Weatherboy, sorry to hear about your injury - ouch! I have been travelling handicapped on CO for the past 11 months and they have been stellar! IAH is notorious for not having wheelchair attendants, but I've come to expect it so my expectations are low. Glad you didn't have to miss the 777 sim and can't wait to hear about that experience - be glad it's your left foot!

I tip according to the service I receive - it has cost quite a bit more since I was injured (including more Y and A flights, but good for CO :) ), and the service varies wildly though I've never heard sob stories about being underpaid. Most seem genuinely pleased when I tip and I do tip the cart people too.

Glad to hear your trip went so well! Keep healing!

Who employs and supplies them?
 

An interesting point was raised in this thread: who pays for the service (and who pays for the employees.) I'm guessing the airports pay for the wheelchair attendants ...much like they pay for janitorial help out of airport funds. And am I correct in assuming the same is true for electric cart drivers ...even though they're driving CO-branded carts?

It appears the airlines themselves own the wheelchairs. Through my experience, the gate agents would say things like "ohh...this isn't one of our chairs" while the wheelchair attendants would say "we need to go find a Continental chair." So I'm also guessing that while the airports supply the attendants, its the actual airlines that provide the equipment...whether it be carts or chairs. (?)

This is an awful story, and hopefully an aberration. But many years ago when I was interning for a law firm one case I was working on involved a handicapped passenger at EWR flying CO, a wheelchair attendant, sexual assault, and a big settlement. Of course the attendants do not work for CO and they are employed by the airport. I recall there were some very odd circumstances included the 2 of them smoking a joint together? Anyway, for years I used to be verrrry wary of those wheelchair attendants....

I think there are several reasons for people not tipping wheelchair attendants:

1. Many people don't know they're supposed to tip. As someone else mentioned, we Americans are used to tipping but not always when to tip. Tipping waiters/waitresses and taxi drivers is a no-brainer. But we don't usually tip TAs, GAs, or FAs. And many people don't realize that wheelchair attendants aren't CO employees.

2. As someone who worked for tips while in college, I usually am a pretty liberal tipper. I feel that if I can't afford to tip, I should stay away from restaurants and taxis. But for those, there are non-tipping options (take-out food, eating home, taking public transportation). But for disabled individuals, getting to their flights isn't optional. I'm sure most of them would prefer to walk to their flights!

3. Most importantly, and overlooked so far in this thread, is that most permanently disabled (not broken foot or sprained ankle) individuals often are unable to work and thus live on Social Security (SSDI or SSI). And for someone living on S/S, that $5-$15 tip might mean the difference between eating for the next day or two! For a limited-income individual who already has the burden of high ticket prices (no disabled discounts from the airlines) and the cost of getting to the airport, this additional cost (which we non-disabled don't have to deal with) can be extremely burdensome!

travelling poor
 

Perhaps I'm growing jaded in my old age, but when I was raised we didn't buy something unless we could afford it, and I've never grown to accept the idea that the poor have some right to live beyond their means.

I haven't come up with any ideas when I try to think of a situation where air travel is a necessity; it seems more like a luxury. Perhaps there are some situations where a disabled person with low income absolutely must fly, but I think those situations are very rare. So if I were a disabled person on very low income, I would put off any nonessential trips until I could afford them, just as I would put off buying a luxury car until I could afford it, and certainly perhaps I would never be able to afford them, but I would feel pretty bad if I decided to take a nonessential trip and pay for it by stiffing the service workers.

I'm a senior now, not yet disabled, but I am amazed by how far my money goes now as it seems almost everyone is offering some sort of senior discount. I'll sign off now; I have to go pay a small portion of my property tax; the government has waived the rest, not because I cannot afford it, but just because I am a senior.

You bettcha!!! Let's get all those deadbeat crips!!! I bettcha most of them crips are faking not walking just so they can feed at the public trough! I'm sure Ann Coulter would have something to say about this!

