My 83 year-old parents were on US 415 PHL-RSW last night. My sister and her husband were not granted gate passes to accompany them for reasons I have yet to understand.

My father was told by the agent that he had to wheel my mother down the jetway, that they were "understaffed". My father lost control of the wheelchair and fell. Fortunately, my mother's chair rolled to the side of the jetway and she was not hurt.

My father, however, cut his arm open. His skin is thin and he already bleeds easily. He bled all over.

Fortunately, there was a very nice crew who helped them, and the crew called a medic, who bandaged him. They flew in 8D-9D, and The flight crew, according to my mother, visited them frequently throughout the flight.

I'll be interested to hear the response from the gate manager with whom I spoke this morning. She is going to investigate.

Sorry to hear about your dad getting hurt. I am not surprised about this happening in Philly. They continue to be the rudest and least helpful of all the hubs. It does sound like the flight crew tried to make things right (as best they could).

That's a serious situation and I hope it gets resolved to your and your father's satisfaction. However, when I first saw your thread title, the immediate thought that came to my mind:

"Philadelphia -- BELIEVE IT."

For those of us who have flown through PHL we all know what that means http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Sorry to hear that about your parents. If the behavior is true of the gate agent, one word: Disgusting!
There seem to be a discrepency between the good (or excellent) service of the flight attendants versus the gate agents (esp. in Philly). I had some bad experencience with gate agents in Philly also. I wonder how we could change that: A nice letter to the US chief of operations? It does not seem to be a training issue, but more an attitude issue ('I am the big guy and own the company ...')

Just my 2 cents.

First and foremost call Crystal City directly, forget consumer affairs. Next call PHL and try to speak with the hub manager. If you cannot get a hold of that person, try to reach the manager of concourse C, as the flight left from C21. That should give them enough information to determine who was staffing the gate for that flight. I would also call PHL airport management and alert them of the situation.

Last but not least, I would call the Philadelphia Inquirer and the local TV stations if you get nowhere with anybody at PHL. The last thing U needs now is a PR nightmare like this getting out to the general public.

[This message has been edited by phllax (edited 07-01-2002).]

This experience is par for the course in PHL it seems to me.

I was traveling thru PHL this past Sat early am. Lucky for me had a celebrity on my flight from ORF-PHL in F. Patti LaBelle was seated across the aisle from me in row 3 with her entourage (forgive spelling) of 4 assistances also in F. The ORF station crew were excellent in handling the many fans who were trying to see Ms. LaBelle at the god awful hour of 5am.

On board they were very nice to hear and made sure everything was taken care of. The flight was great and all pax behaved (I half expected First to become a Fan Gallery during the flight as they don't close the curtain and everyone knowning she was onboard) but my fellow ORF travelers were great. Only a few kids trying to get autographs behaved as any 8 yearold would so that was expected.

Well it all ended when we arrived at PHL. Seems that Ms. LaBelle was to have a cart waiting to transport her party of 5 from B1 to C26. I walked up the jetway right behind her after having a very nice chat on the plane. When we go to the top of the jetway the agent meeting our flight appeared completely clueless. The first person in her party was standing their asking about the transport and he barked "go up there and flag one down". He then said "It is for Ms. Patti LaBelle, who is just behind me arriving on this flight." The agent then shot him a look above his glasses like he had never heard of her before and even if she was a VIP it did not matter to him. So we all walked up the path to the main hall on concourse B and luckily they were able to flag a cart down rather quickly. PHL was rather crowded and I could just see Ms. LaBelle becomming mobbed by fans.

US needs to seriously take a look at how it handles these matters. I just don't understand why PHL can continue to provide such poor service. This is not the first or only experience I have either witnessed or been part of at PHL in my years of flying thru PHL. I tend to avoid it as a connection point unless there are no alternatives.

I surely hope someone in Ms. LaBelle's party speaks with US as I'm sure the money she paid for those tickets would have been happy to be spent with another airline as all of them fly to LA (her final destination)from Norfolk.



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US-CP; UA PE; Hilton Gold VIP; Crowne Plaza Gold

Very sorry to hear about your father.

Philadelphia unlike most other cities suffers from "Can't get good help." I moved to Philly about 15 yrs ago from western PA. Aside from Philly having a different vibe it also has this apathetic pool of help. CS is more attitude than service. It ranges from McDonalds to City Hall. For those of you luck enough to not have to deal with the utilitie companies and the such are very lucky. There's no wonder why the population continues to fall. I moved to Jersey.

I hope your parents are well.

