Sky magazine - Helping people with disabilities
 

I flew from ORF to CVG today, the AC had a broken lav. I have been on 3 such flights with Delta and all three times have been informed of the lav. problem after 10000 feet.

Well, just suppose I was a type 1 diabetic and tend to use the lav quite often. Does this really qualify for assisting someone with a disability?

I was curious what the COC mentions about standard facilities but when I asked customer service and a gate agent, no one knew what a COC was.

Depends? ;)

I grew up in ORF and visit often. I think ORF-CVG is either a CRJ or ERJ so there is only one lavatory on the plane. I would think the FAA has some kind of requirement regarding lavs. I would thikn DL Connection would prefer getting the plane back to CVG and have the resources to fix the lav there instead of an outstation.

Actually I did find something in the COC about if you are in a ground delay of 2 hours or more they will allow you to use the lav. I guess if we had a ground delay they would have cared, there are no regs about services you will get in the air in the COC.

Isn't ORF-CVG scheduled for just under 2 hours?

It is.

So, I sent a complaint into Delta and they sent me $100 e-credit or some such. I bet I can never find a reason to use it.

That's baaad. Short flight but, imagine coming down with food poisoning. :eek:

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 4.01; Windows CE; PPC; 240x320))

For a broken lav?? Wow. I'm gonna be checking each one from now on! ;)

No one can actually say what qualifies as a disability so anything goes. It's a big no no to say a person doesn't have one if they say they do in this industry and not "assist" that person in "their" disability. This is where the DOT steps in which formed the creation of 14 CFR part 382. Any gate agent or ticket agent should be able to pull that information up if the pax requests it no questions asked.....that is madated by the DOT.
So if the question above arised they would have to accomadate you on the next flight available (which the lav worked of course) if you wanted to. I hope I answered your question.

But in OP's three instances, the pax were not informed till the flight was well under way.

They would have a case with the DOT against Delta.

Please continue to follow this thread in the FT Disability Travel Forum.
Thanks..
Obscure2k
Delta Moderator

terrible pun.... :rolleyes: