman have a phone? What was the reason for the cancellation? Did her PNR reflect that she had numerous issues that prevented her from traveling like a normal person? We probably should wait for the facts before we crucify AA.

After reading both articles that Mjoelnir provided, it is clear this woman should not have been travelling alone. A family member should have accompanied her. Tired of these kinds of stories. Take care of your damn family!! Never trust your loved ones to strangers. STRANGERS

DDR wrote:

After reading both articles that Mjoelnir provided, it is clear this woman should not have been travelling alone. A family member should have accompanied her. Tired of these kinds of stories. Take care of your damn family!! Never trust your loved ones to strangers. STRANGERS

While I agree with your comment that family should have been with this woman, it doesn't let AA off the hook.

EvanWSFO wrote:

DDR wrote:

After reading both articles that Mjoelnir provided, it is clear this woman should not have been travelling alone. A family member should have accompanied her. Tired of these kinds of stories. Take care of your damn family!! Never trust your loved ones to strangers. STRANGERS

While I agree with your comment that family should have been with this woman, it doesn't let AA off the hook.

Wheelchair services are contracted to third parties at most if not all airports, airlines themselves don't move wheelchair passengers around. Yes AA cancelled the flight but her whereabouts after rebooking are not the airline's responsibility. If this passenger was too elderly to make their way anywhere without assistance or call someone for help they should absolutely not be traveling alone.

PDX88 wrote:

EvanWSFO wrote:

DDR wrote:

After reading both articles that Mjoelnir provided, it is clear this woman should not have been travelling alone. A family member should have accompanied her. Tired of these kinds of stories. Take care of your damn family!! Never trust your loved ones to strangers. STRANGERS

While I agree with your comment that family should have been with this woman, it doesn't let AA off the hook.

Wheelchair services are contracted to third parties at most if not all airports, airlines themselves don't move wheelchair passengers around. Yes AA cancelled the flight but her whereabouts after rebooking are not the airline's responsibility. If this passenger was too elderly to make their way anywhere without assistance or call someone for help they should absolutely not be traveling alone.

You are missing my point. YES, the woman should not have been flying alone. Yet she was. Once she has her ticket in hand, like it or not, it's American's responsibility.

PDX88 wrote:

EvanWSFO wrote:

DDR wrote:

After reading both articles that Mjoelnir provided, it is clear this woman should not have been travelling alone. A family member should have accompanied her. Tired of these kinds of stories. Take care of your damn family!! Never trust your loved ones to strangers. STRANGERS

While I agree with your comment that family should have been with this woman, it doesn't let AA off the hook.

Wheelchair services are contracted to third parties at most if not all airports, airlines themselves don't move wheelchair passengers around. Yes AA cancelled the flight but her whereabouts after rebooking are not the airline's responsibility. If this passenger was too elderly to make their way anywhere without assistance or call someone for help they should absolutely not be traveling alone.

Exactly my point, thanks for posting. Human decency comes in to play in these situations. Don't just drop off a family member at he airport/bus station/train station if they need help travelling. Go with them to make sure they are ok.

If she was on my carrier and she couldn’t do things like getting into or out of a chair on her own accord then she would have too have a travel companion of her liking and I don’t mean a crew member being assigned . That’s not our responsibilities even as a nurse if you can’t do anything on your own power we don’t spare a nurse too do one on one that why we have sitters and cna’s To help

EvanWSFO wrote:

PDX88 wrote:

EvanWSFO wrote:

While I agree with your comment that family should have been with this woman, it doesn't let AA off the hook.

Wheelchair services are contracted to third parties at most if not all airports, airlines themselves don't move wheelchair passengers around. Yes AA cancelled the flight but her whereabouts after rebooking are not the airline's responsibility. If this passenger was too elderly to make their way anywhere without assistance or call someone for help they should absolutely not be traveling alone.

You are missing my point. YES, the woman should not have been flying alone. Yet she was. Once she has her ticket in hand, like it or not, it's American's responsibility.

No, it's not the airline's responsibility to hold your hand the entire trip. In fact most wheelchair passengers are completely out of the airline's sight most of the time because they're being handled by a contract company, in Chicago's case, Prospect.

This story doesn't even add up. A 67 year old lady in one of the busiest terminals in the country couldn't get anyone's attention for help? The terminal is busy even late at night with cleaners and vendors.

