Proliferation of “assistance needed” passengers: safety issue?

[ShokWaveRider]

I ALWAYS ask to board first. I am not in a wheelchair and do not need assistance as such. BUT I have an Implanted Cardiac Device (ICD). I do have an implant card that no one has ever asked for. Once when I was traveling for business, an ignorant impatient passenger pushed me out of the way to get their carry on up before me. He elbowed me in the chest which ended up partially dislodging a lead from the device (as it turned out), it could have been a lot worse. Since then I always ask to board before the masses. I do get some weird looks sometimes. But that is all.

[Koogie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skoach Everyone wants on and off first.

I'm the exact opposite. I want to be last on. Less time spent in that cigar tube breathing nasty air the better.

And I am often last off. I always get a window seat, so I just sit there and watch the ground crew through the window until the herd has either deplaned or killed each other in the attempt.

Then I calmly get my carryon and waltz off last, say a pleasant word to the flight crew on the way past and as often as not pass most of the herd in the arrivals area anyway while they fight over their 16 tonnes of luggage each.

[JoeWras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koogie Then I calmly get my carryon and waltz off last, say a pleasant word to the flight crew on the way past and as often as not pass most of the herd in the arrivals area anyway while they fight over their 16 tonnes of luggage each.

You are on last and your carry-on is available? That's part of the problem. People are bringing their life's accouterments with them and if you are on in the last group, they will check the carry on.

Part of why the gaming is going on. And heaven forbid you get a center seat and the window guy's "carry on" drains into your underseat foot area.

[Koogie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeWras You are on last and your carry-on is available?

Never once had a problem. Sometimes the space over my row is full but I ask the steward to find somewhere for it. That's part of their job.

[JP.mpls]

I just had a positive experience from the side of someone needing wheelchair assistance at an airport.


My SIL fell and broke a rib while visiting for a week. I spent most of that week taking care of her. She was very sore, and a little unstable on her feet. She was also enjoying my continuous care for her a little too much. She is very nice, but I was ready for her to go home.


I was concerned that she was too weak to travel, and I was starting to think about driving her home across the country. Ugh.


I called her airline (AA) to request a wheelchair for her, and to discuss delaying her flight. I wasn't liking that option either.


The customer service person at AA was amazing. (I have no ties to this airline, and seldom fly with them.)


I was shocked. She did the following:
- Scheduled a wheelchair with assistant to take her from the baggage check area, through security, to the check in gate.
- Moved her seat toward the front of the plane. (I requested a window seat, so she would not have to get if someone else needs to go to the bathroom. I also gave her no coffee that morning, and made sure she went to the bathroom before boarding.)
- They offered assistance to help her from the gate into the plane, and to her seat. (I had no idea they would do this.)
- They also offered the same care for her at her layover stop, and at her destination airport.


WOW! I had no idea this was possible, but I was thrilled that they offer this service. I would have gladly paid a bunch of money for this help, don't tell the airlines, and it was offered as part of her normal ticket costs.


I would be upset if people were asking for this service, and they didn't need it.
I do realize that there are people who can walk around a little bit, but not walk all the way through an airport from baggage check to the gate, and into the plane. My SIL fits this description.




RE: Koogie's secondary comments about boarding and unboarding the plane.
I agree. I am always one of the last passengers to get on the plane, and I like to sit back and relax while everyone pushes around like cattle trying to get off of the plane two minutes faster. I just don't get it, but everyone gets to choose what they do.


Take care,




JP

[JoeWras]

JP: the great thing is when it is needed, it is really awesome. Just too bad some people use these services when they really don't need them. Oh well.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by samclem I've thought the same thing, but was heartened by the way people acted on USAir 1549 when they ditched in the Hudson. There was no misbehaving, they got out quickly, and if you look at pictures of them crowded on the wings waiting to get picked up, you don't see carry on luggage, laptop computers, etc. They did what they were supposed to do and helped each other (including one person in a wheelchair). So, there's hope . .

Well yea, but they knew they were being filmed. I saw the movie!

[audreyh1]

My Dad - pretty frail at 82, very slow walker, and unable to walk long distances, was worried about air travel to Europe. We had him do a trial run by flying with my brother to visit us. The air travel part was a piece of cake. So he decided to go ahead to travel to Amsterdam to witness my other brother's wedding (religious part) and see a new grandson.

We had to have taxis to take him anywhere in Amsterdam. But the air transport part was a piece of cake! We were so glad he did it then, because nowadays - no way.

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JP.mpls RE: Koogie's secondary comments about boarding and unboarding the plane. I agree. I am always one of the last passengers to get on the plane, and I like to sit back and relax while everyone pushes around like cattle trying to get off of the plane two minutes faster. I just don't get it, but everyone gets to choose what they do.

+1

We often wonder if these folks, (the ones who rush to line up for boarding), think their section of the plane is going to take off/arrive before ours.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nemo2 +1 We often wonder if these folks, (the ones who rush to line up for boarding), think their section of the plane is going to take off/arrive before ours.

