1. Repeated failure to provide wheelchair
2. UA changing seats of disabled passenger
3. Knee injury possibly due to FAA violation
4. If you're injured, don't fly the unfriendly skies
5. Mistreatment of passenger with polio
6. "Unfortunate incident" Re: passenger with cerebral palsy
7. Disabilities while traveling
8. What the $20 for an unaccompanied minor buys you
9. United's attitude toward hospitalized passengers
10. United's Policy on Bumping Kids
11. How to deprive your children of sleep for 36 hours
12. Can United be trusted with your children?
13. Mistreatment of passenger with lupus
14. No means to assist a disabled passenger

Repeated failure to provide wheelchair
from: E.S. Harris, Beverly Hills, CA
Wed, 17 Jun 1998 21:32:14 -0400 (EDT)

For 7 years I wrote the L.A. Times Consumer Advocate column. I've never encountered such poor corporate citizenship as that of United. On 3 occasions within 6 months, United has failed to provide me with a wheelchair or a means to lift a wheelchair into the plane when no jetway was made available. These incidents occurred despite my making my needs clear upon placing my reservations, again upon checking in and a third time at the podium.

All of these incidents happened at LAX. My letters to Chairman Greenwald were met with first, a $50 travel certificate and next, a $100 travel certificate. I did not ask for either of these tokens. All I asked for was a plan to come into compliance with the needs of the disabled who are flying United.

I even sent a letter to Congressman Henry Waxman about this. United's government relations staff came to visit Rep. Waxman saying my complaint had been taken care of. It definitely had not. United's government relations people even told the Dept. of Transportation that my complaint had been resolved. It had not. I would like to hear from others who have notified United, in advance, of their need for a wheelchair and had assumed that a jetway would be provided for anyone needing a wheelchair. I was left waiting on the tarmac in a wheelchair for the arrival of a truck with a lift which never arrived. Meanwhile I had a collegue expecting to meet me in Oakland for an important meeting at the Dept. of Health Services. So, to meet my obligations, I had to get out of the wheelchair, walk down two flights of stairs, across two blocks on the tarmac and up another flight of stairs onto United's plane. The damage done to my deteriorating osteoarthritic hip was immediately apparent.

Please e-mail esharris@earthlink.net or snail-mail your experiences, especially at LAX re wheelchair "service" to:

P.O.Box 228
Beverly Hills, CA 90213

UA changing seats of disabled passenger
Mon, 1 Jun 1998 13:03:04 -0400 (EDT)

I booked my flight 4 months in advance for a vacation. Numerous times over that 4 month period, my seats were changed. I had registered as disabled and ask to be seated in an aisle seat. I have difficulty walking and getting into seat other then aisle is a problem. No matter how many times I called and got new seating, this all was futile. All 4 planes I flew on had again changed my seat by the time the flight had come and all the seats had been moved farther back in the plane and center of a 3 seat section. The planes were over booked and there was no way to change seats. I think that making the exit seat unavailable to disabled is the worst thing they ever did. People with leg problems need the extra room to be comfortable.

Knee injury possibly due to FAA violation
by: Michelle McFee, Kentfield, CA
Wed, 8 Apr 1998 21:14:49 -0400 (EDT)

I am writing about an incident which occurred last April 12 on flight 212, San Francisco to Chicago, routing through Cincinnati. We were flying on a DC 10, seated in the mid section of the plane. During the entire flight, the person in front of me had his seat reclined into my lap. When they served the meals, I couldn't eat and asked him to put his seat forward for awhile. He refused and the flight attendant refused to ask him to do so. He kept his seat in my lap even as we were landing, refusing to put his seat in the upright position. I pointed this out to the flight attendant and was told it wasn't time yet to do this. The seat remained in that position during the landing.

Once on the ground, I tried to stand up. I couldn't -- that seat was still in my lap. My knee wrenched and down I went into my seat. It took me forever to get off the plane -- not only was it very painful; my leg simply would not work. My friend asked them to bring me a wheelchair and was told they could not do so.