PDX88 wrote:

EvanWSFO wrote:

DDR wrote:

After reading both articles that Mjoelnir provided, it is clear this woman should not have been travelling alone. A family member should have accompanied her. Tired of these kinds of stories. Take care of your damn family!! Never trust your loved ones to strangers. STRANGERS

While I agree with your comment that family should have been with this woman, it doesn't let AA off the hook.

Wheelchair services are contracted to third parties at most if not all airports, airlines themselves don't move wheelchair passengers around. Yes AA cancelled the flight but her whereabouts after rebooking are not the airline's responsibility. If this passenger was too elderly to make their way anywhere without assistance or call someone for help they should absolutely not be traveling alone.

While probably buried in the small print somewhere, AA is relieved of responsibility, but I have to say it still looks very bad on AA image-wise. Unless they prohibit unaccompanied seniors, they appear to embrace the image that they will be taken care of with wheelchair service. Wheelchair assist helps get the passenger through security and to the gates where they hand-off to airline staff for boarding. I don't know where this person was in that process, but somebody walked away after the flight was cancelled without making sure that passenger was tended to. Even if it's not AA's fault, fixing this so it doesn't happen again is in their best interest because the average person sees AA as being responsible since they are the ones providing the paid service and cancelled the flight. It's also the moral thing to do.

There is blame all the way round. Would it have killed the son to stay with Mom until she got on the flight? He was already at the gate. This is especially true if the old lady didn't have a cellphone or was unable to use one to call him after he left.
Additionally, the porter looking after her takes most of the blame. OK so his/her shift ended but just abandoning her? That's totally unacceptable. It sounds like AA offered her a hotel but there was no one to take her there. This is where the main failure begins. My guess is that the last porter to handle her gets fired. It really was their responsibility to see it through that this lady was looked after and the company should have had policies to handle this. It's not the first time a person in a wheelchair has had their shift cancelled.

While AA is the ticketing carrier, I'm certain their agreement with the company providing the wheelchair services would cover a situation like this. And clearly, not one single person went above and beyond their duty or responsibility to see to it that this lady was taken care of.

First of all:

Warsaw, who has trouble communicating and walking due to Parkinson’s and diabetes, uses a wheelchair.

Right there....right there....should NOT be flying alone


Second of all:

“I walked with [my mom] all the way to her gate,” he said to CBS. “I confirmed with the gate agent that the flight was on time. ”


Don't you wait until that plane backs out of the gate and is on it's way?
Don't you call the flight status line to make sure the flight has departed and arrived at the destination?


About 2 months ago, I had boarded an AA flight....we were ready to go and the pilot announced that there was a mechanical problem. We waited 30 minutes, then he came on and asked everyone to get off. So everyone had to rebook. But when I first approached the gate and had asked the agent if we were going to be on time, they would have said yes. You never know what is going to happen

PDX88 wrote:

EvanWSFO wrote:

DDR wrote:

After reading both articles that Mjoelnir provided, it is clear this woman should not have been travelling alone. A family member should have accompanied her. Tired of these kinds of stories. Take care of your damn family!! Never trust your loved ones to strangers. STRANGERS

While I agree with your comment that family should have been with this woman, it doesn't let AA off the hook.

Wheelchair services are contracted to third parties at most if not all airports, airlines themselves don't move wheelchair passengers around. Yes AA cancelled the flight but her whereabouts after rebooking are not the airline's responsibility. If this passenger was too elderly to make their way anywhere without assistance or call someone for help they should absolutely not be traveling alone.

The government doesn’t care if it is contracted out. It is still the responsibility of the airline. This includes after rebooking if it is done at the gate area. You can’t just leave granny in the corner because you rebooked her if you are informed that she needed assistance.

It is also the airline’s responsibility to determine if a passenger is not safe to travel alone.

I am all for the airline. They are not babysitters nurses caretakers custodians etc they fly from A to B given this ladies multiple medical problems and likely diminished capacity she should not have been flying alone. The family should have been accompanying instead of letting the airline step in to do what the family should do

mjoelnir wrote:

https://www.foxnews.com/travel/american-airlines-passenger-left-in-wheelchair-overnight-at-airport-after-flight-was-canceled

A good example of the really outstanding service AA provides to the elderly and infirm.

Just letting an old lady sitting in the wheelchair for the night, after canceling the flight.

https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/12/01 ... -canceled/

What a great example of someone who hates a particular airline starting a thread without knowing the other side of the story...but you wouldn’t believe it anyway.

rajincajun01 wrote:

PDX88 wrote:

EvanWSFO wrote:

While I agree with your comment that family should have been with this woman, it doesn't let AA off the hook.

