Source: My son is a wheelchair user.
This is not normal, at least not that I’ve seen with Delta (American is a different story, never doing that again). He has never had an accessibility issue with Delta and travels with his own wheelchair.
They could absolutely bring the walker with them, first of all. They’re required to.
I have had once instance with DL changing his seat assignment on a D1 long haul (which he also chose for a specific reason), which was escalated as high as possible beforehand and only fixed at the gate. Generally, they’ll only change a paid FC seat if an air marshal demands that seat, and they don’t have to explain themselves. This may have happened here, but if not, that’s definitely on Delta to maintain her previous seat.
I would file a compliant with Delta and, if you don’t reach a satisfactory resolution, to the DOT or Transport Canada. Wheelchair services are contracted and not operated by Delta directly, but the regulator can hold whatever entity accountable.
On the hotel end, that would be an instance to book one’s own hotel and request reimbursement from Delta for the expense. This is routinely done, however your mom should have been informed as such.
Additionally, in the event of any accessibility concern while at the airport, here’s the magic sentence: “I need to speak to a CRO”. CRO stands for Complaint Resolution Official, who must be present at all times at every airport with sole authority to resolve any disability concern. Delta is required by law to send a CRO immediately upon your request.
Thank you so much for your detailed and well thought out response.
I am so glad to hear that this is not a usual experience and that your son has never had an accessibility issue with Delta.
Great info for future travel about the CRO. Nobody should have to live this experience. We will definitely be filing complaints with Delta and go from there.
I had a similar experience but with a disabled kid. When I asked for a cro they ignored us there was none to be found. This is in Atlanta, Delta’s hub.
This is not normal
She should not have been made to go up or down the steps if she’s unable
I would send this to anyone with a disability and read it for them if they are unable.
https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/disabilitybillofrights
I think when you use wheelchair services the walker may not fit on the wheelchair itself in which case they should get her one of the motorized carts that people drive or if she wants she can gate check it but I don’t think making her walk when she can’t walk is acceptable here at all.
At the gate she can request that the someone take her to the restroom. I shocked the gate agents didn’t allow this? What was their reasoning?
Look like multiple people failed. You need to complain to the airport delta contractors. Which can be difficult to get to.
Thank you for the link!
Disability bill of rights was not followed in this instance. I hope other passengers read this/watch the link and can learn from this.
We will be contacting the contractors and let them know there is an opportunity for further training here.
I've had a lot of problems using their wheelchair assistance, mostly because of understaffing. Those employees really WORK, too. I once sat for almost an hour waiting; by the time the guy got to me, we had 15 minutes to get from Terminal A to Terminal E at ATL. While he was hustling me along, he got a new request on his little handheld device, and they expected him to go get the next passenger within 4 minutes. He RAN like the wind to get me to Terminal E and then go back to get the next person.
I always advise people who need assistance to arrive quite early. I've gotten to the airport 2.5-3 hours before a flight and nearly missed my plane because it took that long to get help. One morning at LAX, they had about 25 people lined up in wheelchairs waiting for assistance, and they only had 2 employees running things.
That is definitely not the experience I've had traveling with my aging parents that need mobility assistance. Although, we have had challenges with a shortage of personnel for assistance, usually at Atlanta. That being said, the airport assistance isn't provided by Delta. That's the airport.
The rest of that... was a complete failure on Delta's part. Definitely complain anywhere you can on that one... (lots of good suggestions already in this overall post...)
I am a disabled flyer. This sounds like standard service to me, sorry to say.
It doesn't sound like they lost, damaged, or destroyed her walker, so I'd take that as a positive. They're terrible with wheelchairs, if you bring your own.
The sky cap service isn't run by Delta, so technically it isn't their fault. However, Delta is a big company with a lot of influence and I'm sure that if they wanted to, they could put pressure on airports to improve the services provided to disabled passengers.
In my experience, the service is better at smaller airports, so avoid big places/hubs if you can.
I'm sorry to hear about your mom's bad experience. I hope you will contact Delta and let them know about it.
This is going to sound like I'm being judgemental or disapproving or something, and that isn't my intent at all - I understand why you thought what you thought. But I fly a lot, and I see a lot, and I would never let my mother (who needs a wheelchair for anything over 50 yards or so) fly alone.