This is a terrible story. I hope your Dad heals soon. I concur with the advice to call Crystal City. Make them find out and tell you why those gate passes were not issued. That's an essential part of this story. Depending on the severity of the injury and its lasting effects, I'd give serious consideration to contacting an attorney.

I personally hate ambulance chasers, so you may just want to put the question to another type of attorney for advice, but there clearly are times when apparent negligence is worth challenging, or at least looking into. This may be one of those times. What's next? Making unaccompanied minors travel the terminals themselves?

Just another example of a business gone out of control. It's a meltdown. In the case of Philly, that place has always been a little like going through the looking glass. The Mad Hatter is truly in charge. Just hope the ambulance chasers get there before the banks.

It's unfortunate what happened. Perhaps this is more hindsight, but if I needed to help my parents (in mid-70's) down the concourse, I'd walk up to the checkin counter with them, and if the agent wouldn't give me a gate pass, I'd ask to by a fully refundable ticket on either the same flight or any other flight leaving soon.
Walk down the gate with them, and after they leave and you come back to the checkin counter, get the ticket refunded. I don't think there's much the airline could do about this, and plus if it's the health and safety of your parents, would you really care. Note that any special security markings they might put on the ticket (ie, last minute full fare purchase) only take effect at security boarding the plane, you wouldn't have any problems clearing security going down to the concourse.

Two other points:
1. When my girlfriends 80yr mother arrived from an LAX flight on America West earlier this year, we emailed HP and asked them if we could get a gate pass to meet her. They said it was subject to control at the airport. At the airport we went to the checkin counter and showed the agent the email. She said only one of us could go down, I gave her my dirver's license for ID, and she printed out a letter to security stating that I was allowed down.

2. Even with a gate pass, I don't know if that would have prevented the injury. It wouldn't have changed the 'understaffing' problem, and your sister certainly couldn't have wheeled your mother down herself (bigtime security violation I'm sure to let an unticketed passenger down a jetway). The best she might have done is complain to someone and state you aren't letting your parents board without an agent helping them down.

In any complaint letter or phone call, I'd certainly stress any medical costs (doctors visit) associated with the cut, loss of time, perhaps ruining of the entire vacation. I'd be hoping for more than just $50 vouchers for each of them.

Jeff

It is definitely worth contacting a lawyer over this. Their insurance company will settle with you even if you have a weak case.

Lawyers? Lawsuits? Calling newspapers? What?

I think we (who are in no position to judge this situation anyway) need to take a deep breath and get all the facts before we call in the ambulance chasers...

Clearly, shinbal's father falling and hurting his arm is unfortunate.

However, why did the other family members not escort them to the gate? Did security refuse to allow them to do so? I'll be darned if I would let my 83 yr. old father and my mom who needs a wheelchair head off on a plane without either my assistance OR an airport/airline assigned assistance.

And can someone please tell me why an elderly gentleman falling down is the airline's fault? Was he pushed? Did the airline leave a trail of banana peels on the gateway? Now, I have no love for the City of Brotherly Love but it's absurd to blame this on PHL or the airline.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by jwhite4:
(bigtime security violation I'm sure to let an unticketed passenger down a jetway). </font>

Probably true but the major problem at most PHL gates is a steep ramp (with a 90 degree bend in the middle) between the boarding lounge and the jetway door (i.e. BEFORE entering the jetway).

shinbal--if you need any direct names/numbers for Crystal City, please email me. I have a US corporate directory.

sysintsvcs@hotmail.com

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by geo1004:
Lawyers? Lawsuits? Calling newspapers? What?

I think we (who are in no position to judge this situation anyway) need to take a deep breath and get all the facts before we call in the ambulance chasers...

</font>
That's exactly what I recommended. Call Crystal City, find out the details, call attorney if necessary.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by geo1004:

And can someone please tell me why an elderly gentleman falling down is the airline's fault? Was he pushed? Did the airline leave a trail of banana peels on the gateway? Now, I have no love for the City of Brotherly Love but it's absurd to blame this on PHL or the airline.
</font>

The facts may show it's not absurd. If the airline or contract airport service employees were told by shinbal's family that, for whatever reason, they were concerned about doing this without assistance, the airline or airport might very well be negligent.

Banana peels? Of course not. But could previous passengers who deplaned accidently dropped things that could have been a tripping hazard that were not cleaned up by the airline/airport staff? I'd think that could be negligence, too.

