Originally Posted by
Often1
Phone agents do not handle medical issues. AF has a separate service which handles this and it is all very clearly explained on the website. OP says that his surgeon only gave medical clearance based on a 180 degree recline of the seat. That is the type of clearance which ought to have been made through the medical service by the surgeon and OP and, if AF could not fulfill the medical requirements, it would have so advised OP and his surgeon and denied him medical clearance to travel.
This took me less than 30 seconds to find on the AF webside, this 1/80th of he time OP spent on the phone with a sales person who has nothing to do with medical clearance.
https://www.airfrance.us/US/en/commo...rd_medical.htm
Dear Friend,
I must comment. You're giving misinformation that could lead to difficulties for passengers with disabilities, and so just a short response to your post. I do understand that the medical clearance page is complicated, and you may not have read it carefully as you probably haven't had to deal with AF's medical service and Saphir as much as I have. So let me explain for those viewers following along from home:
On the link you provided, two different cases are discussed by AF concerning the issue of Medical Clearance:
(1) Cases where it might it might do harm to the passenger in question to fly, such as:
- Pregnancy,
- Recent surgery,
- An appendage in a cast.
(B) Cases where it might do harm to
the other passengers or the flight, or
require extra effort from the flight staff for the passenger in question to fly, such as:
- You are traveling with a stretcher or incubator,
- You need oxygen therapy at a rate exceeding 2 liters/minute,
- You may need extraordinary medical assistance during the flight due to your state of health*,
- You have a contagious disease*.
Only cases that fall under (2) require Air France to be made aware of the passenger's condition. Only in (2) must the patient receive medical clearance from AF.
In cases that fall under (1) it is
recommended that the patient consult a doctor, but AF does not require it, nor is there any official means for cases in the first group for the passenger to declare the doctor's opinion (for example, there isn't any form).
Since I fall under (1) I consulted my own doctor, but did not require AF's clearance, nor was there any means for me to convey the doctor's opinion to AF, except in the way I did. And since I no longer require special assistance, I no longer fall under Saphir (as AF informed me when I called to check the cabin configuration). My case, on the contrary, has the same status as a special meal: I need what are called "special inflight arrangements" and, as with a meal, I could call to request those arrangements . . . which I did by checking the cabin configuration, and giving the background information as to why I needed that configuration.
warmest greetings and good luck to those of you who have to deal with these situations on a regular basis, unlike the lucky ones like me who (hopefully) will get past this relatively quickly.