Delta Makes Woman With Muscular Dystrophy Crawl Off Plane

The Consumerist ^ | July 20th. 2008 | Ben Popkin - Blogger Post

[SkyDancer]

On July 20th, Julianna's (delayed) Delta flight landed in Atlanta at 7:30pm, with a connecting flight scheduled for 8:05pm. Julianna, who has muscular dystrophy, missed the connecting flight because nobody came with a wheelchair until 8:05—the same time the connecting flight took off. To make matters worse, the plane crew told Julianna she might make the flight anyway if she stopped waiting for help and got off the plane right now, so she crawled down the stairs on her own. When the wheelchair came she was "wheeled into a back room and advised" that her plane had taken off. But that was just the first half of her ordeal, and the next eight hours only got worse.

[SkyDancer]

The employees in this room were debating who would get me to the ticket gate to be re-ticketed because it was no one's job and the appropriate personnel were not responding to their calls. After that was resolved I was given a new boarding pass for a flight expected to leave at 12:55 AM. Then this person advised me she cannot get me from a D Gate to Gate A9. She again called for the appropriate personnel who never showed. We waited by an elevator for someone she convinced to bring me over to Gate A even though it was not his job. I had to beg him to stop at a bathroom entrance and to wait for me and then he finally delivered me to Gate A9. >snip

[SkyDancer]

I put this in the realm of Media Death Watch and Airline Death Watch ... Go Amtrak!

[driftdiver]

Aren’t unions great!

[SkyDancer]

Yeah - and when you read the article the Delta Drones were debating who was to take care of her ....sheesh!

[Disambiguator]

Delta Airlines is horrible when it comes to customer service. I know from personal experience.

[ken21]

at least they didn’t force feed her any peanuts.

[Clint Williams]

Airline travel has LONG since ceased to be "about the customer." And I've been nice, understanding that it's difficult for them these days.

But no longer. I have some nice ideas about regulatory controls, the first of which I'm already tendering to Congresscritters. You screw with me, I screw with you.

[driftdiver]

I’ve dealt with those drones enough to have great sympathy for her. I used to love Delta but their planes are dirty and service stinks now.

[Clint Williams]

Delta Airlines is horrible when it comes to customer service. I know from personal experience.

Maybe I'm on the wrong airlines, but Delta folks are usually a cut above the rest (one other American airline excepted), for all that their planes are dirty and run-down.

[Clint Williams]

Delta Airlines is horrible when it comes to customer service. I know from personal experience.

Maybe I'm on the wrong airlines, but Delta folks are usually a cut above the rest (one other American airline excepted), for all that their planes are dirty and run-down.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Terrible story...It’s unbelievable that this woman had to crawl down the stairs.

[driftdiver]

They used to be but the last several flights I’ve had on Delta were bad. The flight attendent treated me like crap. She treated the black people near me pretty well though.

[devane617]

I’m in a wheelchair and travel by air frequently. For a fact, it can be a horrible experience. My most recent experience a few months ago was when I was not provided a aisle chair to get me off my flight. The plane was literally boarding for its next leg to DC. I got really upset, and a flight attendant pointed his finger in my face and said he would have me arrested If I spoke another word. A boarding passenger got back in the attendants face and told him .......... Another passenger got an aisle chair and helped me off.

[Marauder]

I have a huge problem with this kind of incident, especially when lowlife give-a-damn employees cause this kind of trouble, not to mention the utter disrespect, for a passenger. It’s no wonder paying passengers fly off the handle at them, no pun intended.

I don’t fly much anymore, for which I’m thankful, but if I did, it sure as hell wouldn’t be with Delta.

[Mr. Brightside]

“I ain’t got no union card to help a crippled woman. Not MY job.”

[SkyDancer]

Not that I’m hitting on Delta, United also has horror stories. I found this website:deltaisevil.blogspot.com/2007/08/more-delta-horror..

for more info .....

[QQQQ]

Let me tell you.If I would be standing next to you,this flight jack**s would have very extensive and expensive dental work(best scenario)and my $600.00 an hour attorney plenty of work on my case.Makes my blood boil.

[Alouette]

I put this in the realm of Media Death Watch and Airline Death Watch ... Go Amtrak!

Go where on Amtrak?

[ErnBatavia]

Delta Airlines is horrible when it comes to customer service. I know from personal experience.

As with everything else in life, it depends upon the circumstance.....when I used to travel quite a bit, it was the Delta staff who were lifesavers.

[Alouette]

I flew Delta on my last international flight. Yes, Delta sucks, but all airlines suck. Now that Delta has gobbled up Northwest, it looks like I will be flying a lot more on Delta.