Wheelchair services are contracted to third parties at most if not all airports, airlines themselves don't move wheelchair passengers around. Yes AA cancelled the flight but her whereabouts after rebooking are not the airline's responsibility. If this passenger was too elderly to make their way anywhere without assistance or call someone for help they should absolutely not be traveling alone.

The government doesn’t care if it is contracted out. It is still the responsibility of the airline. This includes after rebooking if it is done at the gate area. You can’t just leave granny in the corner because you rebooked her if you are informed that she needed assistance.

It is also the airline’s responsibility to determine if a passenger is not safe to travel alone.

You misunderstand the purpose of wheelchair services. It gives the passenger assistance to/from the aircraft - that is it. It does not make the airline her guardian.

usflyer msp wrote:

rajincajun01 wrote:

PDX88 wrote:

Wheelchair services are contracted to third parties at most if not all airports, airlines themselves don't move wheelchair passengers around. Yes AA cancelled the flight but her whereabouts after rebooking are not the airline's responsibility. If this passenger was too elderly to make their way anywhere without assistance or call someone for help they should absolutely not be traveling alone.

The government doesn’t care if it is contracted out. It is still the responsibility of the airline. This includes after rebooking if it is done at the gate area. You can’t just leave granny in the corner because you rebooked her if you are informed that she needed assistance.

It is also the airline’s responsibility to determine if a passenger is not safe to travel alone.

You misunderstand the purpose of wheelchair services. It gives the passenger assistance to/from the aircraft - that is it. It does not make the airline her guardian.

As a CRO, it is indeed still the airline’s responsibility in this situation.

More than a few people in this thread need to bone up on the Air Carrier Access Act and the relevant CFR.

The way it sounds, lady needed a service of "unaccompanied minor" type. Directly assigned custodian at all times etc. Is that type of service even available for adults?
The other aspect of it is an evacuation. As far as I remember, quadriplegics are considered capable of assisting with their evacuation as long as they can call for help. SOmeone not able to communicate and move on their own may be an even bigger issue.

Just curious as to how an airline can determine if a person is fit to travel alone?

I believe a wheelchair is supposed to be checked on every 15 minutes. If the airline thought she should have an attendant, that should have been determined at check in.

EvanWSFO wrote:

PDX88 wrote:

EvanWSFO wrote:

While I agree with your comment that family should have been with this woman, it doesn't let AA off the hook.

Wheelchair services are contracted to third parties at most if not all airports, airlines themselves don't move wheelchair passengers around. Yes AA cancelled the flight but her whereabouts after rebooking are not the airline's responsibility. If this passenger was too elderly to make their way anywhere without assistance or call someone for help they should absolutely not be traveling alone.

You are missing my point. YES, the woman should not have been flying alone. Yet she was. Once she has her ticket in hand, like it or not, it's American's responsibility.

No sir, if that was the case the airline you fly should assist you buying food at the airport and getting to the hotel shuttle etc. you pay to fly from a to b, and that’s what airlines do. They don’t own nor run an airport. Regardless someone messed up, but let’s be logical mate

MIflyer12 wrote:

More than a few people in this thread need to bone up on the Air Carrier Access Act and the relevant CFR.

Airlines have a legal responsibility to accommodate passengers with disabilities. That legal responsibility doesn't start/end with the aircraft door. Unfortunately it seems the airline dropped the ball, but I would also place some of the blame on the city. Airport operators similarly have a responsibility to ensure the well-being of their customers.

The airline industry should simply eliminate these services. If you’re that disabled then it should be mandatory that you travel with a companion. The airline will be glad to provide a wheelchair but it should not be responsible for your needs. Also, the unaccompanied minor service needs to stop, children should be required to fly with a guardian. Too many lazy people wanting to distance themselves from their responsibilities....

Prinair wrote:

The airline industry should simply eliminate these services. If you’re that disabled then it should be mandatory that you travel with a companion. The airline will be glad to provide a wheelchair but it should not be responsible for your needs. Also, the unaccompanied minor service needs to stop, children should be required to fly with a guardian. Too many lazy people wanting to distance themselves from their responsibilities....

No, they cannot do that if they wish to continue being an airline.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Carrier_Access_Act

Lots of blame to go around assuming the new articles are true. AA is #3, yet it will get #1 from the public. The family made poor decisions that were asking for trouble like a screw-up by the vendor.