Of course, in true United style, our flight to Cincinnati was cancelled and we had to wait five hours for another flight, but that was not the worst news. I was having a terrible time walking and this was the first day of a 10 day trip that involved four flights to two cities. When I returned home and saw my doctor, he did an Xray and an MRI and it was determined that I had torn tendons in my left knee. He referred me to a surgeon who recommended surgery. My regular doctor advised against surgery due to other health problems. So, I continue to walk in pain and in fear of having my knee go out on me again (which it now has, several times, causing further injury and a great deal of embarrassment).

I believe United is responsible for this injury because it would not have happened if the flight attendant had insisted that the person in front of me put his seat forward. In fact, I do believe that to be in direct violation of FAA regulations.

If you're injured, don't fly the unfriendly skies
by: Monica Kipp
Fri, 23 Jan 1998 16:38:23 -0600

I had injured my leg in a work accident in Houston. I had a "crushing" injury, no broken bones. I flew from Houston to Kansas City on another airlines in First Class and had s stewardess basically waiting on me with pillows, ice and refreshments. When I got to Kansas City I was connecting with United and flying first class to Milwaukee. I was on crutches and asked for assitance in boarding hoping for a wheel chair because I was exhausted due to the stress of the injury. The gate agent came up to me tapped me on the shoulder and said I could board but to hurry up because they were sending the rest of the passengers. The rest of the passengers ended up passing me on the ramp.

When I went to board the jetway was docked up and with a gap of about 8 inches. I was on crutches and the stewardess looked at me and said well why can't you jump. I am deathly afraid of heights. I panicked. Finally a member of the ground crew looked up and heard what was going on. He came up and lifted me over the gap. The stewardess took my crutches from me and I hobbled to my first class seat. I asked for a soda to swallow some pain medication and she slammed a soda down so hard it spilled. This flight was quite different from the one on the competitions airlines.

Mistreatment of passenger with polio
by: Bonnie Epstein, Danville, CA
Wed, 14 Jan 1998 11:26:23 -0500 (EST)

The following incident took place on December 19, 1997 on United flight 2206 from Los Angeles to Oakland. I entered the aircraft carrying a fiberglass shopping bag (weight about 8 ounces when empty) which contained some clothing, two books, my wallet, glasses, etc. I would estimate its weight at about fifteen pounds. It was my only carry on. I went to my seat, 20C, an aisle seat in the last three seat row on the plane.

Once there I noticed that the space under the aisle seat in front on mine looked quite small, smaller than the middle and window seats and much smaller than the Thai Air flight I had just left where my bag had fit quite easily. As the flight attendent came by I said, "I don't know if my bag will fit under the seat." "Which seat is yours?" she asked. "The aisle--here," I said, pointing to 20C. "No, it won't but there's plenty of space in the overhead compartments." "Then I will need your help," I said. "I can't put it up there." "And why is that?" she snapped, her back to me. "Because I had polio many years ago and only have the use of one half of one arm," I answered. She spun around muttering, "Well who packed it for you?" As I stood there trying to understand the significance of the question (which I still do not understand) she grabbed the bag and while putting it up muttered, "If you can't put it up you should check the thing."

I said nothing. I sat down. Needless to say, I did not ask her to take the bag down at the end of the flight. I asked another passenger who was most helpful and gracious. I thanked him and when she heard me thank him she said to him, "Thank you for helping her with her bag." At that point I asked her name.

To say that this was a humiliating experience is an understatement. I have had this disability for over forty years and never, NEVER, have I been treated with such insensitivity, with such cruelty, with such mean-spiritedness. That a company the size of United has, in 1997, an employee who could act or speak this way is truly appalling. Maybe United's "Fly the Friendly Skies" should read "Fly the Friendly Skies If You Have No Disabilities." There has to be an end to this kind of treatment of other human beings. There are no acceptable excuses, reasons, or rationalizations. Though parts of our bodies may be paralyzed, our feelings and sensabilities are not. No one, NO ONE, deserves to be treated as if their existence is a huge burden, as if their existence is not worthy of any basic human dignity. Since the laws of human kindness seem unimportant to your flight attendant, and therefore to United Airlines as her employer, I am informing you that her verbal behavior is specifically prohibited by both Federal law (ADA) and State law (Unruh Civil Rights Act.)

