edweird

I have been called to the gate for what I hoped was an upgrade, only to be told by a Delta GA that my coach bulkhead seat was needed for someone, and to please use the new boarding pass's seat assignment. In my case I saw a guy with a foot cast and crutches pre-board and noticed he was in my original seat when I walked past to take my new assignment.

I'm going to assume this is the process for day of flight reseating, and whether or not the other bulkhead customers were Medallions of equal or greater status, or non Elites, I don't mind doing this when the need is obvious.

Sabai

Let me help you; he felt humiliated by the treatment that he received from a DL employee.

I would imagine that it would be hard to maintain one's dignity while being trundled down the aisle like an errant food cart.

rwoman

Would a 104F temp affect one's mental state?

Alpha Golf

He didn't ask! maybe they assumed he wanted the seat he selected?

HongKonger

The few times in my life I've had a fever that high I sure wasn't thinking straight. I could barely function. That is right at the line where one ought to get to the hospital. 106 and up can kill.

pokeable

Young, healthy Marine, previously independent. Now a double amputee, even after a year, can still have difficulty walking on prosthetics, especially with an above-the-knee amputation.

Most young amputees desperately want to maintain a semblance of independence or normalcy in their lives. Military folks, doubly so. Being wheeled down the aisle of a plane like an invalid was probably a pretty humiliating experience. Combined with a 104 fever (which WILL alter mental status), the tears.

Wasn't there, so I'm not saying if DL acted poorly (honestly, it doesn't sound like the air crew were at fault). I do agree with the other doc who posted that with a wound infection, and a temp of 104, the marine should have been admitted as an inpatient on IV antibiotics.

fracas

Should they have carried him on their shoulders?

Katja

The first couple of times I was boarded after everyone else, I was close to tears (no fever required). I did not want all those people to see me being dragged down the aisle like a parcel. I especially for some reason was upset about being taken through the first class cabin on my way 37B.

Since then I have grown a much tougher skin. I still don't particularly like it, but I don't feel like crying anymore.

lcyguy

Can't believe some of the insensitive comments in this thread.

DL is entirely at fault here. The gate agent ,and if not them the FA should have noticed where the guy was sitting and arranged for someone nearer the front of the aircraft to swap seats with him before wheeling him all the way to the back.

As someone who became paralysed when I was 40, I can assure you that the last thing you want, as someone newly disabled is a plane load of people staring at you as you move through an aisle.

Given this man's youth, the way he came by his disability and the fact he was unwell, no wonder he was upset!!!!

What this story screams out is that no one asked the young man concerned how he wanted to be treated or what his needs were.

Pharaoh

The comment was directed to Katja and her experience. Nothing there to relate directly to the OP.

ricardobtg

That sounds like damage control speak, but it still doesn't get us any closer to finding out what happened that was so terrible.

It's easier for DL to stand up and apologize and it really does them no good to contradict anything that's being said. Just apologize and let things blow over.

I can definitely imagine how the experience would be unpleasant to say the least...

If the fellow was late for boarding because he took a bit too long going through the hassles of the TSA and getting to his gate at ATL, it's plausible that the airport experience had him pretty exhausted already (and with a fever to boot). It sounds to me like being carried down to his seat on an already full airplane could have been the last straw on the camel's back.

Though the situation sounds unfortunate, making DL out to be the big bad villain here seems like a stretch to me.

fracas

It wasn't Delta's fault he was sick, or that he was disabled. The only thing I can see blaming Delta for is assisting him to his seat, the seat he selected. Should they stop doing that?

How do you know Delta didn't ask him what his needs were. For all you know he is still agonizing over the loss of his limbs, and a certain percentage of freedom that comes with it. Being wheeled down the isle could only reinforce these feelings. Unfortunately this is the only way he's going to get to his seat. I suppose Delta could have asked others to move seats for him, but if the consensus here is correct and he was crying because he was noticed, having people shuffle for him would have made it worse.

I fail to see how pointing this out is insensitive.

Carl Johnson

But he wasn't being "trundled down the aisle like an errant food cart". He was rolled down the aisle in a wheelchair. Your use of the word "trundle" and "like an errant food cart" are characterizations that present how you feel about the event; but don't contribute to an understanding of the event. There have been some points made above that indicate it wasn't handled the best possible way, particularly the points about bumping him and how this usually does happen in cases like this. But the phrase "like an errant food cart" doesn't tell us anything unless you explain to him what similarities the event shared with rolling a food cart.

Katja

For those who have never seen one, here is a picture of an aisle chair (also called a "straightback"):



Note that it is about 15 inches wide, in order to fit down an economy class aisle. If you are even slightly wider than the average person, you will hit against the armrests (and people's elbows) as you go down the aisle. There are two shoulder straps and a leg strap. The person boarding you pulls you backwards down the aisle so that you will be facing in the right direction when you get to your seat (no room to turn in an airplane aisle).

It really is much more like being hand trucked like a UPS delivery than being pushed in a wheelchair.

wilkins99

An update from the Washington Post, but few, if any new details about the actual incident, just reaction since then:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...right/?hpid=z5