mvoight

It sounds like you were expectig a lot from a free wheel chair assistance request.
It's not the airline's fault an award ticket was booked with a change of airports. It is also not up to the airline to look after her. If your parent needs this kind of support, she should have a paid attendant or family member travel with her. I would have suggested someone at least meet her at the connecting point, which is exactly what we plan to do when my MIL flies through ORD, provided AA flies ORD-DME in April, as planned.

It sounds like she needed much more than a wheelchair and someone to push her. If she didn't need the wheelchair, it sounds like she still would have needed additional assistance in determining how to get from one place to another, beyond the normal needs of an airline passenger, and airlines aren't staffed for this and I would not place this blame on the airline. The airline gave her transporation, hotel, and meals for a weather problem. I doubt the shuttle bus took a passenger onboard without knowing their destination, and I really don't think it took 2 hours. In any case, the next time she travels, at least send a cell phone with her. That way, she can call you if there are issues. You can add a family member for about $10 per month. Or go somewhere and get a $15 or less pay per use phone. OH... sorry, those are US prices. Still, I think a throwaway US phone for someone visiting the US should be a good idea. In the future, hope for the best, but make plans for what to do in case of a problem. And check to make sure she isn't connecting between airports.