Woman with dementia fails to get off WN flight after 4 hours; ends up flying 14 hours
Nov 8, 2015, 9:13 am
#1
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Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Chicagoland, IL, USA
Programs: WN CP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,189
Woman with dementia fails to get off WN flight after 4 hours; ends up flying 14 hours
Nov 8, 2015, 10:39 am
#5
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,284
Absurd.
Putting a mentally incompetent person prone to confusion, short term memory loss, an unawareness the situation around her onto a commercial flight is horribly irresponsible. The family who did this to her ought to be investigated by social services!
Putting a mentally incompetent person prone to confusion, short term memory loss, an unawareness the situation around her onto a commercial flight is horribly irresponsible. The family who did this to her ought to be investigated by social services!
Nov 8, 2015, 11:17 am
#8
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,509
Family says "no one from Southwest escorted her off the plane" despite WN assurances that "when she reaches the destination, she will be wheeled to the baggage claim" and that "her dementia is noted in the reservation."
The email seems pretty clear.
Also clear to me that the offer for them to meet mom at the gate should have been taken. Maybe they hated the TSA screening hassle. But that's no excuse.
The email seems pretty clear.
Also clear to me that the offer for them to meet mom at the gate should have been taken. Maybe they hated the TSA screening hassle. But that's no excuse.
Nov 8, 2015, 11:51 am
#9
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LAS
Posts: 1,525
The more I think about this, the more I think that email is a fake. Why would the daughter book this trip through SWA Vacations rather than as a simple flight booking? Was demented mom staying in a hotel or renting a car? Something tells me no!
Nov 8, 2015, 12:19 pm
#10
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,509
Never flown to GSP, but wheelchair escorts are typically in the jetway holding a name card or an iPad display. The FA would have already told the pax to wait until everyone deplanes and "someone will come and get you." With a woman whose PNR stipulated/remarked "dementia" the procedure should have been - in want of a better term - apprehensive.
Nov 8, 2015, 12:38 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Posts: 1,754
Soon this will be the reverse of "hidden city" ticketing. Expect questions similar to: "I can purchase a flight OAK-SNAfor $79, and the plane continues on to CUN. Can I hide on the floor, act like I don't understand my surroundings and manage to make it to CUN? If I do attempt this, should I book a one way or round trip, and how do I get back home from CUN? Can my luggage be checked through to CUN if I mark up the luggage tag with a sharpie?"
Nov 8, 2015, 6:33 pm
#13
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: CLE
Programs: UA,WN,AA,DL, B6
Posts: 4,168
There suppose to do headcounts on every segment, especially through counts. I always see them doing this. If they did the head count after the first segment, you would have had 1 extra passenger and that should have been caught and investigated.
Nov 8, 2015, 6:38 pm
#14
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Chicago, IL, US
Posts: 2,210
If a passenger got off at GSP (hidden city booking to BWI via GSP) and didn't tell the GA, the count would come up matching. Doesn't excuse WN if there was a pre-arranged escort, which it sounds like there was.
Nov 8, 2015, 9:02 pm
#15
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LAS
Posts: 1,525
The escort should have been a family member flying with her.
Why on Earth would a family that knows she can't take care of herself figure it was OK for her to change planes and meet her at baggage claim? Doesn't compute.