SAS Disability Discrimination
 

I thought I’ll give the latest SkyTeam partner SAS a try! Wasn’t such a good experience!

On 12/06/2024 I traveled from Oslo to Copenhagen and on to San Francisco on an 11 hr flight SK935. Due to my Disability I usually book either Business or Premium Economy Class and check if the particular equipment has a bathroom for persons with disabilities. I was in Seat 22F (Premium Economy) an aisle seat less than 10ft away from the "Disabled" bathroom. My disability requires me to have extra space in the bathroom.

The SAS flight attendant told me I can not use this bathroom. She asked me what exactly my disability was, embarrassed I told her. She went to the purser and came back telling me I couldn't use the bathroom.

She told me to go to the back of the plane. I inquired if there is another bathroom for people with disabilities in the back of the plane. She replied "no" but it has to do!

I reminded her that she is discriminating against people with disabilities. But her decision was final.

I then told her that I would file a complaint with the DOT in charge of Air Travel. She replied: "Go ahead"

I have had life changing surgeries that make life and travel challenging. So I book my flights accordingly.

I just want travelers to realize that I have had similar encounters with other European Airlines. Employees are making up rules that are inconsistent with laws and are gravely discriminatory.
It’s not fun to have a deadly disease in the first place and I wouldn’t wish it on others.

Mostly I fly on Delta Airlines, they never stopped me from using a particular bathroom, thanks Delta

I'm sorry this happened to you. While Europeans may have different laws (I don't know either way), I would expect that the US ADA laws would be required to be complied with on a US-bound flight regardless of the nation of the operator. I'm not a lawyer, so I could be wrong, but I definitely do encourage you to follow through with that DOT complaint.

Did you request special assistance prior to the flight?

European airlines tend to be fairly strict on the separation of cabins, making PY and Y passengers use lavatories in their cabin.

But I am surprised that SK does not have a larger lavatory in the back to accommodate passengers with disabilities. I have no experience flying the SK A330 or A350 in Y, so I don't know what the size of the lavatories are. The J ones are pretty decently sized, but actually a good deal smaller than one of the Y lavatories on JAL long haul aircraft. If the Aerolopa drawings are accurate the outer lavs in Y are also pretty decent sized though.

The crew attitude seems rather unhelpful.

Sadly this kind of attitude becomes more and more common, I feel sorry what happened to you.
The Key question is if you were PRM on the passenger list?

Just to clarify, the ADA does not apply to airlines. There is a separate law, the Air Carrier Access Act (which actually predates the ADA), which OP has correctly noted is enforced by the US Department of Transportation. Unlike the ADA, the ACAA is not enforceable directly by individuals in court

The flight in question was on an A330, and according to Aerolopa there are no accessible lavatories in the economy cabin. There are three business class lavatories on the A330 and not only are there only 24 business class seats, but the accessible lavatory is behind the business class cabin, so I don't see how allowing a disable economy or premium economy class passenger to use that lavatory disturbs the business class experience or risks causing lines for anyone in that cabin. It'd be a slightly different situation if the accessible lavatory was at the front of the aircraft.
On the A350, there's an accessible lavatory between rows 39 and 40.

As you kindly cut out of my post, the crew seemed to be rather unhelpful. But if the size of the lavatory is not significantly different, as it would appear from Aerolopa, I can't see the overly unreasonableness in the request. Though the manner in which it was put would seem to be overly unreasonable and harsh.

Yes I am aware that it was an A330. 32J seats by the way.

Thank you, renhelm, for standing up for the rights of all people with disabilities. :tu: :cool: :star:

May your DOT complaint bring results!

https://www.flysas.com/en/legal-info...er-access-act/

https://www.flysas.com/en/legal-info...-service-plan/

Maybe the crew on that flight was the same one that kicked a FTer and his wife off the plane...

Horrible service from SAS - zero empathy. It doesn't matter whether OP should request it in advance. I just don't get why so many people here are so cold - especially cabin crew are paid to take care passengers.

I remember that A350 has bathrooms in Y that has folding wall (I guess they can be removed to make the toilet suitable for people with limited mobility).

That is according to Aerolopa, which is a 3rd-party site. I'm sorry to hear the situation was not resolved onboard the airplane, but what information did SAS provide when contacting them in advance regarding the disability? I mean it may be difficult for them to prepare if they did not have information about the extra help needed in advance (like for example wheelchairs need to be booked in advance).

Yeah sometimes I also don't understand SAS - or some of the people here on FT - when it comes to things like this.

The realities of what is happening in the air should always take precedence to whatever plans have been made.

I saw one instance where an old lady in Premium Economy, who had mobility issues and was struggling to stand without assistance, was shooed away from the business class bathroom three rows away to walk back to the economy toilets. The FAs saw her struggle. It would have cost nothing to be kind. The business class passengers would have taken one look at her and not a single person would have objected to her using 'their' lavatory. But the dragon insisted and I felt really bad for her. The other passengers il economy were kind enough to give her priority (a few of us looked back to make sure she was okay). It really lowered my opinion of SAS.

The other occasion seeing a very large guy who struggled to fit into the economy class bathroom. He had to plead to be allowed to use the larger business bathrooms. Seemed like he was nearly reduced to tears before they begrudgingly let him use the bathroom outside of his assigned cabin. I was sat in J and overheard the discussion. I just shook my head.

I appreciate that they don't want to make exceptions for everyone. But gosh, a little empathy would have gone a long way. Harshness, like kindness, is a choice.

It really doesn't take much to be kind and helpful. Many years ago, on one of my first flights on LH, my husband and I were sitting in the first row of business class, right behind first class. It was a night flight, and my husband fell asleep right after dinner. As a flight attendant walked by clearing after dinner glassware, she asked if she could help with anything. I asked her where the bathroom was, as I was about to wake my husband to ask him to help me walk there (I have a mobility impairment). She told me not to wake him, and she would be right back. There was only one passenger in first. She quietly asked him if it would be ok with him if I were to use the bathroom in his cabin, as it was much closer and easier than walking back to the bathrooms in business class. Of course, he said it was fine. As the flight attendant and I made our way back, I thanked him. That flight attendant saw to it tha my husband's sleep was not disturbed, that I used the bathroom closest to me, and that the gentleman in the first class cabin felt his opinion was valued all while he got to be a gentleman and a bit of a hero in the situation. A service win all around.

The only explanation I have for behaviour like this is how little work they can get away with - if they don't let someone in Y or PE using their toilet, they don't need to keep it clean as often (if they ever do that). It's like they ordered me to put all my stuff in the overhead locker literally on the minute I got to the seat - again less things for them to do because if I put everything up myself they won't have to do it.

Once I was 3x week pregnant and Mr. and I were flying to GVA with our oldest (she was 1 at that time), it was a small SAS plane that required bus gate and walk stairs). Kid #2 was pretty big compared to my previousl pregnancy at that time (we think the hospital calculated the due date wrong), it's like carrying a giant pumpkin. While Mr was carrying our 1 year old, I was carrying all our carry-ons. The crew was standing by the door watching me struggling to get onto the plane with her arms crossed - it was like she was watching show with a cold face. I didn't expect help but a little help would have been highly appreciated. It's correct that they are not paid to help me, and I didn't expect that either.

TK has been very flexible in letting Y pax using C toilet - when my kids were little they woke up and desperately needed to go (they were jumping up and down). Most people don't care what toilet it is as the toilets on board are not pleasant to stay anyway.