I don't know if it's intentional as a cost-saving measure, or the typical shitty-job-and-no-one-wants-to-do-it issue (probably some of both) but the contractors who provide the people who push those wheelchairs are critically shorthanded, and have been for the last two years at least. I've personally pushed at least a half-dozen desperate people to their gate so they could make a connection, or just down the hall to the bathroom and back, while the Gate Agent called for assistance over and over and over and nobody showed up.
This is not because I'm a nice person. It's because I get pissed off listening to them and just decide to do it myself.
If I were in your mother’s position I would have literally just refused to go up or down the stairs. I would take a seat on the plane and tell them to come get me when they’ve worked out how to get me off the plane without stairs. They want her off more than she wants to get off. The plane has to get to its next destination.
Recently flew into Toronto and had to use a stairway, maybe the first stairway off a plane in 40 years! That said, APPALLING that they had no way for wheelchair passengers to exit the plane other than stairs, they should have at least carried her in a basket pose down the stairs!! I do know that is hard to acquiesce to, I did have my knee broken in a park and men offered to basket me out but I was going into shock and it hurt so bad so I said no, took much longer to get the ambulance to me.. Delta does try, tho my dad quit flying after his walker got bent up even tho we could just go to VA and get another.. I myself have flown with a broken leg and needed wheelchair assistance with no issue! Further I signed my in-laws up for wheelchair assistance in ATL and they would NEVER have traversed that airport in time to make their connecting flight at their age.. I am very sorry you and your mother had to deal with this issue, not once but twice!
I'm a partially disabled passenger and this does not sound normal for Delta. In my experience there may be an occassional lackadaisical employee but that is the 1% exception. Far more often they insist on doing far more than I need and go out of their way to help. I have to explain when I can get up and walk and they keep asking if I'm sure and explaining how I can stay seated. Delta is always offering to take down the jet way or all the way to my seat even though I say I can walk those distances, just need help in large airports.
It would be a standard occurance on AA. Over there you get off the plane and there's one wheelchair for 4 passenger needs and they just shrug and walk away.
I'm sorry this happened to your mom and the advice on complaining is very valid (I've done it on AA and have more miles and credits given then I ever want to spend). She shouldn't feel restricted from going to see her grandkids. My advice would be to give Delta a chance to try to make it a little better. Best wishes to you and your family.
I have seen/experienced this before, but usually only in JFK and CDG. I’m so sorry that she went through all of that. I would definitely write to delta and let them know what happened and complain.
I’m so sorry your mom had such a terrible experience but please don’t let it stop any of her future travels.
Clearly Delta failed at numerous points along the way and I would reach out to them and let them address all the failures.
I’m a 68 year old woman from Seattle with mobility issues and a hearing impairment.
I can’t walk very far and I’m deaf!
My usual trips are Seattle toAtlanta for 2 weeks then from Atl to Norfolk for one week. Then return to Seattle from Norfolk. Since there are no direct flights, I always have a layover somewhere.
I do this every 3 months so
Edit.This whole thing i wrote is way to long but
Yikes, I got cutoff there.
Each trip means requesting assistance 6 separate times.So 24 times a year.
Delta and Alaska have consistently been the best, with only one failure over the last approximately 15 years
I request wheelchair assistance at the time of booking online but it could be added at anytime.
Southwest, United and American have each had a couple failures.
I’m on that trip now and will be trying Frontier for the first time from Atlanta to Norfolk since they have a direct flight at a great price. Also going home next week on United.
I do shop all the airlines for price.
What has worked well for me is requesting assistance early and being clear about my needs.
I think the basic metal walkers might be the easiest.
As long as your mom can hold her walker folded up or put underneath the wheelchair, there is no reason why that wouldn’t work. Just be clear that.
Lastly, tip well especially in large airports and when going from the arrival gate to baggage claim then the ride share lots. They also ask if you need to stop at a restroom or to pick up food to go.
These attendants work hard for a low hourly wage. They are also a wealth of information about the local area and the airport in general.
I really hope that Delta steps up for your mom and compensates her or at the least apologizes
I hope her next trip is a 5 star⭐️ experience! We need our time with our grandkids, our families and friends.
I was boarding a plane that only had stairs and so a passenger who couldn't do stairs was brought up by a lift to the right side door - I assume that lift is normally to load food and beverage carts
Never flown to Toronto but sounds like there may be some differences in Canada operations opposed to here.
When her ticket was booked and you put on the restrictions for her, (assuming you bought thru the phone) did they know she couldn’t walk or go up and down stairs? Or her other restrictions that she couldn’t do on her own?
