FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - MH wants to charge me for checking in my wheelchair at check-in?
Old Feb 19, 2014, 9:47 am
  #19  
tmac100
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Middle Earth, and often worse
Programs: BAEC Silver, A3 Gold
Posts: 2,219
Originally Posted by mario33
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I asked for ideas/assistance, but got none that would help me fly with MH. I asked and waited, but got nowhere. MH demured and has not even bothered to reply when I last asked for further clarification. What kind of customer service is that? Quite frankly, I don't want the hassle with MH. Period.

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... I stated my case to MH and they gave me their opinion/decision/view. However, just to allay non-factually based opinions, let me just say that recently I went on a trip - it does not matter where, but I flew with AirArabia - the point is that I was fine when I started the trip. Furthermore, I was fine until an orthopedic "situation" occurred and I needed crutches, and a wheelchair. Air Arabia had a fork-lift to put me on and off the plane in a wheelchair, but the wheelchair was (quite frankly) a POS. Air Arabia personnel were really good about it, and I managed as well - but barely as I got off the plane and then went into a hospital. A forklift folks! A better wheelchair would have really been helpful AND more comfortable. I now have such a wheelchair...

I want a pre-emptive strike with my own wheel chair. It is manually operated, but custom built and it fits (partially disassembled) into a strong box for travel. I do not want baggage handlers throwing it around like they do with baby prams and baggage - some friends have worked as baggage handlers while they were uni students (aka summer jobs). My wheelchair cost over $2000 and the strong Al box provides protection..

Air AsiaX will allow me to PAY for my wheel chair and baggage and in economy it is still cheaper by far than MH. With the Air AsiaX premium service I have decided to PAY for, I get my wheel chair on board, the RT (open jaw at that), and the baggage for over $1000 AUD less than MH business class would cost.

<redacted> I try to get straight information and use it to my best advantage while travelling. I have done so in this case because it is obvious that MH wants to charge me for something that other OW and *A airlines do not. I have found an alternative approach with AAX that flies the routes I am interested in flying on and at reasonable cost to me. Your reference posting (in the media) is a totally different situation, and yes I do understand why you are using it - to both rubbish AirAsia and my decision to use them instead of MH. Funny that you are telling me how to spend my money - I thought the customer spent money as they wished - wisely or foolishly (depending on one's perspective). I wonder if the media slants stories, and leaves a LOT to the imagination of readers just to sell a story to folks with an axe to grind. I state this because I do have personal experience with some media types and their resultant "printed" interviews that were slanted in a way that did not at totally reflect what I said and indicated. Such is journalistic license I suppose ...

I rest my case. In spite of trying to get info about how to deal with this issue (and getting info on the baggage "piece system" which does not apply to me) all that I seem to have done is to get folks ticked off. Unfortunately, that does happen. In this case, I AM sorry that I have ticked off anyone, and furthermore, I apologize for any personal angst that has been (apparently) created in the grey matter of any reader of this thread. It was not anticipared when I made my initial comments. All I wanted was to fly with my wheelchair without having the costs that MH wanted to charge me. As mentioned in a different post, I have never had such a response from BA, or UA, nor even from Greyhound buses in North America. Never before. Such is life, I guess.

Nevertheless, for me the situation HAS been resolved. Quite frankly, folks, I really would like to walk normally and to never need a wheelchair at all. That won't happen during my lifetime, so I travel the way I need to and believe me folks, I don't like paying for some of my travel situations. Nevertheless, the wheel chair sits at the ready and it is available when and if I need it. FOR THAT my orthopedic surgeon is happy - and so am I because I have found a way to travel with it at less cost and hassle than MH would allow. I really would be a lost soul if I could not travel and experience this world...

The loss of BAEC TPs is really a non-issue. The deal-breaker was the cost of the wheel chair that MH wanted to charge. THAT is correct, folks - a deal breaker.

Bye. Time to read another thread - and spend some more time planning my trip.

Last edited by JDiver; Mar 10, 2014 at 4:36 pm Reason: deleted unnecessary material
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