lexdevil

1. If disabled passengers are not allowed a carry on, they will be receiving a smaller baggage allowance than other passengers. Those who say they should check the bag are also ignoring the charges for checked bags.

2. You are also ignoring the fact that many people prefer to carry on in case of IRROPS, to speed their exit from the airport upon arrival, and to avoid having their bag lost or damaged. Disabled passengers are equally entitled to take advantage of this option.

I find the tone of much of this discussion quite disturbing. The "they can be accommodated so long as it doesn't create an extra obligation for anyone else" line of argument is incorrect as to the law. Businesses are obliged to make extra efforts to allow equal access and participation by disabled people. This includes widening doors and walkways, providing lifts, etc. All of these requirements create extra work and costs for someone. That they do not want to do it is no defense.

Moyerclan

Can you imagine travel if FA were expected (*demanded of) to haul up those behemoth bags for everyone on the jet? Poor child would be out on workers comp after first flight!
Its reminds me of hearing about families of rehab patients outraged that the nurse hasn't unnecessarily hand fed mom yet they've been standing there for an hour and the nurse is busy putting gramps into the ambulance

Collierkr

nope that doesn’t cover bags and putting them in overhead bins. If he had a chair attendant wheel him on then they could have helped him as part of that service.

correct but this request for service must be made before boarding upon which airline will seek someone from airport services to assist. Or alternatively the gate agent could have a designated (UA employee in this case) come to gate to assist. It is not the job of the on duty FA to do this. Imagine if they got asked by all 150 flyers to do so.

EDIT - realizing after post that my comments are same as previous post. However, I stand by this and stating it a second time should serve to reinforce the point being made.

estnet

So the original question wasn't a complaint it was a question "is this usual?" The answer is yes it is usual.
I'm too short to reach the overhead bin and have been refused help for 4x years by american FA (not that I asked after the first and second refusal) - Imagine my surprise the first time I flew SQ in econ. and a FA came running up to help me with my bag before I even thought about it. No foreign airline has ever refused me help.
On any american airline I just look for a taller passenger walking by and politely ask for help. Can't remember ever being refused.

HNLbasedFlyer

I actually don’t think a broken collarbone meets the definition of disabled by the ADA - it has to be an impairment that substantially limits a major life activity - and I don’t think the inability to lift heavy bags a major life activity

mduell

Gate check is free. No reduction in baggage allowance or increased cost.

prestonh

Advance notice for assistance with stowing of carry-ons is not required under the list of services listed in

lilpisher

This. If the pax wasn’t able to load the bag himself AND United refused to have ground crew come up and assist, then a complaint may be warranted. All this quoting the CFR when it pertains to the airline, and not the FA, is irrelevant. I recently was on a flight where they did have ground crew come up to load carry-ons..don’t remember the exact circumstances but that was the outcome.

sfolawyer

When I had a broken shoulder, I had already read messages like this and simply asked a fellow passenger for help, which was always graciously offered. That said, I think a disabled pax should be assisted and if the FA has to call someone to assist, then that should be done politely and graciously without imposing burdens on the passengers that most (especially those with a temporary disability) would not know about. I expect a volunteer passenger would step up in 99.9% if not 100% of the situations anyway. I’m always happy to help polite people with bags, except when I had a broken shoulder and was the one who needed help!

lexdevil

And your response to #2 is...?

uanj

Airlines are indeed required to make accomodations for passengers with disabilities. That does not mean it is the FA who has to do it any more than the pilot. If it were me and If I were able to get some overhard bag on board but could not lift it I would look for a suitable fellow passenger to help out. FAs are busy. When I was on crutches and traveled through the airport in a wheelchair, the wheelchair attendant stowed things for me if I could not manage by myself. But I had plenty of offers to help from fellow passengers.

Of course not. But that does not mean it is a responsibility of an FA, either.

Good point about what makes for a disability. I also know plenty older people who travel frequently and would have trouble lifting a rollaboard so they check their bags at check-in or the gate. They would not dream of taking it on board and then getting a FA to put it in the overhead.

I am not an expert on this subject, but my understanding is that if you have a disability you need to contact the airline in advance to arrange for accomodation. They will generally arrange a wheelchair person to assist you and from what I have heard they will show up with a wheelchair even if not needed for that assignment!

This is a subject that could only make for discussion on flyertalk....

VegasGambler

I assume he dragged it with the arm that's on the other side from the injury. How would you do it?

Lifting something over your head is a totally different ballgame then dragging it behind your when it's on wheels

Disabilities need not be permanent. An injury that temporarily prevents you from doing something is a temporary disability

DELee

This is still false. It only indicates that the FAs may assist. It is not a requirement. The onus is still not on the FA.

The failure point is the lack of communication provided by the OP's son. And now the parent thinking that the FA had to help - which again is false. As well as the OP a putting in a poorly worded provocative thread title.

Go ahead. Assist the OP in filing the complaint.

David

MatthewLAX

I wonder why the FAs who volunteer to lift bags are also the kindest, most attentive, caring FAs who clearly love their jobs?

trm2

Soon we’ll have FAs carrying a tape measure with them and anyone asking for help would have their bag measured. There is a pretty good chance it doesn’t fit the guidelines these days. Bag gets checked.