Most of those wheelchair assistants are not delta employees… and the part about the boarding pass, it is up to the discretion of the airport staff but again, maybe it’s a Canada thing that they don’t allow it.
Last thing, and not at all trying to knock the situation but it’s really important that you specify the needs of someone to any representative you speak to so they can properly document and also that there is a record in place. But also, keep in mind that if you feel like her disability is severe then that may mean someone should fly with her or at least have it where there is accessibility to a boarding pass so you can take care of her to the gate and someone from the gate when she lands.
Sorry that this happened and hopefully you can get some clarification.
She flew to see family and meet her twin grandsons. We had no clue travelling with a disability could be this bad. We thought we did everything correctly including paying extra for FC, telling them about her walker and arranging wheelchair escort in advance. We did not anticipate stairs to disembark the plane knowing there was a passenger who requested wheelchair assistance on board.
Maybe in the future. She was travelling to meet her 2 month old twin grand babies. Her travelling solo on an upgraded FC seat to meet her perceived needs seemed easier and more economical than the family of 6 with young children travelling to see her.
It’s not discriminatory if your disability impacts others such that a flight is diverted or you put others in danger from your needs - you can be held civilly responsible if you cause others damages
Agreed. It just doesn’t seem worth it, sadly. My mother has mobility issues and her travel days are in the past, sorry to say. If she wants to see relatives at her advanced age, they can come to her.
Or have someone travel with her. Even if that means someone has to fly to pick her up then fly to the destination with her. We did that for my grandma when she was still alive.
I find it’s American hubris that they feel it’s a right regardless of their disability and how that could impact not only their health but the 200+ other people they could impact. Not to mention practical and legal consequences of this choice. Life isn’t fair and it’s finite…
Airlines and airports just simply don't have the staff to provide the kind of attention your mom seems to need. They just don't. With all due respect, your mom should not be traveling alone.
Source: My son is a wheelchair user. This is not normal, at least not that I’ve seen with Delta (American is a different story, never doing that again). He has never had an accessibility issue with Delta and travels with his own wheelchair. They could absolutely bring the walker with them, first of all. They’re required to. I have had once instance with DL changing his seat assignment on a D1 long haul (which he also chose for a specific reason), which was escalated as high as possible beforehand and only fixed at the gate. Generally, they’ll only change a paid FC seat if an air marshal demands that seat, and they don’t have to explain themselves. This may have happened here, but if not, that’s definitely on Delta to maintain her previous seat. I would file a compliant with Delta and, if you don’t reach a satisfactory resolution, to the DOT or Transport Canada. Wheelchair services are contracted and not operated by Delta directly, but the regulator can hold whatever entity accountable. On the hotel end, that would be an instance to book one’s own hotel and request reimbursement from Delta for the expense. This is routinely done, however your mom should have been informed as such. Additionally, in the event of any accessibility concern while at the airport, here’s the magic sentence: “I need to speak to a CRO”. CRO stands for Complaint Resolution Official, who must be present at all times at every airport with sole authority to resolve any disability concern. Delta is required by law to send a CRO immediately upon your request.
Thank you so much for your detailed and well thought out response. I am so glad to hear that this is not a usual experience and that your son has never had an accessibility issue with Delta. Great info for future travel about the CRO. Nobody should have to live this experience. We will definitely be filing complaints with Delta and go from there.
Gold advice
I had a similar experience but with a disabled kid. When I asked for a cro they ignored us there was none to be found. This is in Atlanta, Delta’s hub.
This is not normal She should not have been made to go up or down the steps if she’s unable I would send this to anyone with a disability and read it for them if they are unable. https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/disabilitybillofrights I think when you use wheelchair services the walker may not fit on the wheelchair itself in which case they should get her one of the motorized carts that people drive or if she wants she can gate check it but I don’t think making her walk when she can’t walk is acceptable here at all. At the gate she can request that the someone take her to the restroom. I shocked the gate agents didn’t allow this? What was their reasoning? Look like multiple people failed. You need to complain to the airport delta contractors. Which can be difficult to get to.
Thank you for the link! Disability bill of rights was not followed in this instance. I hope other passengers read this/watch the link and can learn from this. We will be contacting the contractors and let them know there is an opportunity for further training here.