I think it's mostly folks anxious to get their stuff in the overhead bins.

[happy2bretired]

Quote:

Originally Posted by explanade If you had to abandon the plane, would you take your stuff with you, even though you're not suppose to?

When I fly I wear a travel vest with everything important in various pockets. I remove the vest when going thru security. On the plane everything that I must have is safely on me.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy2bretired When I fly I wear a travel vest with everything important in various pockets. I remove the vest when going thru security. On the plane everything that I must have is safely on me.

Doesn't the parachute make it hard to sit comfortably in those tiny seats?

[Hermit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Reading this thread reminds me to be thankful that I don't want to travel at all. How annoying these situations must be, especially for those who have spent the extra money for first class tickets.

+1

This thread makes me look forward to getting a pickup and camper even more!

When I used to fly, I always avoided SW because it gave me an irresistible urge to "moo".

[joeea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koogie II want to be last on. Less time spent in that cigar tube breathing nasty air the better. And I am often last off.

Hmm.

Seems that if your goal was to avoid breathing nasty cigar tube air, you would want to be first off?

I'm guessing the air doesn't get any less nasty during the flight.

[JP.mpls]

Hermit said: When I used to fly, I always avoided SW because it gave me an irresistible urge to "moo".


This comment made me cringe. I haven't flown SW in a long time, but I'm on a SW flight next week. It was half the cost of Delta, so I'm getting a good deal. Right?


I noticed they don't offer seats with extra room. I'm 6'1", and my legs fit very tightly in standard coach seating these days. I typically splurge, and get the seats with more room now. I was hoping SW decided to give everyone in coach reasonable leg room, but I suspect we are all going to be crushed.


I like to pretend that I'm Qui Chang (spelling) from the Kung Foo TV show, and sit calmly and still through the flight 3.5 hour flight. I'm just going with that.




JP

[cathy63]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JP.mpls Hermit said: When I used to fly, I always avoided SW because it gave me an irresistible urge to "moo". This comment made me cringe. I haven't flown SW in a long time, but I'm on a SW flight next week. It was half the cost of Delta, so I'm getting a good deal. Right? I noticed they don't offer seats with extra room. I'm 6'1", and my legs fit very tightly in standard coach seating these days. I typically splurge, and get the seats with more room now. I was hoping SW decided to give everyone in coach reasonable leg room, but I suspect we are all going to be crushed. I like to pretend that I'm Qui Chang (spelling) from the Kung Foo TV show, and sit calmly and still through the flight 3.5 hour flight. I'm just going with that. JP

Nowadays Southwest has the sanest boarding process out there. If you are flying United or Delta, people crowd around the lines trying to be the first person when Group 2 is called so they can get on before all the other Group 2s and get some overhead space. With Southwest, most people tend to stay seated and out of the way because they board by number and if yours is A23, you just stand halfway between the signs that say 20 and 25, then the whole line moves forward in numerical order. Also, there is no charge for checking a bag, so theoretically there are fewer carry-ons.

It's funny how things have switched so that now, unless you're a super elite flyer, the legacy carriers are way more like a cattle drive than Southwest.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hermit +1 This thread makes me look forward to getting a pickup and camper even more!

Yeah, after reading this thread, I realized I have not flown in 18 months and my Gold status on United and American is gone. Good bye and good riddance!

I don't even want to count the number of stateside and international flights I have taken since 1975 or so. Obviously too many and have over a million mile system travel at two (or three?) airlines.

I'm with Hermit and I am looking at Class B RV (used, of course).

But, I have paid my dues as you all are doing so now. I'll have to say one thing though, air travel was "pretty good" up until the late 1990's, then it got increasingly worse after the 9/11 incident.

[athena53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cathy63 Nowadays Southwest has the sanest boarding process out there. If you are flying United or Delta, people crowd around the lines trying to be the first person when Group 2 is called so they can get on before all the other Group 2s and get some overhead space. <snip>It's funny how things have switched so that now, unless you're a super elite flyer, the legacy carriers are way more like a cattle drive than Southwest.

Totally agree- Southwest seems to be the only US-based airline where they're happy you're on the plane. To the others, we're self-loading cargo.

And, to borrow another phrase I learned on the flyertalk boards, the people in Group 4 who hover right by the gate as soon as Priority Boarding starts are known as "gate lice".

[aja8888]

Group 2 boarding was nice on United until they gave everybody with a United credit card the Group 2 access. Nuts!

[cathy63]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 Group 2 boarding was nice on United until they gave everybody with a United credit card the Group 2 access. Nuts!

Last year, before AA renumbered their groups, DH was looking at his boarding pass and he commented that Group 2 isn't bad. I had to inform him that he was on the airline that can't count and he was actually going to be in the 7th group to board after first class, executive platinum, ruby somethings, credit card holders, etc, etc.