MSPeconomist

How is this not a safety issue? Anything involving body fluids would be.

navylad

Thank you for your reply, I appreciate your thoughts, and I can understand why it might appear to some that I am conflating issues; I'm seriously not trying to confuse the issues, but obviously that is coming across that way, for which I can only apologies.

To try and be clear, what I want is to be destress, get home without further issues and that is why I reached out to the airline.

Unfortunately, however well meaning their reply was and as you point out, it held little value to me; as far as I can tell from the response they aren't being proactive in the response to try and prevent recurrence on the return and have, what I'm sure you can understand, come across to me like they are following a flow chart compensation response.

Firstly, there is no avios availability and there is also a requirement to inform the airline 72 hours in advance of travel which essentially precludes me from being able to get home sooner, I'm not that well off that I can just purchase another ticket circa several thousands of pounds.

I do appreciate the constructive comments that have been on this thread, and take the criticism (including from those who I thought having met would have been more friendly, but hey) but I can only relay my honest thoughts. As you can imagine, I have thought about almost every eventuality now that I can in the 60 hours since the flight out.; downgrading myself to Y would ease the access to toilets as at least I would be able to get a seat near to a toilet, but they are busier toilets and given the increased symptoms I have now experienced (quite possible due to the stress), this has caused pain that I suspect would be exacerbated in a Y seat. Y+ would be slightly better obviously with more room, but goes back to the original problem of no toilet in the cabin. Obviously J would be the ideal solution in terms of being able to not increase intra-throacic abdominal pain and having a toilet within the cabin that is less frequented than in the Y toilet, it doesn't appear to be an option at present.

To update further, since asking for a deadlock letter, I was contacted back by CR, there are going to try again and find a solution.

And yes, I am angry at the airline, sorry.





It is, but I can't afford it sadly, nor comply with their requirement to be informed 72 hours in advance for accessibility issues.




I take your point, but I'm not infective and I think saying it is a safety issue with the CAA may come across as too strong and might result in the issue actually being taken with less seriousness.

trueblu

Not asking for an apology: you've done nothing wrong!

My intention was to perhaps deconvolute what I perceived/perceive as separate issues. I know that when I'm upset about something, I can get fixated about certain things, which aren't actually necessary for immediate resolution.

This is FT: we are, almost by definition, obsessed about finessing the flying experience. But I think the bigger picture here is that you are in a country thousands of miles from home, shortly after receiving bad news. _Most_ people would probably prefer to be in a familiar environment at a time like this, with easier access to friends/ support.

Don't let the anger at BA/ obsession that this can be fixed by getting a J ticket make the stress even worse.

And yes, J will be more comfortable, no doubt about that. But perhaps being home 3 days earlier will be even more comfortable, just a thought. And regardless, you should still insist on using the nearest available toilet when required...whether that requires advance notice or no.

Be well!

tb

navylad

Thanks, very much appreciated.

I do actually have some good news to relay.

In my frustration, I emailed Caroline Martinoli (Director Brand and Customer Experience); within 30 minutes, this is the response, Alex cc'ed.


Since then, my email and phone has been going off non-stop with various people in BA calling to apologies and provide me their contact details in case of any further issues.

I've also agreed to meet with a senior manager within the organisation to look at ways that the process for hidden disabilities can be improved, so if anyone has any suggestions, please do let me know.

trueblu

Glad you got the result you were seeking. More importantly, wishing you good health in the future.

tb

windowontheAside

Wow - that is a good response.

It's such a shame that it took SO many multiple points of failure - both on the journey and your efforts to resolve to get what should have happened in the first place. Or indeed not been necessary in the first place.

How many people wouldn't have had your perserverence in sorting this out?

Still, now you can relax for the rest of your stay now knowing you can get home as comfortably as possible. And then take it up with them - you seem to be an ideal advocate for this cause.

corporate-wage-slave

The one thing I would really like to see in this area is for people to do what has long been possible in the hotel industry: be able to put a short note on MMB which would be transferred to the SCCM's iPad. The reason why BA have skirted around this is that there is a danger that expectations would be impossible to fulfill (requests for special treatment, blankets, birthday champagne etc), and SCCM really don't have the time to wade through hundreds of comments. Hotels have similar issues with special request fields. But I'm sure a bit of robot technology can be used to highlight medical conditions to ensure that SCCM get to see those, for which there could only be a small percentage per flight.

Well done on cutting through the Gordian knot, it's good to see some people in authority are this responsive. My alternative suggestion, had BA not been willing to assist earlier, would be to suggest splitting the return into shorter sections. You only briefly touched on it in your OP but the trip to Brazil and back certainly feels a long, long way. I was also ill on a GIG flight a few years ago (nothing serious, fixed with a good night's sleep) and even now I recall thinking "this flights is going on forever....." So perhaps chopping the return into 3 or even 4 (redemption?) sections via LATAM + IB and/or AA.

navylad

Thanks, and that would have been a sensible suggestion for sure.