The airline was apparently confident in the woman's abilities to let her check her in for her flight. They can't turn around later on and say "she shouldn't have been flying alone, not our problem" once the sh*t actually hits the fan.

The airline porter should not have left her alone. At least he should have reported her to his ops center, as some passenger that is in further need of assistance for the night before his shift ended. With some diabetes passenger that is even more urgent.

dfwjim1 wrote:

Just curious as to how an airline can determine if a person is fit to travel alone?

A designated Complaint Resolution Official (CRO) from the airline will determine whether or not a person can travel alone, and this is based on whether they have the physical and mental ability to aid in their own evacuation from the aircraft in an emergency.

If the airline CRO determines they are unable to do so, the traveler must fly with a companion, and the airline will not charge that person for their ticket if the CRO says a companion is required. Please note however that if the passenger is the one who determines they want a companion, not the CRO, the airline may charge them to fly.

ericm2031 wrote:

I believe a wheelchair is supposed to be checked on every 15 minutes. If the airline thought she should have an attendant, that should have been determined at check in.

The legal minimum is every 30 minutes per 14CFR382.

mjoelnir wrote:

https://www.foxnews.com/travel/american-airlines-passenger-left-in-wheelchair-overnight-at-airport-after-flight-was-canceled

A good example of the really outstanding service AA provides to the elderly and infirm.

Just letting an old lady sitting in the wheelchair for the night, after canceling the flight.

https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/12/01 ... -canceled/

While it wasn’t an AA employee, AA is ultimately responsible for ensuring this woman’s safety and well-being provided she self-identified to AA of her needs at least 60 minutes prior to departure, which she and her family clearly did. The vendor employee will likely be disciplined or terminated, but AA is ultimately liable.

I wonder what does it mean that airline offered a free hotel room room, but "they weren’t willing to take her to the hotel, and she couldn’t find her own transportation because she has trouble communicating."
I don't quite understand this part. What was the problem here? A big airport like ORD should have taxies readily available. Was it about paying for the taxi? Something else?

kalvado wrote:

I wonder what does it mean that airline offered a free hotel room room, but "they weren’t willing to take her to the hotel, and she couldn’t find her own transportation because she has trouble communicating."
I don't quite understand this part. What was the problem here? A big airport like ORD should have taxies readily available. Was it about paying for the taxi? Something else?

And nearly every hotel near ORD has an airport shuttle, they have a whole pick up/drop off area that is flooded with hotel shuttles. And airlines typically only contract with hotels that have shuttles.

It is just interesting to see how many people here, I assume in some way connected to airline business or at least flying, have no idea about the responsibilities of airlines and will defend blindly the airline and attack the passengers.
There are laws regulating transporting of disabled passengers. A lot of poster here seem to think airlines can just disregard laws. If the airline wanted to have a person accompany her on the flight, they should have declared so and flown the companion at no cost.

The airline canceled the flight. The airline rebooked her. The airline new about her disability. The airline should have checked up on her. Apart from booking the hotel, they should have arranged transportation, or even better they should have informed the family. If the airline did not have a contact person registered, that would be another mistake.

The attendant or porter, is the weakest link in the chain, only doing what he is told. He should have contacted somebody before he left of course, but he should have received new orders by the airline.

The airline admitted the mistake, but such mistakes should not happen.

mjoelnir wrote:

mistakes should not happen.

No one wants mistakes to happen, but as long as human beings are part of the process, mistakes can and will occur. It's the company's responsibility to do everything they can to ensure they don't take place, but no process relying on human involvement can be completely error-proof.

mjoelnir wrote:

The airline canceled the flight. The airline rebooked her. The airline new about her disability. The airline should have checked up on her. Apart from booking the hotel, they should have arranged transportation, or even better they should have informed the family. If the airline did not have a contact person registered, that would be another mistake.

I am having a problem finding the appropriate requirement. Can you quote exact piece of legislation requiring that service?
14 CFR 382.91(1) requires moving passenger to a vehicle pickup location, period. Arranging transportation must be elsewhere.

ericm2031 wrote:

kalvado wrote:

I wonder what does it mean that airline offered a free hotel room room, but "they weren’t willing to take her to the hotel, and she couldn’t find her own transportation because she has trouble communicating."
I don't quite understand this part. What was the problem here? A big airport like ORD should have taxies readily available. Was it about paying for the taxi? Something else?