This letter is the first I have ever had the need to write concerning mistreatment in relation to my disability. I pray it will also be my last.

"Unfortunate incident" Re: passenger with cerebral palsy

For the last few weeks, a story of a UAL chief flight attendant who was abusive toward a passenger traveling with a child suffering from cerebral palsy has been circulating widely through the Internet. This has resulted in hundreds of email messages being sent to United Airlines (many of them through the Untied.com site) and eventually, an apology from United Airlines.

On January 10, Denise Harvill, Director of Customer Relations, replied politely to one of our readers who had sent her a copy of the original story. However, her subsequent reply to another reader (who sent her a copy of the same story) was somewhat less conciliatory in tone. One can only wonder as to the sincerity of Ms. Harvill's original letter.

Untied.com is pleased to share with you the text of both letters:

from: Denise E. Harvill, Director - Customer Relations
In reply to: Noel Israel MD of Macon, GA
Sat, 10 Jan 1998 12:48:01 -0600

Thank you for your note, and I also share your concerns regarding this unfortunate incident. We have contacted the Pumaren family and have offered our sincere apologies for the behavior of our Chief Purser. Additionally, we are conducting an internal investigation and will take the appropriate action to ensure that this type of behavior will not reoccur.

With respect to Ms. Pumaren and her family, we are attempting to demonstrate our commitment to rectifying this unfortunate matter. You may be sure that we will continue to work with Ms. Pumaren and her family to obtain their satisfaction with our efforts.

Thank you again and I appreciate your support as one of our loyal customers. Please know that this incident is not representative of the service we do offer.

We look forward to your continued patronage with United Airlines.

Sincerely,
Denise E. Harvill
Director - Customer Relations
United Airlines

Apparently, Ms. Harvill is unaware that this sort of incident is representative of her airline. Perhaps she should read some of the other stories under this section. Does Ms. Harvill acknowledge that this is a recurring problem within United that has to be addressed? Does she offer to make the results of UAL's "investigation" public? And equally important, does Ms. Harvill appreciate the helpful feedback that passengers are providing to help improve her airline or is she merely annoyed? See below...

from: Denise E. Harvill <Dharvill@ual.com>
In reply to: (anonymous user), Manila, Philiphines
Thu, 15 Jan 1998 01:47:02 -0500 (EST)

You might choose to ride another airline...

Disabilities while traveling
by: Lola Wilson Eggleton, Trenton, OH
Fri, 31 Oct 1997 09:06:46 -0500

Last Novemeber, I got to the New Orleans airport only to discover my flight had been cancelled. After I burst out in tears because I am not supposed to sit or stand for long periods of time, the customer service manager made arrangements for me on the next flight and then proceeded to park me in the central bar. He assured me I would have someone coming to get me in time for my flight.

It got to be 15 minutes before my flight and I became so agitated the bar manager called UAL and informed them of the situation. I waited 10 more minutes. Still no one... So, with a burst of adrenalin, I took off to my gate, a very long way off even for a healthy person who could walk quickly. When I got on the flight, the stewardess chewed me out and said I should have been there 20 minutes prior to departure. I tried to tell her about the customer service manager, but she just called me a liar.

I was further shocked that my seat was a bulkhead seat after I had been assured that I would have two non-bulkhead seats next to each other so I could lie down. I was between two very large ladies, obviously travelling together and having fun, as was their right. There were other seats that were what I had requested and been promised but I couldn't move quickly enough to get to any of them.

When I arrived at my destination, the requested wheelchair was NOT waiting or even on the way. Luckily, I had called my husband from the flight and told him what was happening and he showed up to take me to get my baggage (it had gotten there on an earlier flight) and take me home.

I will NEVER fly UAL again and urge anyone with special needs to think twice before doing so.

What the $20 for an unaccompanied minor buys you
Mon, 27 Oct 1997 18:24:36 -0500

In Summer 1996, we moved to the Denver area. My son, who was 9 and is a frequently flyer on two airlines other than United, took a flight to San Jose to visit relatives. In all my experiences with airlines and minors flying alone, I have never been so aghast at the behavior of airline personnel.

