AA Accused of Abandoning Old Woman Strapped to Wheelchair
Jeff Edwards September 30, 2015
An elderly passenger claims an attendant working for American left her strapped to a wheelchair with no way to free herself for over an hour and a half.
Rosario Sanchez, 98, is demanding an apology after she says the attendant American Airlines assigned to assist her, instead left her unattended and strapped to a wheelchair for more than 90 minutes at the baggage claim area of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). Sanchez told Dallas CBS affiliate CBSDFW that she was unable to get up from the wheelchair to use the restroom during her ordeal in the secure customs area of the airport.
“She kept screaming to everybody help me please help me,” Sanchez’s daughter, Rosa McElreath, explained. Unfortunately, Sanchez, who just arrived in the U.S. from her native Spain, doesn’t speak English and her pleas went unanswered at the crowded airport.
The attendant reportedly believed that the elderly passenger under his care had a connecting flight departing later in the day and insisted that Sanchez not leave the baggage area on the airside of customs, even though McElreath was allegedly waiting for her mother at the arrivals door.
“When I saw the people from Madrid coming through and I wait for her and I panicked,” McElreath told CBS News. “I thought maybe she didn’t come.”
Despite making the trip across the Atlantic each of the past 45 years to visit her daughter in the U.S., Sanchez’s experience at DFW this trip has her promising that this most recent visit will be her last.
“She’s mad, she was mad,” McElreath said. “She said I’m a coming no more to the United States.”
Adding insult to injury, the family alleges the attendant had the audacity to request a tip after finally reuniting the elderly passenger with her family.
In an email statement to FlyerTalk, American spokesman Ross Feinstein wrote:
American cares deeply about all of our passengers, and we take this alleged incident seriously. We immediately reached out to the third-party contractor that provides this service to fully investigate what may have occurred. However, they are unable to substantiate these claims.
The delay may have been the result of additional screening by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) upon arrival in the United States; baggage claim for international arrivals is within CBP’s Federal Inspection Service (FIS) facility, prior to clearing U.S. customs.
[Photo: CBSDFW]
Fit enough to handle an 11 hour ride across the pond but not being able to handle the wait for a luggage belt? And 90 minutes immigration plus wait for luggage is nothing for many of the US' decrepit international airports. It took me longer upon many occasions. Plus MAD should have trained her well for atrocious customer service one would guess. And she was picked up after a moderate wait, she didn't spend a week at that belt ... Either the entitlement and whine is strong in that one or we did not get the whole story. That is if there is a story.
If I was lucky enough to have my mother up to 98 plus years I certainly would never have let her fly without a family member or trusted friend on her side at all times at that advanced age Even in First Class in the air or on the grounds I'm not even sure I would trust 5 Star service by AA .I've had good and bad experiences on most airlines and with someone in that age group it boggles my mind to be left alone with strangers. Airlines kill dogs, break guitar's and probably could lose someone's mom!
I am wondering if there was something about the mechanism on the wheelchair seatbelt that prevented her from getting herself up. It sounds like she was able to get up herself and walk a limited way but was strapped down. I've never used an airport wheelchair or been close enough to know if this is plausible.
I find it hard to believe that a wheelchair bound 98-year old would fly for ~11 hours alone on an airplane (FA would not help the person with the restroom), without being able to communicate (language barrier), only to complain about an attendant when she is delayed passing through customs.
Wow, I can't believe the comment above. If this happened the way they say it did (I am not saying I believe them) then this is atrocious treatment of a 98 year old. I wouldn't be suing, I would be looking for someone's head on a platter.