And nearly every hotel near ORD has an airport shuttle, they have a whole pick up/drop off area that is flooded with hotel shuttles. And airlines typically only contract with hotels that have shuttles.

Thinking about it.. wheelchair can be a sticking point.
Airport would not get their equipment off the property, hotels likely don't have one, and personal is not available in connection airport. Finding rental wheelchair on a spot... I am not sure how easy that would be even without communication issues.
Wheelchair rental businesses on yelp are mostly Monday-Friday, 9-5; some have limited weekend hours - but definitely not geared towards on the spot overnight rentals.

kalvado wrote:

ericm2031 wrote:

kalvado wrote:

I wonder what does it mean that airline offered a free hotel room room, but "they weren’t willing to take her to the hotel, and she couldn’t find her own transportation because she has trouble communicating."
I don't quite understand this part. What was the problem here? A big airport like ORD should have taxies readily available. Was it about paying for the taxi? Something else?

And nearly every hotel near ORD has an airport shuttle, they have a whole pick up/drop off area that is flooded with hotel shuttles. And airlines typically only contract with hotels that have shuttles.

Thinking about it.. wheelchair can be a sticking point.
Airport would not get their equipment off the property, hotels likely don't have one, and personal is not available in connection airport. Finding rental wheelchair on a spot... I am not sure how easy that would be even without communication issues.
Wheelchair rental businesses on yelp are mostly Monday-Friday, 9-5; some have limited weekend hours - but definitely not geared towards on the spot overnight rentals.

Carriers are required to provide assistance within the airport environment once making themselves available to airline personnel. This means airline and/or vendor supplied wheelchairs won't leave the terminal, other than skycaps or similar vendors taking a customer to onsite ground transportation. But the carrier is not responsible for arranging that ground transportation, nor is the airline responsible to arrange for a customer with a disability to be met at curbside upon arrival at the terminal - someone has to come notify the carrier that they're present, and then the services can be provided.

EA CO AS wrote:

kalvado wrote:

ericm2031 wrote:

And nearly every hotel near ORD has an airport shuttle, they have a whole pick up/drop off area that is flooded with hotel shuttles. And airlines typically only contract with hotels that have shuttles.

Thinking about it.. wheelchair can be a sticking point.
Airport would not get their equipment off the property, hotels likely don't have one, and personal is not available in connection airport. Finding rental wheelchair on a spot... I am not sure how easy that would be even without communication issues.
Wheelchair rental businesses on yelp are mostly Monday-Friday, 9-5; some have limited weekend hours - but definitely not geared towards on the spot overnight rentals.

Carriers are required to provide assistance within the airport environment once making themselves available to airline personnel. This means airline and/or vendor supplied wheelchairs won't leave the terminal, other than skycaps or similar vendors taking a customer to onsite ground transportation. But the carrier is not responsible for arranging that ground transportation, nor is the airline responsible to arrange for a customer with a disability to be met at curbside upon arrival at the terminal - someone has to come notify the carrier that they're present, and then the services can be provided.

This is most likely the case - but doesn't help a disabled person stuck in terminal overnight.

News coverage says it happened Friday; I don't see any canceled ORD-DTW this Friday, though.

So are we really going to post every bizarre incident that occurs in the airline industry. I am not been heartless, but the responsibility does not completely fall on American. Because of the wheelchair, it might be a good idea to purchase flight insurance for every flight that includes lodging for cancellations.

PDX88 wrote:

EvanWSFO wrote:

DDR wrote:

After reading both articles that Mjoelnir provided, it is clear this woman should not have been travelling alone. A family member should have accompanied her. Tired of these kinds of stories. Take care of your damn family!! Never trust your loved ones to strangers. STRANGERS

While I agree with your comment that family should have been with this woman, it doesn't let AA off the hook.

Wheelchair services are contracted to third parties at most if not all airports, airlines themselves don't move wheelchair passengers around. Yes AA cancelled the flight but her whereabouts after rebooking are not the airline's responsibility. If this passenger was too elderly to make their way anywhere without assistance or call someone for help they should absolutely not be traveling alone.