To begin with, we were charged an additional $20 each way because my son flew alone. This charge was to cover the cost of the steward/stewardess that would escort my son at all times he was not on the plane. What a joke.

When the plane arrived in San Jose, my son waited for the attendant to escort him off the plane (as the other airlines do). After everyone else left the plane and none of the attendants were around, my son walked off the plane. Not one United employee would have had any idea what happened to him. However, I am much more organized than United and my relatives were waiting at the gate for him. They, too, were distraught by the lack of responsibility on the part of United personnel.

To top it off, the attendants had scolded my son when he tried to get up and use the bathroom. He was told to sit in his seat and not move.

United's attitude toward hospitalized passengers
from: Sharon Coomes, Henderson, Nevada
Fri, 29 Aug 1997 16:30:14 MST

Mr. Gerald Greenwald
President, United Airlines
UA Customer Relations
P.O. Box 66100
Chicago, Ill 60660

Dear Mr. Greenwald:

I am writing to inform you of an extremely serious incident that occurred at the Denver Airport involving four United Airlines employees on August 9, 1997. The incident caused me both personal humiliation and physical suffering, and I expect an explanation from you regarding it.

I arrived at the airport that day directly from National Jewish Hospital, where I had been hospitalized for complications from lung surgery that I had undergone the preceding week at Colorado University Hospital. I had been instructed by my physician to fly home and to notify the airlines that I required a wheelchair. My mother did so when she called United to make the reservation, indicating to the ticket agent that I would be coming directly from the hospital and would require a wheelchair and assistance. She arranged for me to fly one-way (ticketless) on United flight #2715-B departing at 3:20 pm from Denver International Airport and arriving at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada.

I arrived at the Denver Airport at 2:25 pm. I notified the sky cap that I required a wheelchair, received one, and was taken to the ticket counter line. The ticket agent checked the computer and told me that I would be required to check-in at the gate. He asked me to hold my luggage on my lap and told the gentleman pushing my wheelchair to take me to straight to the gate. I arrived at the gate 10 minutes before the plane was to depart. I stood up with luggage in hand and told the woman at the gate that I was flying ticketless and gave her my identification. This is when the nightmare began.

The woman told me that my luggage had to be searched. When I asked her why, she refused to tell me. She then instructed me rudely to "sit down." A few minutes later, two female United Airlines employees arrived with another wheelchair. I told them that I did not understand what was going on and that my luggage had already been through baggage check. They indicated that they still wanted to search my luggage. I agreed to allow them to do so as long as they would send the luggage on a later flight so that I would not be delayed. I explained that I had just had part of my lung removed, and I needed to get home immediately and go back to bed. I also informed them that I was in pain and needed to be home to begin the regimen of medication prescribed by my physician.

They told me that they were taking me to a room to search my luggage and that I would have to accompany them. I asked them for an explanation, and their reply was, "We don't have to tell you anything." They wheeled me away with my luggage once again on my lap to a room 15 or 20 gates away. They then told me to "pick up my luggage and follow them." I not only had to walk back there, but I had to carry my own luggage. After my bags were checked, I once again asked why I had been detained, and I received no explanation. The United Airlines employee checking my luggage said, "I was called by the lady at the counter to come and get you and your luggage. I am just doing my job."

When I got back to the gate, the plane and the passengers had been delayed waiting for me. Of course, everyone had witnessed the initial phase of this humiliating episode. I asked the United Airlines employee at the gate why she singled me out to have my bags checked. She said simply, gthe FAA chose you," and she refused to elaborate as to why. It was at that point I told her I wanted a United Airlines representative waiting for me when I landed in Las Vegas. She said, "Fine. And I will also have the FAA waiting." I proceeded to walk down the hallway onto the plane, once again unassisted.

