Deaf couple and discrimination at DTW...thoughts?
 

What are your thoughts on this?

https://www.freep.com/story/news/loc...rZACtshkBJncsE

Full disclosure: being deaf myself, I can understand both sides. I've been on the receiving end of discrimination and not being communicated with, or even having my attempts to communicate (write) oppressed. I've also been assigned a wheelchair by DL and AA many times, despite not requesting one (another common problem in the deaf community). I can definitely understand their plight. I also personally know Melissa, although not exactly on a personal/friendship level, and she is a kind, considerate person. I do not know the other person, Socorro.

With that said, going behind the podium to get the crumpled paper might not have been the smartest move, although it may have been done with the mindset of a "Kettle" (not knowing the boundaries between GA and passenger). FWIW, I've been invited to go behind the podium and type back and forth with some GA's on different airlines, to facilitate communication, but I went behind only after being asked/invited to.

Thoughts?

The part of this story that makes no sense:

"The couple said the agent failed to do something many airlines do in this situation: ask for volunteers to switch seats."

Yeah, don't know about you, but I have never seen that happen before at the gate. I mean unreasonable expectations are no excuse to treat people badly, disability or not. However without all the facts it really seems like this could have escalated because they were asking for special treatment and not getting it. This happens all the time without disabilities involved. I feel like the agent could have rolled their eyes at any passenger for this request. Not that it would be ok to do that.

@MrAndy1369, as you are a deaf FF, do you agree with this statement by the two?
It just sounds to me like they took a 'normal' passenger experience (not getting the seat you want), and quickly attributed it to discrimination, escalating the situation. The main actions (going behind the counter) were by them. The GA may have been a jerk, but let's face it, any passenger can have that experience, but you aren't allowed to cross certain lines regardless.

I've been paged by the GA and asked to swap seats on more than one occasion. It's only happened to me on US domestic flights.

I thought the main point is:

Couples allege that the GA refused to communicate with them over paper. Everything beyond that is secondary.
OTOH, Delta says that I tried to help as much as they can.

From the video & Delta's PR, the timeline, at least to me, looks like

1. Couples went up to GA to ask her to see if she can sit them together - and started writing what they wanted to say on their iPhone

2. (Couple's version). GA wrote "We tried, but no" on the paper and threw the paper in the trash can. They tried to follow up by reaching for that paper.
2. (Delta version). GA wrote "We tried, but no" and thinking that she was done, threw paper in the trash can.

3. ???
4. Couples reached for the paper the GA threw in the trash bin. GA alleges that they pushed her.
5. Delta kicked the couple off the flight.

Yes, unfortunately, I do. I've personally known many deaf friends of mine who has been discriminated against, not communicated with clearly, etc. at the airport and on board. To be fair, I've also known of many who got excellent and attentive treatment. It goes both ways. It's kind of hard to explain the perception of being discriminated against to people who aren't deaf, as they aren't in our shoes, but it's often subtle. Little things such as not being given a paper/pen initially, annoyed looks when we explain we can't hear, simplified answers from staff who would probably normally explain things in detail, or missing details. I've experienced treatment like that on all ends of the spectrum myself. This is not only on DL, not only on all airlines, but applies to life in general.

I do think the couple weren't trying to be entitled - they did explain that they understood the plane was full, they were just trying to clarify that information with the GA and see if they could help find someone who would volunteer to swap seats. They were trying to follow through communications with the GA, and probably did not know the nuances of asking the FA to do it opposed to the GA. They also probably felt that the announcement would be made, but not translate to them, so they wanted to follow through. They also probably felt better sitting together, as a couple and for communication reasons.

As for the GA/them alleging the pushing... I can't comment on that as video of that wasn't shared. I can see it probably happening as Socorro trying to get the crumpled paper from the trash bin, and the GA physically blocking her from entering the podium. As things were getting heated, it's possible things happened during the heat of the moment that caused misunderstandings.

I mean, yes, the plane was full, not really much the GA would have done. However, from a deaf person's perspective, the GA could have been more thorough with communicating, and let them finish and have their say, and perhaps explain a bit more that the plane was full and that there really was nothing she could do. I think the couple felt that they were cut off, communication-wise, without closure -- a hearing person can easily continue to speak and get the "closure" they need, if that makes sense.

Again, I can see both sides, really -- but I wanted to share this coming from a deaf perspective.

Might have been a BE ticket with and a boarding pass that did show “Seat Assigned at Gate".
[edit] appearantly one of them did buy a BE fare. Sadly for them there is a high probability that you don't get the benefits that you didn't pay for..

Non-story. Everyone is a victim these days.

Want seats together?
Buy seats together.

If it’s not possible, then that should be a clue. This case was even more egregious, since one person bought BE.

Nowhere in the article does it say that they bought their tickets inside the T-24 hour window and were unable to get seats together, or that absolutely NO seats were available together when they bought their tickets. It just said the plane was full. That is often true at boarding, but certainly not on the seat maps at greater than T-24 the vast majority of the time.

So until we hear otherwise, they were expecting the benefits of a higher fare class without paying for it.

Another case of "You didn't comply with my totally unreasonable demand just because I am (pick one or more: Black, Asian, White, Indian, Christian, Muslism, Old, Lesbian, Gay, Straight, Trans, Athiest, Tattooed, Disabled, Obese, Female, Autistic, Male, Foreign, Hindu, A Patriots Fan, Canadian, Blind, Have 9 Kids With Me, A Super-Platinum-Triple-Unobtainium Member, In Economy, Environmentalist, Vegetarian, Conservative, Catholic, Circumcised)