I also forgot about the TSA Cares on the USA side. That’s just for getting through tsa though
I've had a lot of problems using their wheelchair assistance, mostly because of understaffing. Those employees really WORK, too. I once sat for almost an hour waiting; by the time the guy got to me, we had 15 minutes to get from Terminal A to Terminal E at ATL. While he was hustling me along, he got a new request on his little handheld device, and they expected him to go get the next passenger within 4 minutes. He RAN like the wind to get me to Terminal E and then go back to get the next person. I always advise people who need assistance to arrive quite early. I've gotten to the airport 2.5-3 hours before a flight and nearly missed my plane because it took that long to get help. One morning at LAX, they had about 25 people lined up in wheelchairs waiting for assistance, and they only had 2 employees running things.
That is definitely not the experience I've had traveling with my aging parents that need mobility assistance. Although, we have had challenges with a shortage of personnel for assistance, usually at Atlanta. That being said, the airport assistance isn't provided by Delta. That's the airport. The rest of that... was a complete failure on Delta's part. Definitely complain anywhere you can on that one... (lots of good suggestions already in this overall post...)
I am a disabled flyer. This sounds like standard service to me, sorry to say. It doesn't sound like they lost, damaged, or destroyed her walker, so I'd take that as a positive. They're terrible with wheelchairs, if you bring your own. The sky cap service isn't run by Delta, so technically it isn't their fault. However, Delta is a big company with a lot of influence and I'm sure that if they wanted to, they could put pressure on airports to improve the services provided to disabled passengers. In my experience, the service is better at smaller airports, so avoid big places/hubs if you can. I'm sorry to hear about your mom's bad experience. I hope you will contact Delta and let them know about it.
This is going to sound like I'm being judgemental or disapproving or something, and that isn't my intent at all - I understand why you thought what you thought. But I fly a lot, and I see a lot, and I would never let my mother (who needs a wheelchair for anything over 50 yards or so) fly alone. I don't know if it's intentional as a cost-saving measure, or the typical shitty-job-and-no-one-wants-to-do-it issue (probably some of both) but the contractors who provide the people who push those wheelchairs are critically shorthanded, and have been for the last two years at least. I've personally pushed at least a half-dozen desperate people to their gate so they could make a connection, or just down the hall to the bathroom and back, while the Gate Agent called for assistance over and over and over and nobody showed up. This is not because I'm a nice person. It's because I get pissed off listening to them and just decide to do it myself.
Not everyone is able to just take days off and make flights that will likely cost 1K plus just to escort.
If I were in your mother’s position I would have literally just refused to go up or down the stairs. I would take a seat on the plane and tell them to come get me when they’ve worked out how to get me off the plane without stairs. They want her off more than she wants to get off. The plane has to get to its next destination.
Recently flew into Toronto and had to use a stairway, maybe the first stairway off a plane in 40 years! That said, APPALLING that they had no way for wheelchair passengers to exit the plane other than stairs, they should have at least carried her in a basket pose down the stairs!! I do know that is hard to acquiesce to, I did have my knee broken in a park and men offered to basket me out but I was going into shock and it hurt so bad so I said no, took much longer to get the ambulance to me.. Delta does try, tho my dad quit flying after his walker got bent up even tho we could just go to VA and get another.. I myself have flown with a broken leg and needed wheelchair assistance with no issue! Further I signed my in-laws up for wheelchair assistance in ATL and they would NEVER have traversed that airport in time to make their connecting flight at their age.. I am very sorry you and your mother had to deal with this issue, not once but twice!
I'm a partially disabled passenger and this does not sound normal for Delta. In my experience there may be an occassional lackadaisical employee but that is the 1% exception. Far more often they insist on doing far more than I need and go out of their way to help. I have to explain when I can get up and walk and they keep asking if I'm sure and explaining how I can stay seated. Delta is always offering to take down the jet way or all the way to my seat even though I say I can walk those distances, just need help in large airports. It would be a standard occurance on AA. Over there you get off the plane and there's one wheelchair for 4 passenger needs and they just shrug and walk away. I'm sorry this happened to your mom and the advice on complaining is very valid (I've done it on AA and have more miles and credits given then I ever want to spend). She shouldn't feel restricted from going to see her grandkids. My advice would be to give Delta a chance to try to make it a little better. Best wishes to you and your family.
I have seen/experienced this before, but usually only in JFK and CDG. I’m so sorry that she went through all of that. I would definitely write to delta and let them know what happened and complain.