Was it negligence? Maybe not. But clearly establishing what happened and why is the smart course and follow up as needed afterwards.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by syzygy8:
That's exactly what I recommended. Call Crystal City, find out the details, call attorney if necessary.</font>


Nothing at all wrong with that course of action. Getting the facts complete and correct is the first step. Then decide how to proceed.

It is the immediate assumption(s), without having all the facts, that the airline is wrong, that compensation is due and the recommendation that "their insurance company will settle with you even if you have a weak case" that I find so repulsive.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by geo1004:

It is the immediate assumption(s), without having all the facts, that the airline is wrong, that compensation is due and the recommendation that "their insurance company will settle with you even if you have a weak case" that I find so repulsive.

</font>

Agreed. I concur. Ditto!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by geo1004:

However, why did the other family members not escort them to the gate? Did security refuse to allow them to do so? I'll be darned if I would let my 83 yr. old father and my mom who needs a wheelchair head off on a plane without either my assistance OR an airport/airline assigned assistance.

</font>

Geo1004, if you had read my post thoroughly, you would have seen that my sister and brother-in-law were denied gate passes. And I'm glad that you're so determined that if you were non-preferred with no real assistance at your fingertips, you'd bust right through security and all the Philly BS. FWIW, my calls in advance to the CP line did no good either for their gate passes....I was told it's strictly a station decision.
They were taken to their gate on electric cart.

[/B][/QUOTE]
And can someone please tell me why an elderly gentleman falling down is the airline's fault? Was he pushed? Did the airline leave a trail of banana peels on the gateway? Now, I have no love for the City of Brotherly Love but it's absurd to blame this on PHL or the airline.

[/B][/QUOTE]

Au contraire, mon ami. Common sense would tell one of those post-labotomy idiots at the gate that maybe, just maybe, an 84 year-old who wasn't exactly the picture of strength himself wasn't the person to wheel a woman down the downhill jetway.

If GEO would like the entire description, my father was losing control of the wheelchair. While trying to protect his wife of 60 years, he lost a grip on the chair, reached out to grab it before it ran away, missed, and fell against the exposed metal area on the floor.

As for attorneys, it has nothing to do with money, but thanks for asking. I have parents that rode home over two and a half hours with blood on them, couldn't sleep that night, were achy the next day, and are still, two days later, shaken up.

So YES, this is completely the airlines fault. THEY are in charge of ticketing. THEY are in charge of boarding. And when I buy a ticket for my elderly parents on their plane, they have an inherent responsibility to act with the sense and care needed so that things like this DON'T happen.

The laziness and bad attitude of the Philly hub speaks for itself. This is just the result.

[This message has been edited by shinbal (edited 07-02-2002).]

US1@ORF
If I'm not mistaken, carts are for those needing special assistance i.e. the elderly or disabled. They are not for people with too many bags, too many children or stars traveling with an entourage. Ms. LaBelle chose her occupation and being mobbed by fans is a hazard of it and part of how she earns her living. I don’t believe an airline, the mall or whatever location she may be in has a responsibility to protect her from it. It is not included in the price of the ticket, not even first class. Isn’t that what personal body guards are for? I say let her hoof it like the rest of us hard working people and save the special assistance service for its intended purpose. Hmmm, I’d hate to think that maybe there was nobody available to help an elderly passenger on to the aircraft because they were assisting some able bodied famous person, even one suffering from menopause!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by shinbal:
Geo1004, if you had read my post thoroughly, you would have seen that my sister and brother-in-law were denied gate passes. </font>


Actually shinbal, I did read you post. You stated,


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">posted by shinbal:
My 83 year-old parents were on US 415 PHL-RSW last night. My sister and her husband were not granted gate passes to accompany them for reasons I have yet to understand.</font>

If you don't understand the reasons then how are we to do so? In that post there is no mention of your calls to the CP line. There is no mention of the electric cart taking your parents to the gate. Your post simply did not include all the facts. Without the facts, we have no way of knowing and are therefore in no possition to pass judgement.


<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">posted by shinbal:
As for attorneys, it has nothing to do with money, but thanks for asking. </font>


I never asked. Nor did I suggest you contact a lawyer. It was the general assumptive tone and immediate assignment of full blame on the airline (and its employees) by several of the initial posts and the subsequent recommendations that you call lawyers and the local press that I take issue with.

If in fact the evidence is gathered and presented and the airline staff in PHL is to blame then fine, assign the blame and take the appropriate actions. You should do that.


I have clearly stated in my earlier post that you father's injury was unfortunate. I'm sorry and I hope he is doing better. And I will add that I am also grateful that nothing unfortunate happened to your mother. If the facts of the matter indicate that US and/or its employees at PHL are at fault, then by all means take the appropriate actions.