It's not her fault that her family dumped her there. My wife and I have both dealt with our share of elderly or disabled passengers who are dropped off, essentially abandoned by their family, at the airport without so much as helping them thru the check in process, security and waiting at the gate. Yes, we will issue a gate pass to a family member to accompany them to the gate, ensure that they get on the aircraft and that it actually leaves. But that's way too much to ask some people. We have drilled into ourselves and those working under us, to ask "would I want someone to treat my mom, dad, grandparents, etc. like that?" If the answer is no, then don't do it. While AA does share in the blame here, afterall they did sign a contract with the company, the brunt of the blame lies with whoever ditched them at the airport.

This has also happened with unaccompanied minors in the past as well, where the minor boards, parent/guardian leaves, flight cancels and nobody can get a hold of them.

EA CO AS wrote:

dfwjim1 wrote:

Just curious as to how an airline can determine if a person is fit to travel alone?

A designated Complaint Resolution Official (CRO) from the airline will determine whether or not a person can travel alone, and this is based on whether they have the physical and mental ability to aid in their own evacuation from the aircraft in an emergency.

If the airline CRO determines they are unable to do so, the traveler must fly with a companion, and the airline will not charge that person for their ticket if the CRO says a companion is required. Please note however that if the passenger is the one who determines they want a companion, not the CRO, the airline may charge them to fly.

Sadly, at least at my place, we have had situations where a passenger who should never have been flying alone, arrives into our hub and has no business being alone. Our CRO teams across the system do a fairly good job of taking care of CRO situations, sadly there are some that slip thru the cracks.

Sancho99504 wrote:

PDX88 wrote:

EvanWSFO wrote:

While I agree with your comment that family should have been with this woman, it doesn't let AA off the hook.

Wheelchair services are contracted to third parties at most if not all airports, airlines themselves don't move wheelchair passengers around. Yes AA cancelled the flight but her whereabouts after rebooking are not the airline's responsibility. If this passenger was too elderly to make their way anywhere without assistance or call someone for help they should absolutely not be traveling alone.

It's not her fault that her family dumped her there. My wife and I have both dealt with our share of elderly or disabled passengers who are dropped off, essentially abandoned by their family, at the airport without so much as helping them thru the check in process, security and waiting at the gate. Yes, we will issue a gate pass to a family member to accompany them to the gate, ensure that they get on the aircraft and that it actually leaves. But that's way too much to ask some people. We have drilled into ourselves and those working under us, to ask "would I want someone to treat my mom, dad, grandparents, etc. like that?" If the answer is no, then don't do it. While AA does share in the blame here, afterall they did sign a contract with the company, the brunt of the blame lies with whoever ditched them at the airport.

This has also happened with unaccompanied minors in the past as well, where the minor boards, parent/guardian leaves, flight cancels and nobody can get a hold of them.

Anyone bothers to read links anymore?

Claude Coltea said Friday after his father’s funeral, his mom was set to return to Detroit. He would catch his flight shortly after.

The family was not negligent, it was a difficult arrangement for traveling after the funeral. Mother and son apparently live in different cities, and likely got last minute tickets to whatever flights were available.

Empathy! It’s such a lost art in this day and age of the millennials & GenZ’s,,,

Who said being a ‘nursemaid’ was expected,,, NO ONE! Ridiculous non-point by an ignorant soul,,,

Of course the airline isn’t responsible to be ‘nursemaid’ to an elderly handicap’d woman,,, However, is being ethical in the workplace really a lost art too?? Humanity, morality, empathy - Tells the son he had no business leaving his elderly, clearly in need of assistance, mother alone and not ensuring she was onboarded. Shameful!

The counter-employee who promised the son his mother’s flight was indeed an absolute “go” should have stepped up when that turned out to not be the case, especially in such a drastic way that one could get stuck all night without a flight!

The handler,,, aye aye aye,,, his shift was over so he could “no longer help her”?!!? What the heck man,,, He’s got a manager I’m sure,,, and if he needed to end his shift, so be it, but pass that verreee important information of his special needs guest into his manager for them to handle and ensure this woman is not just left hanging!

You come into contact having any morals of responsibility assisting this woman, from her ridiculous son all the way to her handler, you do NOT just walk away with no resolution for her!

Elderly people, in my experience, feel shamed in asking for help, so they can be very meek about it. That does not give non-ethical immoral workers a pathway to scoot off to something “easier” and leave them in a potentially bad place!

Empathy. Morality. Ethics in the workplace. What’s happened to this society,,, FAIL!

kalvado wrote:

Sancho99504 wrote:

PDX88 wrote:

Wheelchair services are contracted to third parties at most if not all airports, airlines themselves don't move wheelchair passengers around. Yes AA cancelled the flight but her whereabouts after rebooking are not the airline's responsibility. If this passenger was too elderly to make their way anywhere without assistance or call someone for help they should absolutely not be traveling alone.