As I stepped on the plane, everyone, including the flight attendants, just stared at me. I tried unsuccessfully to place my suitcase in the overhead storage bin myself; no one seemed to care that I might need help. At this point I was in tears. I finally had to ask the stewardess who was standing next to me to help me. She acted very put out. It was more than obvious that I was seriously ill as many hospital wrist bands were well displayed, and my overall demeanor was slumped and pale. When I sat down, I cried for several minutes; not once during that flight did any of the flight attendant ask if I needed anything.

When I landed in Las Vegas, I had to walk off the plane, again unassisted. Fortunately, my family was waiting with a wheelchair. There was also a woman from United Airlines waiting for me. I asked her why I had been detained and treated like a criminal. At that point, I completely broke down; she held my hand and apologized several times. When I was calmer, she explained that the circumstances under which I was flying had apparently made me an unwitting suspect of some kind. She explained that the computer had flagged me, and the FAA required that the airline to check bags in such situations.

If any one of the four United Airlines employees I had dealt with earlier had offered even a few words of explanation, I might have been satisfied. As it was, I was treated so abominably and with so little regard for my condition, that I am, frankly, outraged. Unfortunately, I was too overwrought at the time to document the names of the employees; however, with the extensive records I'm sure you have at your disposal, I'm certain you can find out who was responsible.

I arrived at the Denver airport relieved to be going home after the ordeal I had just been through. Instead, I encountered an entirely new one, at the hands of a corporation that invites its passengers to "fly the friendly skies." If this is an example the skies you fly, I want other people to know about it. I understand your concern for security, but the actions of your employees could have endangered my life. I believe I am entitled to an explanation of how you plan to remedy such situations in the future. I certainly wouldn't want anyone else to suffer as I did.

Sincerely,
Sharon Coomes

cc: Denise Harvill: Director of Customer Relations

United's Policy on Bumping Kids
from: Cliff Lawson
Sat, 19 Jul 1997 14:13:10 -0700 (PDT)

Attached is a letter I wrote to Mr. Greenwald regarding my 13-year-old son being bumped off a flight. I mailed copies to the FAA, my congressional delegation, etc. Feel free to use my story and my name if you like. Finding your site was a great help to me, and I appreciate your fighting the good fight for those of us who can't devote that much time to it.

Gerald Greenwald, President
United Airlines
P.O. Box 66100
Chicago, IL
60666

Dear Mr. Greenwald,

My family and I encountered a serious problem involving an unacceptable safety practice while we were dealing with your airline recently. An "isolated incident" is how one of your customer relations people characterized it. I don't believe it is so isolated.

It's 20 June 1997. My wife and I are standing at Gate 2 at Ontario Airport, near L.A., waiting for our 13-year-old son to return from camp. At precisely 2:39 P.M. Flight 2941 rolls to a stop, on time. That was the only thing United did right that day.

People get off the plane. More people get off. The crew gets off. My son doesn't. His mom and I freak.

Our first stop is the United agent at the gate desk. He checks his computer and says "Your son never got on in San Francisco," and looks to the next anxious person in line. "Wait a minute," I say, "That was a plane change. He left Portland on United, flight..." I'm scrambling through the itinerary papers "Flight 2929." They guy punches more buttons. "He didn't get on that one either." And he's done with us.

We bolt for the phones. I call home. A cryptic operator message on the voicemail three hours earlier (our home is 150 miles away, in the Mojave Desert) tells me my son tried to call home, collect, about half an hour after the plane he was supposed to be on lifted off from Portland.

While I'm calling the snowboard camp at Mount Hood, my wife checks with the main United desk on the concourse. Oh yeah, they have a notification that he'll be coming in on an Alaska Airlines flight in about three hours. He was bumped for overbooking.

It doesn't occur to us, in our relief, to ask why they didn't call our home. Or page us at the airport.

Sure enough, at 5:30 P.M. our boy strolls off the Alaska Airlines plane; tired, sunburnt, and blissfully happy after 10 days of snowboarding. Got bumped, Dad, but they gave me $100 worth of free flight coupons!

And I'm thinking, how much should it be worth to any parents to have their only child, a 13-year-old, cut loose in a strange airport, for three hours, unsupervised, 1,000 miles from home.

That's half the story.