Without full disclosure of the facts, however, it is unfair to ask us to condemn US and/or the PHL ground crew. I still stand by my earlier statement:

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">posted by geo1004:
Getting the facts complete and correct is the first step. Then decide how to proceed.

It is the immediate assumption(s), without having all the facts, that the airline is wrong, that compensation is due and the recommendation that "their insurance company will settle with you even if you have a weak case" that I find so repulsive.</font>

How anyone can defend US Airways in this situation is beyond me.

Not giving the gate passes is one thing, but refusing to help with the wheelchair is inexcusable, and now someone's been injured!

I would suggest a complaint letter with all the details, including a medical report, and ask for something like $3,000 as compensation (cash, not vouchers). If US realizes they were negligent, they will be happy to pay a paltry sum like that.

Well, my take on this may a little different. If someone is so frail that they need assistance while traveling, I wouldn't trust a disinterested party (particularly a PHL gate agent) to take responsibility for their safety. When my Dad was ill and need to travel by plane several years ago, one of the siblings would always travel with he and my Mom to make sure they were OK. Sure it cost more and may have been inconvenient, but this was Dad. So, I really have no sympathy because I feel that expecting this level of service from the airline is unreasonable. They're not caretakers after all.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by mamoo:
If someone is so frail that they need assistance while traveling, I wouldn't trust a disinterested party (particularly a PHL gate agent) to take responsibility for their safety.
...So, I really have no sympathy because I feel that expecting this level of service from the airline is unreasonable. They're not caretakers after all. </font>

Mamoo,

Unless I have misunderstood the whole incident, shinbal's sister & her husband were not given the option to accompany shinbal's parents to the gate area, much less down the jetway. It does not seem that the family was expecting anyone else to care for the parents but they did not have a choice. I have to agree with others who find the manner in which shinbal's parents were treated truly deplorable. This whole incident need not have happened and shinbal and family are more than justified in blaming the airline reps for this unfortunate accident.

Shinbal, I hope your parents, especially your father, have fully recovered from this horrible incident. I would be curious to know what sort of response you and your family get from US.

Skyman

USAirways definitely dropped the ball on this one. No question about it.

However, the real problem lies with the idiotic and draconian restrictions imposed by the TSA on who shall be granted access to the gates. It's time we demanded the TSA stop bullying the airlines into making stupid decisions like the one described here. Better yet, it's time we disbanded the TSA.

Hope your father feels better soon.

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"Give me Liberty or give me Death." - Patrick Henry

Can't comment on why the gate passes were denied, but I think one of the big issues here which hasn't been worked to death is that the gate agent told shinbal's parents that they were "understaffed".

That's bull****. Passengers needing assistance, elderly or unaccompanied children, need to have a very high priority in the world of airline travel. Sounds like the gate agent didn't want to deal with the situation.

I would challenge, however, that this is a PHL problem. I tend to find the same sort of crap all over the northeast (New York airports and BOS have some real gems as well)
That said, there are some very nice people who work in PHL.

As a counterpoint, my 88-year old grandmother recently came to the US from India on BA. She had a 4-hour layover at Heathrow -- all we did was call BA and tell them her age, that she could walk but slowly, and that her English was so-so.

BA provided a rep. who spoke her native language to meet her (with a wheelchair just in case), take her to the connecting gate, check-in on her periodically while she was waiting and assist her onto the plane and to her seat.

Anyway, please let us know how this turns out.

Also sad that if they were understaffed, they wouldnt give gate passes to two relatives who wanted to help.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by shinbal:
My 83 year-old parents were on US 415 PHL-RSW last night. My sister and her husband were not granted gate passes to accompany them for reasons I have yet to understand.

My father was told by the agent that he had to wheel my mother down the jetway, that they were "understaffed". My father lost control of the wheelchair and fell. Fortunately, my mother's chair rolled to the side of the jetway and she was not hurt.

My father, however, cut his arm open. His skin is thin and he already bleeds easily. He bled all over.

Fortunately, there was a very nice crew who helped them, and the crew called a medic, who bandaged him. They flew in 8D-9D, and The flight crew, according to my mother, visited them frequently throughout the flight.

I'll be interested to hear the response from the gate manager with whom I spoke this morning. She is going to investigate.</font>

Please, please, please, please! Call or write:

US Airways Office of Consumer Affairs
POB 1501
Winston-Salem, NC 27102-1501
336-661-0061