DeafFlyer

AA had Mark Smith, a well known disability advocate, removed from a flight for no reason. Apparently, they left him at the gate sitting in an aisle chair with no assistance. This is a scary incident. Anyone with disabilities should be terrified of this behavior by the airline. See his blog post below.

https://powerchairdiaries.com/2017/0...y-at-the-gate/

Katja

Wow, thanks for posting this! Mark is certainly an experienced and frequent traveler, and it's very disappointing to read this.

[I fixed the thread title for you.]

More coverage:

https://thepointsguy.com/2017/03/ame...isabled-flyer/

https://mobilitymgmt.com/Blogs/Where...-airlines.aspx

http://wnep.com/2017/03/30/was-passe...to-disability/

https://hme-business.com/articles/20...garea=mag+&m=2

http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthr...d-off-airplane

madbrain

This is terribly shameful. The captain needs to be fired. The airline should be fined as well. And the traveler deserves compensation.

JDiver

Awful!

I hope Mark files a complaint with the Department of Transportation. The Captain should get discipline and retraining on the Air Carrier Access Act. And both the Captain and AA should pay hefty fines.

Loren Pechtel

Did they perhaps think there were lithium batteries in the wheelchair?

ysolde

What a nightmarish experience. I hope AA provides better training to its staff, top to bottom. And I do hope AA realize we in the disability community are watching, and are very disappointed right now.

Detroiter

Yikes! My husband (in a wheelchair because of MS) already dislikes air travel because of the embarrassing nature of the boarding experience. Something like this would put him off of flying for good. Good thing we've had nothing but great experiences with DL crews (both flight and cabin).

Oxnardjan

This is disgusting, and it is sad that AA has no communication as to what the issue was with Mr. Smith or his wheelchair. The way he was "dumped" from the plane and left like discarded baggage is deplorable.

skidooman

Mark, this was completely a dumb, ignorant rule by the captain.

Please sue them, make noise and let us make sure that guy loses his job. If he has so little judgment, he should not be entrusted with a plane.

That only one flight attendant opposed this is shocking. Don't read too much about other passengers. These days, it seems even simple objections can get you booted out of US planes and blacklisted by the Feds.

Obviously, please do not fly AA again until they give you the apology you most certainly desserve!

milesandmoremiles

Gotta love armchair quarterbacking...

Were any of you there?? I doubt it.

How can you call for the firing of the pilot, suing the airline, etc with only have one side to the story?? Or are you all saying that because its what social media wants you to think??

whimike

+1

Sounds like a terrible story, as told, but I will reserve judgement until I hear all the facts.

pony_trekker

Before Trump gets rid of the department of Transportation to pay for his golf.

Seriously he should sue.

apodo77

Ageed. I always like to hear the rest of the story before passing judgement.

will2288

Agreed. There simply has to be much more to this story. This could certainly still mean that AA was in the wrong, but more information is needed in order to come to that conclusion.

I also don't get why the author ended his post without any more information about how the story resolved itself. He just says he was left on the gangway without his chair, quotes MLK jr. and ends the post.

madbrain

We are perfectly capable of thinking for ourselves, thank you very much !
American Airlines certainly has an opportunity to respond if they dispute the fact of this story. Comments are open in the original link that was posted . I read them all and have not seen anyone from American Airlines there.

IMO, the fact that they have not even responded is not in their favor. Everyone who cares about the rights of the disabled should demand a response from AA. I twitted the link at them and asked for their official reply.
Everyone can tweet at @AmericanAir
Here is a shortened link to the original story :
http://tinyurl.com/l6za7f2
Hopefully, if enough people ask about it, they will take this seriously and respond.
If they don't get asked, they may think that no one cares. Surely that is not the case. So, ask them !