After I give myself a week to calm down, I call United's 24-hour toll-free number. As soon as it's clear I'm not there to buy tickets, the woman tells me that I have to call United's Customer Relations Department. That's during normal working hours. In Chicago. And not toll free.

Naturally, I get a recording. My option (to talk with a customer service representative) is to press 5. I do so, and get a busy signal. For more than an hour I repeat this process. Busy signal every time. Costing me money. Costing me patience. Costing United Airlines three customers, for life.

Finally, totally exasperated, I fire up the computer and get on the net. I do a search for "united-airlines customer-service" and lo and behold, I hit the "Untied Airlines" site (http://www.untied.com/mailunited/), with its "Fly the Unfriendly Skies" motto. After determining that United is headquartered in Chicago (and that it indeed has horrendous problems with customer service, thus the web site) I call information and get the number for corporate headquarters, then work my way through the recordings until I finally get a person.

I ask for the extension of Denise Harvill, Director of Customer Relations. No answer, of course, but at least I can leave a message. Eventually I get a call back from a woman who introduces herself only as "Barbara." We talk. She commiserates and tells me that lack of notification to my wife and me was an "isolated incident." But yes, it is policy to bump kids over 12 just as they bump adults.

Fortunately, my son is bright and quite self reliant. But I think of other 13 year olds I know. There is a potential for real disaster here. A young kid bumped at the gate. No airline employee takes charge of the situation. The airline doesn't bother to notify the parents. The kid is in a panic wandering around a strange airport. But then a very nice adult walks up to the child and says "Everything will be all right, I can help you. Come with me." And that's the last anybody sees of that child. Even given the natural paranoia of parenthood, this does not seem an implausible scenario to me.

I would like some feedback on the policies involved in this incident, and the feasibility of getting them changed. If your response is insufficient, I will urge my representatives in Washington to press for legislation to prohibit airlines from bumping a person under the age of 18.

As to the poor customer service, that's probably just United. But the more important issue is the policy of setting young flyers on the same level with seasoned business travelers when it comes to overbooking bumps. Unless that policy is changed, we're looking at a tragedy waiting to happen. I'd like to have your comments on this issue.

How to deprive your children of sleep for 36 hours
from: Jeremy White, London
Thu, 10 Jul 1997 12:14:34 -0400

On a flight from London to Denver, via Newark on July 9 my three children aged 7, 3 and 2 and nanny were treated in the most nasty incompetant manner by United Airlines. They arrived at Newark for the connecting flight to denver to be told it had been cancelled. They were kept waiting 5 hours at Newark then sent to the wrong hotel. Then returned to Newark, then sent to another hotel then 2 hours later brought back to Newark for a 7am flight. This was delayed due to "crew shortages" They were then scheduled to leave on a flight via Chicago but at the gate were told the flight was full. Then they were put on at 12:00 flight to Denver. During this time as worried parents United refused to tell us where the children were, which hotel they had been sent to, which flight they were booked on. They were rude, obstructuve, unhelpful. Finally with the help of the Newark police department and 18 hours of worry they were located and hopfully will arrive in Denver. That music now makes me think of nasty, uncaring people who care nothing about passengers needs.

United change your slogan.

Can United be trusted with your children?
from: Sean Pham
Wed, 2 Jul 1997 01:12:35 -0400

I'm 12 years old. I was on United airlines on a trip to New York flight 14 or something on the 19 of June. traveling alone. Before I got on the plane, a staff person told my parents that I will be looked after and well taken care of. But when I got on the flight, no one was taking care of me or watching me to see if I was okay. Than half way through the flight my throat got really dry. So I press that little button for a flight attendent. I waited, and waited, and waited, until 30 minutes later the flight attendent came. So I asked for a ginger ale, 30 minutes later she came with the ginger ale. That time, my throat was so dry that I could'nt speak. When we were on the ground leaving the plane, a fligh attendent was suppose to walk me out but I was left there!

On my return flight, I was'nt watched or walked off the plane either but at least they gave me ginger ale! I'm pretty mad after that experience! I want this posted up on your page to tell parents not to let there children travel alone on United!

