I would follow her information that the office wasn't open, find out when the office is open and continue your discussion as you would have had she been able to get someone else. Sometimes it is more principle in nature and resolves your own frustration. So if you want to make the call make it otherwise let it go and file it away as an interesting story illustrating the issues.

Kat

I find that very strange because I'm also a completely deaf passenger and not once have I ever been told to move on any one of the major carriers. After approximately 750,000 miles, not even once. Maybe it's ATA's own rule?

I have been moved from the exit row seat which is entirely understandable but never to the front or anything like that.

Another update:

I emailed the DOT and ATA's consumer relations regarding this, following her suggestion.

Now, I hope they don't see me as making a big deal out of a little thing, but I really feel the principle in this is wrong. I also flew ATA before and they never changed my seat before with permission.

To wiggums, hey fellow Deaf flyer! I've been asked a few times before if I wanted my seat changed, but never had it changed forcibly. They always just said okay when I declined their offer to reseat me, until this one time. So, I doubt it's ATA's rule.

Andy - I don't think you are making a big deal out of a little thing at all.

I don't fly ATA, but based on my experience with other carriers, when checking in there is a code before or after the check-in note on your reservation that indicates the time of check in and the agent. So, if ATA needs to know who checked you in, they could probably look it up.

I personally think that the check-in agent might need a little refresher course in sensitivity training. She may have thought she was doing you a favor, when in reality, she was ignoring your request.

But of course, this is only my opinion.

Saftey First
 

Hey guys, listen & lighten up. Have we forgotten that Airlines have an overriding right to do just about anything in the interest of the saftey of ALL passengers. If an agent decides that moving deaf person to a better seat (nearer the exit at the front of the the plane) will increase the general saftey because the crew can get that person off the plane quickly, even if they haven't "HEARD" the evacuation instructions; I'm all for it. You should be too. That logic made sense before 9/11 and is of more import now.

I understand your deisre to live a normal life and avoid being treated differently and your wishes should be respected UNLESS there is a rationale saftey overide purpose.

Hey, I've fought a weight problem all my life. Sometimes, I've been SVELT, others times HUGE. Because I'm 6'4" and broad shouldered, I've gotten moved to better seats (exit rows) to assist getting others off the plane in an emergency, when svelt. BUT, I've gotten looks of derision and seat changes to worse seats when in huge mode.

I do agree that the agent's refusal to listen to your objections was wrong. That problem has been growing everywhere in the service industry for years. America has become a narcissistic society made up of egomaniacs. The younger the person, the more they tend to fit the pattern.

You shouldn't let yourself fall into the same mind set as the agent.

Since when does an agent have sufficient knowledge to know if it is safer? One agent does it one way, another differently. There is no standard way of doing it. Has anyone done research on this topic? Absent any standard, the agent should not be arbitrarily moving deaf persons based on some personal belief about them.

That is the big issue--consistency. As a CSR, you ARE given guidelines and safety & security are the two biggies--no compromises ANYTIME, ANYWHERE. So the agents ARE trained to know what is and is not a safety issue. It is just a matter of whether they actually paid any attention to this information when it was given to them, if they are just dumb, or just don't care, one way or another, as if it were no big thing.

But we are very well trained. It all comes down to whether the CSR knows what he/she is doing. Kids end up in exit rows all the time. The CSRs are told over and over that this is not allowed. Yet they still do it! I never do it, as I pay attention to what I am doing and am very cautious about that. If a seat comes out that is in an exit row, I assess the ability of the person and determine if he/she would be able to assist in an emergency, and then verify with them that they will do so. But there are very strict guidelines for who CANNOT sit in an exit row, and those must be followed.

The issue, in this post, is not the exit row, but rather some agent on a power trip arbitrarily deciding to move a deaf pax because said agent decided the deaf pax was too dumb to know what to do in an emergency.

What kind of specific training are CSR's given related to deaf pax?

Okay...time for me to jump in on this thread...As a Frequent Flyer I will be taking my FF Cards off and put on my airline badge. I have worked for America West Airlines at DCA during the US Airways/America West Merger as a Ticketing/Check In Agent and Gate Agent (sometimes begrudgingly the Baggage Office)...Our Gates used to be in a different pier but we moved it to where US Airways' own pier was.

As a CSR we are trained to deal with Special Service Requests/Accommodations, in SABRE or SHARES...If you made a reservation and you put down Deaf or whatever (Blind, Wheelchair, Oxygen)...When we check you in a pop up box will pop up reminding the CSR of the "SSR" accommodation that you have requested of the airline.

Personally I think the TA(Check-in Agent) was indeed being overbearing by putting you in a bulkhead seat however she might have done it as a favour (not to you) but to the flight crew.

During the check-in process CSRs are required to ask the SSR Passenger whether they would like a "better seat to accommodate them" if available. However there is NO POLICY to force someone to change seats unless it was a safety related issue(Deaf/Blind/Wheelchair or any SSR including UNMR-Unaccompanied Minors) for example in Exit Rows or Wheelchair Pax in Middle Seats(Former HP policy, if someone wants to correct me...feel free to)

While a Bulkhead seat would be nice even for a Frequent Flyer however if you did not wish to move, and you felt you were being discriminated based on your handicap I would immediately ask for a CSD(Supervisor) on call and explained the situation if you had the time (no missing the flights please ;) )

The OP should immediately follow this up with Customer Relations or the CRO at Headquarters...Give them the flight details and such...I wish you luck and if you need any help or advice ask me.

Hey, I'm back! Sorry I haven't updated you guys on the progress of this... but here I am.

I wrote to the DOT, and got a very polite email back, saying that my issue was investigated, and that I was seated in an emergency row, and that the check-in agent was correct to reseat me. They were very polite about it, but I wrote back explaining that 11F wasn't in an exit row; that the exit row was in front of me. She responded and said that the rows behind and in front of the exit row are considered exit rows anyway. I didn't realize that.

I guess this case is closed - next time, I'll just be more careful not to select a seat near the exit row, and be more firm when it comes to being reseated. However, I do have one question - now that the government knows about what happened to me, will this go on my PNR? Whenever I make a reservation with another airline, will they pick up that information and automatically reseat me in the future?

Thanks!

Andrew

That's a hell of a thing to say. I'd want confirmation of that - preferably written.

I would believe it. I have sat behind exit rows with no way to get to the exit door - that one's okay. In Southwest's case, I believe only on the right side can the person sitting in row 11 can get to the door without having to run up the aisle.

I was thinking the same thing. This is the first I have ever heard of that.

Note...on the Airbus A319 EOW...the row behind the emergency rows only have 2 seats (B/C-D/E No window seats to accommodate for an extra row for passengers to disembark from).

Was she talking about this aircraft specifically? For all the times I have seen FA's grill exit row passengers about their willingness and ability to assist in the event of an emergency ("I need a verbal response!"), I've never seen them cast a second glance at who is in the rows behind and in front of the exit row.