SFOQQAA From United States, joined Aug 2007, 96 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (11 months 1 week 4 days ago) and read 16317 times:
WOW! This is yet another black eye for US Airways. I'm curious if US employees actually dropped the ball, or do they contract out with a company to handle wheelchair assistance like many other airlines and they are the ones to drop the ball. Either way I feel for the poor customer.
DeltaAVL From United States, joined Mar 2007, 1709 posts, RR: 6 Reply 5, posted (11 months 1 week 4 days ago) and read 16208 times:
Before we go about bashing US, let's set something straight. The report doesn't state how long she was waiting on the tarmac. For all we know, it could have been two minutes, and the pax could have easily sensationalized the incident.
I just don't think a passenger sitting idly on the ramp would fail to be noticed by any kind of employee for more than about five minutes.
"We break, We bend, With hand in hand, When hope is gone, Just hang on." -Guster
Sh0rtybr0wn From United States, joined Aug 2007, 527 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (11 months 1 week 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 16165 times:
To be fair, it was one persons mistake, maybe two. Not the entire airline's mistake. But still a bad job by US to lose a person.
And then, even worse, the airport worker makes a deliberate choice not to help her. Thats much worse. How in the name of God do you tell an elderly stranded wheelchair bound traveller you can't help them when they're lost? I don't know about you, but my job can wait a few minutes whenever something urgent like this comes up.
Basic human decency... is it that hard to come by these days?
PHLJJS From United States, joined Oct 2005, 270 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (11 months 1 week 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 16131 times:
This story was posted on FlyerTalk this afternoon and the OP used a Florida newspaper article as his source. I believe this was before CNN picked up the story. The newspaper article said the woman was left outside for "hours" and that when an employee spotted her, she was wheeled into a hall way and left. I've never been to LAS, but that is pretty unbelievable and sounds embellished. Even if it involves US.
AF340 From Canada, joined Jul 2007, 2350 posts, RR: 3 Reply 9, posted (11 months 1 week 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 16114 times:
Quoting DeltaAVL (Reply 5): I just don't think a passenger sitting idly on the ramp would fail to be noticed by any kind of employee for more than about five minutes.
Good point. In today's security crazy world, wouldn't this get noticed pretty fast?
Terrorists come in all shapes and sizes, this time it could've been an old lady in a wheelchair
EvilForce From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 10, posted (11 months 1 week 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 16103 times:
Meh. Sounds like another over sensationalized bit of drama. I'm sure a $10 million lawsuit will be filed by the "victims" within the week. *insert eyeroll here*
WesternA318 From United States, joined Oct 2004, 4271 posts, RR: 16 Reply 11, posted (11 months 1 week 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 16080 times:
Quoting SFOQQAA (Reply 3): I'm curious if US employees actually dropped the ball, or do they contract out with a company to handle wheelchair assistance like many other airlines and they are the ones to drop the ball.
First off, if she's in a wheelchair, that service is provided throughout LAS by Prospect Airport Services (I worked for them out of SLC as a teen), US had no control over where the Prospect agent placed the pax, as they handle ALL of the airlines in LAS.
Get that worldly look, one country at a time. Work Hard, Fly Right.
I really cannot believe this, but at the same time I can... kinda funny, but at the same time, not. Before I get carried away with these paradoxical remarks of mine. It would seem as though US is trying to reach new depths... That's just how I call it...
EWRCabincrew From Canada, joined May 2006, 5193 posts, RR: 55 Reply 13, posted (11 months 1 week 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 15897 times:
I think tarmac is meant to be jetway. Judging by the people involved, they aren't savvy with the airline lingo and probably overheard someone using tarmac and assumed jetway was the tarmac.
The story is very one-sided and we really don't get all the facts here. How long were they actually waiting, who left them there, was there a crew change, was it really the tarmac, was it a jetway, etc..
As crew, I would never leave a customer in a wheelchair (or however they are) alone in a jetway, even with airport services there. That is just me.
As for not knowing she needed assistance, here is my spin. You may have, indeed, requested assistance at your stops/destination. That request may have gotten lost/misplaced/unavailable (whatever). It is an imperfect world. You (the traveller needing assistance) need to be more proactive and let the powers that be (the agent at gate, the crew on your flight/s, the agent at the arrival) know this. You may come off as needy, but hell, you need it. Speak up. By all means.
I will do my part by sussing things out and seeing who may need assistance, if there are no messages for people needing it, but do yours as well and let us know, too.
It sounds more like a comedy of errors. On everyone's part. The bad guy, though, is (and always will be) the big bad company (USAirways in this instance).
WesternA318 From United States, joined Oct 2004, 4271 posts, RR: 16 Reply 14, posted (11 months 1 week 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 15824 times:
Quoting EWRCabincrew (Reply 13): I will do my part by sussing things out and seeing who may need assistance, if there are no messages for people needing it, but do yours as well and let us know, too.
And now you wonder why I love flying with you and the rest at CO so much!
Get that worldly look, one country at a time. Work Hard, Fly Right.
COERJ145 From United States, joined Jun 2005, 1319 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (11 months 1 week 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 15752 times:
Quoting Jmy007 (Reply 1): Does LAS have remote stands, or does USairways do remote boarding, deboarding there? Or was she left on the jetway? There is a diffrence.
I don't know. According to the news report, she was left out in the cold with no jacket. She was then wheeled into a hallway some time later and then left to sit there. Inexcusable. US Airways incompetence is not limited to PHL apparently.
Upcoming Trips: LAS-ORD-CLT-SJU and SJU-CLT-PHX-LAS on UA and US
MCO2BRS From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2007, 99 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (11 months 1 week 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 15702 times:
Hey guys,
Just my two cents, but after reading this article: http://www.local6.com/news/14922473/detail.html I can't quite believe this one, I can probably see the lady being left for an inconveniently long time (20-30 min maybe?) but not "hours". I highly doubt that at such a busy airport like LAS that not one single person noticed her, or that she was not able to stop someone, or call out to them? I'm thinking somebody has over exaggerated on this one, just a bit.
Flown: AA AS BA BD BY CO DL EI EW HP KL LH MP NW SN TZ TW U2 UA US VLG VS ZB
StasisLAX From United States, joined Jul 2007, 890 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (11 months 1 week 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 15597 times:
Quoting National757 (Reply 16): I don't know. According to the news report, she was left out in the cold with no jacket. She was then wheeled into a hallway some time later and then left to sit there. Inexcusable. US Airways incompetence is not limited to PHL apparently.
I must admit that when I first heard this story and that it involved USAirways, the first thing I thought was that it must have taken place at PHL. I wonder if the person that just left her in the hallway was a US ramp employee. Regardless of the amount of time this passenger spent sitting there unattended, it really is inexcusable. She's in a damn wheelchair for heavens sake - help her!
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety!
* US Airways Express flight 2784 arrived from Bakersfield at the gate at McCarran at 11:40 PM, 38 minutes late
* Prospect (a contract vendor with US Airways) arrived before 11:50 PM to assist the passenger with a wheelchair and was transported into the terminal via an elevator.
* Passenger was rebooked and issued a boarding pass by US Airways customer service agent at 12:02 AM, along with meal and hotel vouchers.
[US Airways] added that at no time was she left unattended
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