Mistreatment of a passenger with lupus
Thu, 10 Apr 1997 21:26:00 -0700

EXECUTIVE OFFICES
UNITED AIRLINES
1200 Algonquin Road
P.O. Box 66100
Chicago, IL 60666

April 6, 1997
Gerald Greenwald
CEO, United Airlines

Dear Mr. Greenwald,

It is with disgust and my strongest disdain for your company that I write this letter to you. To say that I am lodging a complaint against your flight attendants for their horrific behavior toward my sister Julie would be an understatement. What they did (and did not do) defies all comprehension for a company that I previously thought exemplified the meaning of customer service. Not only did they prove me wrong, but they established a new low in how to treat a disabled person.

Mr. President, my sister has lupus. It is an auto-immune disease that causes my sister's protective antibody mechanisms to recognize self as foreign. As a result, her own defense cells attack the normal, healthy cells of her body, wreaking havoc to all systems. One of the consequences of this condition is that my sister has had full renal failure -- both her kidneys have been rendered useless by the disease. As a result, she is forced to undergo daily dialysis treatments with the help of a machine that filters out the waste products in her blood. Thankfully, these treatments do not render her immoble. She can go about her daily tasks, attend classes, and function normally like you and me, except that she has to "hook on" to her machine twice a day, everyday for the rest of her life. Another system of her body that didn't escape the lupus was her muscles. She is left considerably weakened by the disease and cannot exert herself physically, both because of the lupus and by her doctor's orders. For her spring break, we arranged a trip for her to travel from Honolulu to visit me in San Diego. An obvious concern of ours was whether or not she would be able to manage with the dialysis machine. Since it is a sensitive piece of medical equipment, it can't be checked in as baggage, and thus would be needed to be taken along with her on the plane. One thing needs to be made clear at this point in case there is still some confusion on your part -- she does NOT need to be constantly hooked up to this machine. While on the plane, it can be treated as a normal carry-on piece, and would need to be tucked away. This cycler (the dialysis machine) weighs approximately 20-30 lbs -- too heavy for my sister to easily manage once she got on the plane. What happened next for her departure trip, as well as the trip back home is the reason for this letter.

I was assured by your customer service representative over the phone that once Julie boarded the plane, she could explain to the flight attendants her condition and she would then be helped with the stowing of the cycler. Mr. President, not only did this not happen for 3 of the 4 legs of her trip, but she was met with inexcusable rudeness and contempt. Before I go on, let me say that I am by no means overstating the situation. What I am about to write are verbatim statements made by your flight attendants to my sister. On flight #1234 leaving Honolulu for Los Angeles, she was met with a attendant on the plane who flatly refused to help her with the cycler even after Julie explained her medical situation. After Julie told her that she couldn't lift the cycler off the wheeled carrier, the flight attendant said "well, I can't lift it either!". She told Julie to hurry up and sit down and then she walked away.

Mr. President, my sister was shocked and shaken up by this unexpected treatment by your flight attendant. I felt terrible after she arrived in LAX when she called me, and asked me what was going on. I could only repeat your earlier representative's assurances that she would be helped once on the plane. I then told her that that situation must have just been a fluke and that the rest of the flights would go fine. I was wrong. Again, on the commuter flight down to San Diego from LAX was she refused help by the flight attendants. But this time, standing there in the aisle, she was lucky enough to be seen by a passenger nearby and he helped her stow away the cycler.

Needless to say, at this point of the beginning of Julie's vacation, my mother and I were livid. My mother then wanted to call your customer service line and complain. Perhaps she should have done that, but she didn't because I told her that we should probably just wait and see what happens on her flights back.