It's not her fault that her family dumped her there. My wife and I have both dealt with our share of elderly or disabled passengers who are dropped off, essentially abandoned by their family, at the airport without so much as helping them thru the check in process, security and waiting at the gate. Yes, we will issue a gate pass to a family member to accompany them to the gate, ensure that they get on the aircraft and that it actually leaves. But that's way too much to ask some people. We have drilled into ourselves and those working under us, to ask "would I want someone to treat my mom, dad, grandparents, etc. like that?" If the answer is no, then don't do it. While AA does share in the blame here, afterall they did sign a contract with the company, the brunt of the blame lies with whoever ditched them at the airport.

This has also happened with unaccompanied minors in the past as well, where the minor boards, parent/guardian leaves, flight cancels and nobody can get a hold of them.

Anyone bothers to read links anymore?

Claude Coltea said Friday after his father’s funeral, his mom was set to return to Detroit. He would catch his flight shortly after.

The family was not negligent, it was a difficult arrangement for traveling after the funeral. Mother and son apparently live in different cities, and likely got last minute tickets to whatever flights were available.

Yes, I read it. He dumped her at the gate. It's called doing the right thing, even if it does cause an inconvenience.

Lot of people here giving AA a pass. Would it not be just common decency for airline gate personnel to not even go the extra mile to ensure that this elderly woman, whom they knew just got off their cancelled flight, was properly taken care of? Like, oh I don't know, if she has a ticket on the very next available flight? And if that flight is the next day, to ensure the porter or whoever was taking her around, make sure she gets to a hotel or family member so she wouldn't be stranded?

Naawwwww......better to just be lazy and move on to the lowest common denominator. Blame the family

The “family should have taken care of her” argument is irrelevant to the situation. Unless people believe that a person in her condition that happened not to have any family is therefore barred from ever flying. Thats why none of the disability laws take caregivers into account on the necessary accommodations.

neutronstar73 wrote:

Lot of people here giving AA a pass. Would it not be just common decency for airline gate personnel to not even go the extra mile to ensure that this elderly woman, whom they knew just got off their cancelled flight, was properly taken care of? Like, oh I don't know, if she has a ticket on the very next available flight? And if that flight is the next day, to ensure the porter or whoever was taking her around, make sure she gets to a hotel or family member so she wouldn't be stranded?

Naawwwww......better to just be lazy and move on to the lowest common denominator. Blame the family

Maybe the airline staff didn't know about her plight because:

According to Coltea, the airport porter assigned to his mother by the airline offered Warsaw a hotel room for the night after her flight was canceled. However, they would not take her to the hotel and, due to her trouble communicating, she could not find transportation, CBS reported.

The porter then left her at the airport after his shift ended, the outlet reported.

Just like in the Dao case (also at O'Hare), it's the airport staff that screwed up royally. Maybe the airport porter neglected to inform American staff of the situation, who knows?

EA CO AS wrote:

dfwjim1 wrote:

Just curious as to how an airline can determine if a person is fit to travel alone?

A designated Complaint Resolution Official (CRO) from the airline will determine whether or not a person can travel alone, and this is based on whether they have the physical and mental ability to aid in their own evacuation from the aircraft in an emergency.

If the airline CRO determines they are unable to do so, the traveler must fly with a companion, and the airline will not charge that person for their ticket if the CRO says a companion is required. Please note however that if the passenger is the one who determines they want a companion, not the CRO, the airline may charge them to fly.

Interesting! I didn’t know airlines offered this type of accommodation. How does this work? Is it a determination each time the disabled person flies, or are they flagged in an airline’s system as requiring a companion whenever they fly?

Although we know that AA must have been aware that the passenger needed a wheelchair, nothing in the stories tell us whether AA was made aware of the passenger's difficulty communicating. If AA was aware, perhaps they would have pointed the family to the policy that states "Customers who need personal or continuous care or who are unable to follow safety instructions must travel with a safety assistant."

I find it difficult to hold AA at fault if the son arrives at the gate with his mother in a wheelchair, asks if the flight is on time, then leaves. If his mother needs special care and he won't be there to provide it, it is his responsibility to arrange it.

Perhaps he thought he did arrange it. The story doesn't say. That is a glaring omission.