[driftdiver]

Buy an airplane ticket and give up all your rights. Hope my flight tomorrow goes well. Perhaps I should say lots of nice things about the TSA and United?!

[Irish Eyes]

Did not know that they still had stairs at the Atlanta Airport.

[driftdiver]

Back in 2001 I flew Delta exclusively, both before and after 9/11.

The last four years I’ve flown Delta a couple times. Both were horrible experiences. Planes were dirty and customer service was pathetic. Nobody cared.

Of course US Airways makes Delta look good.

[Ditter]

Delta p*ssed me off a few years ago but it wasn’t this bad. I won’t fly with them.

[devane617]

The issue is created because the people that help the disabled on and off planes are not airline employees, rather unionized airport employees. This story is about ATL, and I have always had fairly good help when flying into and out of ATL. DFW is another story — rarely does help arrive for 20 minutes. I always take into consideration the lag in help when booking connecting flights. I try to give myself at least an extra hour when possible.

[driftdiver]

For the smaller commuter flights you generally use stairs. Not sure if that the case. Tampa uses them on one gate to load from the back and front of the planes.

[don-o]

If the account is accurate, shame on Delta. But, were there no human beings, not constrained by their jobs who could have befriended this woman?

Animals are treated better.

[ErnBatavia]

and a flight attendant pointed his finger in my face and said he would have me arrested If I spoke another word.

I had one of those try that (mid air, where "she" assumed "she" was the Almighty Queen of the Sky) with me on a Honolulu to L.A. flight....I was sitting, as per allowed rules, having a smoke, but in "her" jumpseat. It pissed "her" off, to the drastic dramatic point of finger pointing.

I simply looked left and right, got nodding witnesses and told the "Queen" to bring it on...of course, nothing further ensued. The air nazis tend to feel empowered these days, given as the traveling public are an inconvenience.

[Scythian]

I think the problem is the airline employees are tired of being treated like animals, and hate the passengers, from what I’ve read of late, who can blame them, I’m just saying ...

[BlazingArizona]

One of these incidents is going to cause a passenger riot sometime soon. All it takes is some perfect-storm combination of marginal weather, surly employees, and an "economic" cancellation. I want to hear about airline personnel being mobbed by an angry crowd and a lot of expensive gear being smashed to pieces, followed by a Congressional stink that rivals the one we're getting now about domestic energy production.

And may the next round of airline bankruptcies be followed by liquidations, not by more bailouts.

[VaBthang4]

I call BS.

[Grizzled Bear]

Maybe I'm on the wrong airlines, but Delta folks are usually a cut above the rest (one other American airline excepted), for all that their planes are dirty and run-down.

They were really cool to me to and from my rotators when I was deployed.

[BlazingArizona]

Go where on Amtrak?

Amtrak will take you anywhere you want, so long as it's Chicago.

[Notary Sojac]

Interesting post, but “News” is the wrong category. There is nothing newsworthy about this sort of attitude in the airline industry. Not any more.

[mware]

Neil Cavuto if you are watching go after them.

[Amelia]

Did not know that they still had stairs at the Atlanta Airport.

I've flown in & out of Atlanta a number of times & never saw or used stairs there.

[Kimmers]

This is why when I travel and I see someone that needs assistance I keep an eye out for them or at least offer some help if needed......

[Spktyr]

Lots of people complain about how spartan Southwest Airlines’ service is and how the attendants are sometimes lacking in courtesy. Fine.

So, basically, what everyone flying Delta just discovered is that they’re getting “Southwest on a bad day” service at Delta Premium Prices.

Why pay for service you’re not going to get? :P

[Irish Eyes]

Have been though Atlanta on smaller Delta planes (connectors) and have never seen the stairs in Atlanta. Not saying they are not there, I know other airports that use them.

[floozy22]

I cringe to say this, but where’s a good lawyer when you need one. The ADA should at least protect the disabled from this kind of treatment. Providing basic services seems like a no-brainer.

[babygene]

“The issue is created because the people that help the disabled on and off planes are not airline employees, rather unionized airport employees.”

I tend to agree with you. My wife uses a wheel chair. The airlines have always been helpful. Denver is the worst for getting help for handicapped people.

The answer is to always bring your own wheelchair...