When we checked a week later, at her departure from San Diego, I made sure to have your agent call the gate and have them expect my sister for early boarding as well as to make sure someone would be there to help her. I wasn't able to be there for her at the gate for her first two trips from Honolulu -- but I was damn sure I wasn't about to let her be treated badly again. To his credit, the agent (Ramon Assisi, I believe his name was) was extremely friendly and patient after I explained her medical state. He appeared clearly upset when I told him what happened in her earlier flights. Ramon called the gate, but then received a message from them saying that nothing could be done and that she should just ask another passenger on the plane to help her. At that point, I gave up trying to be upset at your company's policies and told my sister that that's just what has to be done. I decided that your customer service rep over the phone must have either lied to appease me or was just uninformed as to the actual policies. However, what happened next provided some form of redemption for your company. As Julie was about to board the plane, Ramon actually ran up to us from behind and offered to help my sister. He apologized for what happened earlier and personally led my sister into the plane and helped her load the cycler. Obviously, this was extremely welcomed. This helpful trend however, stopped with him. In her next flight from LAX to Honolulu, she was met with the most resistance and rude treatment in all of her 4 flights. Approaching the agent who takes the tickets before boarding the plane, Julie once again asked for help with loading her cycler. To this, the agent amazingly replied to my sister:

Agent: "You know, you shouldn't bring anything on the plane you can't lift"
Julie: "It's medical equipment"
Agent: "Oh. Ok. Then we'll make an exception."

As if this wasn't bad enough, Julie was chastised by the flight attendant who "greets" people coming on to the plane. She said to my sister: "Well, I can't help you. Maybe you could find someone willing to hurt themselves for you"

Mr. President, all of this is simply inexcusable! To think that my sister had to endure this disgusting and humiliating treatment makes me almost sick when I consider how she must have felt each and every time she boarded one of your planes. Again, none of what I wrote is false or even exaggerated. My sister kept a written log of what was said to her to make sure that this message gets to you.

I realize that this letter is overly long, so I will end it here with this message: I want you to know that you haven't simply lost a family of customers. You have also lost many potential customers that have heard from us what happened. You should know that I have told this to other members of my family, my co-workers, friends, and that I will also distribute this to all the other major airlines that fly to and from Hawaii, to the Better Business Bureau as well as media stations and papers, and also to the American Lupus Foundation. This message will also go out over the internet on my sister's web page as well as to all the consumer oriented newsgroups. Ultimately, this probably won't make a noticeable dent in your profits, but I assure you, I will make every effort to make sure that what happened to my sister is heard and doesn't happen again. My disappointment in your company's false exultation of customer service is only tempered by my anger and disgust toward your flight attendants.

Sincerely,

---

cc: President, Continental Airlines
President, Delta Airlines
President, American Airlines
President, Hawaiian Airlines
President, Trans World Airlines
President, Northwest Airlines
Better Business Bureau
San Diego Union Tribune
Honolulu Advertiser
American Lupus Foundation

In a follow-up note to a United Airlines representative who, in response to a newsposting of this same letter, raised some relevant points, the writer commented:

As another person has since made me aware, I now realize that it isn't within the flight attendant's contract to issue help to passengers, disabled or not. I also now realize that my sister perhaps should have ridden up in a wheelchair to further bring across the point that she isn't as functionally "normal" as you and I. These points I can understand, and probably so could the many concerned individuals who wrote back to me in support of my sister's experience on your airline. But the one thing that still is a source of anger and amazement for my family is the contemptuous treatment of your flight attendants toward my sister. It is one thing to be bound by your contract not to perform certain physical tasks, but it is quite another to issue degrading words toward your customer and just simply towards another person in general. You focused on the technical and contractual issues in your letter. We fully understand that policies as such cannot be helped. However, rude treatment can.

No means to assist a disabled passenger
Thu, 27 Feb 1997 23:59:58 -0500 (EST)

I just wanted to thank you for your hard work in maintaining a very useful web page. My wife and I were looking into the manner in which to complain to UAL regairding treatment of my disabled mother-in-law. She was expected to run across O'Hare airport to reach her connecting flight, she even called in advance to receive some kind of assistance to the connecting flight. They informed her that they had no means to assist her. She obviously never made the connection and was held in O'Hare for 4 hours. For the $800 we paid, I surely expected more from a major airline. Needless to say we are quite upset and found your page and experiences usefull. I believe that this incident may be of a legal issue regarding the disability, hmm...something else to search for.... I'll try anything to get an apology to my mother-in-law after the treatment she received.