Believe it or not, most of those disabled folks aren't flying to Monte Carlo. They're doing silly and extravagent things like visiting their family members when they're sick or maybe on holidays.

But you're right! They outta postpone their "nonessential" flights until they can afford them....like maybe when they can walk again!

I'm sure most of them would be willing to put off buying a luxury car. No sense in stiffing underpaid service workers for a "nonessental" trip!

Nice to see a "conservative with a heart."

And a progressive so genuinely concerned about the underpaid workers of the world! ^

Duplicate.

Isn't it fun to stereotype! Problem is, it's dead wrong, like most stereotypes. One doesn't have to be a Socialist to be disgusted with Ann Coulter's Gonzo non-journalism and to feel a little bit of empathy and compassion for our fellow human beings!

As it is, I'm a registered Libertarian. I'm supporting Republican Ron Paul for Prez. As a student, I worked for Barry Goldwater (although I was too young to vote....you had to be 21 back then!). Voted for Ronald Reagan, although my feelings are mixed on his Presidency. But my feelings are anything but mixed on the Bush Family and all the other neocons who have totally betrayed Goldwater/Buckley/Milton Friedman libertarianism!

As for "the underpaid workers of the world," I think the airlines should take over the responsibility for helping their passengers onto their planes. Pay them a living wage and don't allow them to accept tips, the same as with FAs, GAs, and TAs. Stop expecting your pax to subsidize their wages. The cost of assistance should be included in the ticket price.

Totally agree ... It should be true to restaurant workers as well. In most civilized countries, the services are included in the price. We should, too.

More Handicapped Experiences
 

I'm still a "special needs" passenger and will be for the next month or so. With time, I've "cheapened" up a bit as I become more familiar with the wheelchair attendants and their expectations.

Now, I tip cart drivers $1 if they help me with my carryon bags. If all they do is swing by to pick me up and just leave me someplace else, I leave no tip.

For wheelchair attendants, I give them $5. If they go out of their way (i.e.: last night, an attendant pushed me from my gate all the way out to my car in the parking deck ...and put my bags into my car for me) I'll double or triple that amount. But for now, it seems that $5 is fair and acceptable.

It's also been my experience that you need to tell both the gate agent and the flight attendant on-board that you need special assistance. While my records are flagged, it seems like a good idea to let the gate agent know what's what ...and also let the flight attendant know what's up too.

Traveling "wounded" is not fun nor is it cheap. I have tremendous sympathy for those that need to travel this way.

Pre-Board
 

Just another thing I noticed...

As a F passenger prior to my handicapped days, I was often frustrated when gate agents blurred the line between F boarding and Elite boarding. It seemed like all at once, there was a rush of people to the plane ...and even before the F cabin was full, the overheads were by elites filtering to the Y cabin.

But now as a "special needs" person, I'm now frustrated by the blur between pre-board and F. On CO and elsewhere, I'll be taking my time down the jetway only to see a herd of anxious passengers trying to storm by me.

Gate agents see just how many identified special needs passengers, F passengers, and elite passengers there are booked on a flight. I wish they'd space the timing apart in their boarding announcements to deal with the volume of such passengers accordingly.

I could not agree with you more!!!! It seems to vary with the gate agents and airports but even being F and "Special needs" and put on first, I feel completely rushed when I see the mass coming down the gang plank.

Boarding customers is a dreaded duty for any gate agent. I only board aisle chair customers before anyone else or those in wheelchairs that need alot more time. Once they are boarded I'll start making my "this is how we board" announcement causing the mad dash for the open jetway door. It is amazing to watch grown businessmen force their way into the elite line, some knocking over babies in their strollers, just to board their luggage first. Believe me, it is a challenge to be the boarding agent.

Wheelchair pushers are employeed by an outside vendor at SFO. CO does pay them for their services however. Althought we are notified by paperwork and by the captain (who calls in 30 minutes prior to landing) we are at the mercy of the outside vendor as to when they arrive at the aircraft door, as they can and have run out of chairs due to servicing other airlines.