[rose]

I live south of ATL, husband retired from Delta in 94. I do not know where the stairs are either. The ATL airport has the long straight down escalators used to ride the underground trains to your concourse, then you ride straight up to the concourse.
The main ticket counters do not have stairs near, nor do the ticket counters on the concourses. I have flown a lot and do not know where they are.
Delta is not what it used to be, and neither are any of the other airlines. The days of wine and roses are forever gone.
I am quite aware of the the guts of running an airline, it is not easy, quite expensive and cheap airfare. You get what you pay for. Never in treatment like described however.
It has teed me off for many a year, to hear people complain about wanting royal service at greyhound prices. I am astounded that airlines have survived as long as they have.

If airlines could afford to have the meals and service they used to have, they would, believe me. Just having peanuts to give away cost millions of dollars. If an airplane is stranded due to weather or mechanical, it cost thousands to get another one to take its place.

Delta used to be the cream of the crop and we always took pride in our airline, the customer was first. Mr. Woolman would turn over in his grave at what has become of his airline. My husband began his career with Delta when Mr. Woolman was the CEO. Eastern and Pan American were in their hey day. It was great. Eastern and Delta had healthy and friendly competition. If Delta had an airplane down and needed a part we did not have, Eastern would send it over and vice versa.
I hate what has become of the airline industry, I fly as little as possible now. I know I got spoiled flying during the good times, and I hurt and resent what it has become.

[Irish Eyes]

Thanks rose for your reply. You really have seen a big change in the inner workings of the airlines. Son is currently a dispatcher with LUV.

[Lizavetta]

For what it's worth, Southwest ROCKS.

They leave on time, land on time, you walk down to baggage claim and your stuff is rolling out in under five minutes. Plus they're so much less expensive.

They're the GIT 'R' DONE airlines.

[SkyDancer]

Yeah, SWAL is the best going. I know several SWAL pilots and they’re great .... they say the boss of the airline is like one of the guys ... comes down to the maintenance hangar and hangs out, buy them pizza, donuts, whatever ... one time he showed up in drag just to get a laugh out of them, like at 2am ....

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Well said.

My dh is an airline pilot. Maybe he is one of the few, but he *always* tunes in to passengers who look lost, who are elderly, who are frightened, etc. Many times when he lands after finishing a sequence, he’ll call to say he’s running a little late due to helping someone out.

But that’s just how he is. This aspect of his person doesn’t come from working for a particular employer; it’s more from his upbringing and his dual military career.

[quark]

D.E.L.T.A. = Driving Every Loyal Traveler Away. Exclusive 20+ year flier with Delta until it began treating even its high-mileage customer like crap. Dreadful airline.

[Entrepreneur]

I put this in the realm of Media Death Watch and Airline Death Watch ... Go Amtrak!

Go Amtrak?

Whoa! I used to do a LOT of consulting with Amtrak Long Lines. As part of that, I've probably ridden in excess of 30,000 miles with them personally and had employees who rode every single mile of Long Lines twice a year, plus most of the Northeast Corridor and the West Coast.

Since Amtrak is a former client (even though this pre-dates the launch of my company), I don't feel comfortable revealing any specifics. I can say that there is no more unionized, "let George do it," make work/hide from work, put in time, budget by Washington politics, not by markets organization than Amtrak.

Personally, I LOVE traveling by rail. I love it in Europe and the UK. I love it in Canada and even by Amtrak. Yet, if there is any organization that deserves to be allowed to fail by the removal of all government subsidies it's Amtrak. Without Amtrak we might have a viable passenger rail system that's on time, inexpensive, and profitable.

Holding up Amtrak as a compassionate alternative to Delta is like pointing out the flaws of Democratic Socialism (i.e., the Nazis) and proclaiming, "Go Cuba." While some trains and crews are fabulous (e.g., the Coast Starlight), others make the worst airline service seem like the Ritz.

If you want to understand Amtrak, look at this map of stops...

Now, look at this map of Congressional Districts...

Doesn't it seem like Amtrak stops hit most Congressional Districts? Think it's an accident?

Amtrak exists by the pleasure of Congress. Saying "Go Amtrak" is worse than saying "Go Greyhound." Greyhound has some sense of customer service.

By contrast, I've flown nearly 2 million miles on American Airlines. While American's not perfect (no airline is), they're darn good. A lot of people gripe about them but they always seem to get me home.

It's easy to gripe about the airlines. Frankly, I think they do a heck of a job on the whole.

[driftdiver]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2053578/posts

I guess this lady should be happy they didn’t stuff her in the restroom like the above passenger.

[ken21]

yours in an interesting reply!

thanks.

all the democrat plantations are well served.

except dick cheney’s home and a couple of others.

could you send the address for the 109th congressional map? i couldn’t get the address to enlarge with control+.

ken