I will certainly discuss it, obviously my concern is that, if the accessibility team don't manage to get a message to the CC onboard, I don't hold much hope for an individual being able to do it, but perhaps there are other ways- like perhaps on the end of the sun flow lanyard could be a plastic card-holder with a number of 'these are my accessibility need' cards within that you could give the the CSD/M or your CC. It was a very sensible suggestion earlier to write down your needs to give to the CC as it does maintain confidentiality and is less intimidating, particularly if your still coming to terms with the needs yourself.

fransknorge

Well this is excellent.
The main suggestions would be to make a training plan that is carried across all customer facing staff with an emphasis on awareness that hidden disabilities exist, applicable regulations (it is forbidden to ask for disability card, ...) and what needs those might have. Lavatories in UK start to have a "Not all disabilities are visible" sign, maybe implement something of this effect there. I also agree with c-w-s suggestion.

IAMORGAN

I agree. I’m a lawyer and I promise you I’m not saying that things shouldn’t be done in a certain way - it should not be for the OP to do. But a bit like looking both ways when crossing a one way road “that car should not have been going the wrong way” is legally correct but doesn’t help you when said from your grave. I was just trying to come up with something practical.

gcuk

Great result @navylad. Well done for persevering to make management aware of the issues you experienced. We've faced many challenges travelling with our daughter with physical disabilities. Slowly the world is accepting that people with visible and invisible disabilities have the right to be included in activities and opportunities, not excluded or told, as others have suggested, that you shouldn't travel. Every small win hopefully increases awareness of the daily issues faced by all people with disabilities.

Ancient Observer

I have been educated by this. A good friend has a hidden disability which results, on occasion, and for no obvious reason, them having extreme pain. She has to carry some of those horrible opoids. A visit to the nearest loo is required. I now have some ideas for her when flying/travelling, so thanks for the original posting, and all the other comments.

ginger50

I'm sorry to hijack the thread, I am only doing so because navylad is well on the way to a pretty good result, what an awful experience not to be repeated.

When I started reading the thread I worried because I plan on travelling to Oz with a friend who has a stoma bag and she asked me for advice on facilities and travelling with her spares pack. At first I was pretty confident because I contacted PMCU to ask if the aerosol medical glue removal spray could be taken on board as hand or checked luggage. They replied that it would not be a problem because it is a 50ml bottle and so can be carried. I am suspicious about this because the propellant is Hexamethyldisiloxane which is labelled as "highly flammable" and having read navylad's story I am now worried that we will hit a roadblock at security. Not being able to travel with her supplies would be a disaster.

Has anyone here flown BA with a stoma and if so please could you PM me about taking supplies.

Thanks

G50

JamesKidd

Great result !! Hopefully, you don't rack up lots of roaming charges by answering the calls (if they are coming from their Waterside office)

navylad

No problem from me with using the thread, indeed, if a @moderator wanted to change the title to travelling with disabilities so we can broaden it, that's fine with me too.

I can't answer your specific enquiry, obviously as you have gathered from the thread I'm no expert but have learnt a lot in the last week from this thread and elsewhere, in conjunction with dealing with people with disabilities profession, a couple of things I'd suggest you could do;

1. make sure the airport accessibility team your are travelling through also know (yes I know the CAA say that you shouldn't have to inform everyone and your airline should do it for you, but belt and braces),
2. If the airport is part of the sun flower lanyard scheme, it is worth getting one (the airport website details how, they can post you one or you can pick it up on arrival).
3. Your friends stoma Clinical Nurse Specialist, would also be a good point of advice, he or she probably has heard all of the good and the bad experiences, they may also be able to organise a letter to from a doctor to confirm that you need to be able to carry the stoma removal liquid.
4. It is worth ensuring the stoma bags are pre-cut as no scissors are likely to be available onboard.
5. I'm sure you friend would anyway, but ensure plenty of cleaning gear too.
6. It is worth increasing water consumption on flights for anyone, but particularly true if you have a stoma as I understand you are more easily dehydrated, perhaps ensure that you take empty water bottles to fill airside, or purchase water airside in case you get a delay at the gate etc.
7. Hopefully, the points above which I am grateful for about speaking to the crew in addition to the message to the CC by the iPad from the accessibility team.
8. If your friend has one, take a radar key with you and also you may wish to take a I can't wait card.
9, Change of clothes (yes lesson learnt for me for sure)
10. Try not to worry about things too much- something I've certainly been guilty of for the last couple of days.