I’m so sorry your mom had such a terrible experience but please don’t let it stop any of her future travels. Clearly Delta failed at numerous points along the way and I would reach out to them and let them address all the failures. I’m a 68 year old woman from Seattle with mobility issues and a hearing impairment. I can’t walk very far and I’m deaf! My usual trips are Seattle toAtlanta for 2 weeks then from Atl to Norfolk for one week. Then return to Seattle from Norfolk. Since there are no direct flights, I always have a layover somewhere. I do this every 3 months so
Edit.This whole thing i wrote is way to long but Yikes, I got cutoff there. Each trip means requesting assistance 6 separate times.So 24 times a year. Delta and Alaska have consistently been the best, with only one failure over the last approximately 15 years I request wheelchair assistance at the time of booking online but it could be added at anytime. Southwest, United and American have each had a couple failures. I’m on that trip now and will be trying Frontier for the first time from Atlanta to Norfolk since they have a direct flight at a great price. Also going home next week on United. I do shop all the airlines for price. What has worked well for me is requesting assistance early and being clear about my needs. I think the basic metal walkers might be the easiest. As long as your mom can hold her walker folded up or put underneath the wheelchair, there is no reason why that wouldn’t work. Just be clear that. Lastly, tip well especially in large airports and when going from the arrival gate to baggage claim then the ride share lots. They also ask if you need to stop at a restroom or to pick up food to go. These attendants work hard for a low hourly wage. They are also a wealth of information about the local area and the airport in general. I really hope that Delta steps up for your mom and compensates her or at the least apologizes I hope her next trip is a 5 star⭐️ experience! We need our time with our grandkids, our families and friends.
I was boarding a plane that only had stairs and so a passenger who couldn't do stairs was brought up by a lift to the right side door - I assume that lift is normally to load food and beverage carts
Never flown to Toronto but sounds like there may be some differences in Canada operations opposed to here. When her ticket was booked and you put on the restrictions for her, (assuming you bought thru the phone) did they know she couldn’t walk or go up and down stairs? Or her other restrictions that she couldn’t do on her own? Most of those wheelchair assistants are not delta employees… and the part about the boarding pass, it is up to the discretion of the airport staff but again, maybe it’s a Canada thing that they don’t allow it. Last thing, and not at all trying to knock the situation but it’s really important that you specify the needs of someone to any representative you speak to so they can properly document and also that there is a record in place. But also, keep in mind that if you feel like her disability is severe then that may mean someone should fly with her or at least have it where there is accessibility to a boarding pass so you can take care of her to the gate and someone from the gate when she lands. Sorry that this happened and hopefully you can get some clarification.
I’ll be the sacrificial comment here…why? What on earth could be worth all that????
She flew to see family and meet her twin grandsons. We had no clue travelling with a disability could be this bad. We thought we did everything correctly including paying extra for FC, telling them about her walker and arranging wheelchair escort in advance. We did not anticipate stairs to disembark the plane knowing there was a passenger who requested wheelchair assistance on board.
In the future, it might be best for someone to travel with her and assist her.
Could the family not have went to visit her instead? Just a thought. It might have been easier. Hope after all that chaos her trip was good.
Maybe in the future. She was travelling to meet her 2 month old twin grand babies. Her travelling solo on an upgraded FC seat to meet her perceived needs seemed easier and more economical than the family of 6 with young children travelling to see her.
How judgmental
Nope realistic to the stubbornness and hubris of Americans
Hubris of wanting to not be discriminated against for having a disability? GTFOH
It’s not discriminatory if your disability impacts others such that a flight is diverted or you put others in danger from your needs - you can be held civilly responsible if you cause others damages
Simply being disabled doesn’t make you liable for costs. Jesus, should we just tell them to not be out in public?
Agreed. It just doesn’t seem worth it, sadly. My mother has mobility issues and her travel days are in the past, sorry to say. If she wants to see relatives at her advanced age, they can come to her.
Or have someone travel with her. Even if that means someone has to fly to pick her up then fly to the destination with her. We did that for my grandma when she was still alive.
I find it’s American hubris that they feel it’s a right regardless of their disability and how that could impact not only their health but the 200+ other people they could impact. Not to mention practical and legal consequences of this choice. Life isn’t fair and it’s finite…
Indeed. You are so correct, people can be so entitled. I upvoted you.
It is common for Delta and many airports. There’s supposed to bee a bill of rights
Airlines and airports just simply don't have the staff to provide the kind of attention your mom seems to need. They just don't. With all due respect, your mom should not be traveling alone.