A disabled woman flew from Atlanta to Phoenix to spend Christmas with her daughter, but when she got in a wheelchair on the jetbridge in Phoenix after arriving, she was just left there. About 20 minutes later the last crewmember off the aircraft pushed her up to the gate finally, and left here there. Where she waited, and waited. And since it was the last flight of the night there, employees – who saw her there – just turned out the lights and left.
- There’s a shortage of workers. One area that’s manifested itself is in lack of workers with the low-paying contractors who push wheelchairs in airports, though low pay is often supplemented by tips that can total far more than wages.
- But that’s not all that happened here. No one at Delta Air Lines, seeing a woman left behind in a wheelchair, seemed to care. I’ve heard plenty of stories of flight attendants pushing wheelchairs out of compassion for passengers, but here everyone at Delta and in the airport just said to themselves, not my problem.
The passenger “was abandoned in the dark in her wheelchair” after landing. Her daughter was waiting at baggage claim for her. The woman begged her daughter to come get her from the gate but without a ticket she couldn’t clear security to do so.
She landed around 11 p.m., and was helped off the plane and into a wheelchair, as expected. “She said, ‘You just sit here and someone will get you,'” said James.
But James says she spent 20 minutes sitting at the end of the jetway by herself. …until the last flight attendants had finished cleaning it. They then pushed her up to the gate, where she apparently had to wait even longer. But then, she says, the gate agent left at the end of her shift.
“And turned the light off, you know, and I’m like, ‘Why you putting me in the dark?'” James said. “And nobody else was there,” said Solomon. “She’s sitting there alone in the terminal.” …”So many workers there and everyone just dismissed her sitting there in the wheelchair,” she said. “You should say, ‘There’s no more flights here, we’re gonna go ahead and close this terminal, can I help you with something?'”
Someone did shoe up to push her wheelchair 40 minutes after arrival.
Lawsuit in 3, 2, 1
Lifetime platinum medallion & confirmed upgrades in 3,2,1…
Delta is all about money first people second
They would load passengers in with the baggage if they could make another wooden
nickel.Basically their claim is we run a great operation and we can get you their on time
And that looks like that’s come to a crashing end
Other than their hub captive flyers I never understood why anyone would fly them
I made the mistake a few times not again unless the last option
Only Spirit would I avoid more
Welcome to the new America, the “it’s not my problem” or “I don’t get paid enough for this” society. Self centeredness and wanting other people to do things while not wanting to do it yourself is becoming standard. Hard to see how long a society like this can last.
If she asked the gate agent “Why you putting me in the dark?” surely the gate agent responded with something, right? What did the GA say? I’m certainly not airline staff but I’m always more than happy to help someone in a wheelchair with locomotion or getting through a door or whatever. But I also know it’s not always considered polite to walk up to someone as though they can’t manage themselves. Did this person ask anyone for help? What did anyone say? I’d like to think society in general isn’t as callous as it’s meant to sound here.
I grieve for my former airline industry career field. The industry has so devolved from what was considered standard and compassionate service.
@ Gary — Which would have taken longer — waiting for TSA to reopen in the morning, or waiting on hold with Delta to request help?
Gene – waiting on hold…
Most wheel chair pushers are your average Biden voter types.
Compassion? Look what happens when an FA puts a blanket on a sleeping passenger. That passenger becomes indignant. Just can’t win.
I cant believe anyone actually believes this is exactly what happened. While the foundation of the story may be true, nobody at the airport just “shuts the lights off” and airports are never completely dark. Maybe one of the contractors didn’t pick her up and take her to baggage claim. Also, if the daughter was there in time and made previous arrangements, she could have met her mother at the gate. Some of these stories and comments kill me with the political reasoning why something went left…
Kef, you’re right. Wheelchair pushers are people who care about others. So they vote for a candidate who obviously wants to fix the damage of the last 4 years and make America great again. Then it will be a nation where there is real concern for those who legitimately need help. On the other hand those who vote against him….
@Don
There can be no “society” when there are many different groups who have nothing in common but are forced together through coercive government mandate. If each group lived and operated independently, each group would take care of its own very well.
The real solution to this is to increase pay. Then the demand will be filled. It’s true that tips do make it an ok income job but guaranteed payment is more appealing. People outside of airports have to push themselves or have someone push them so it makes no sense why airlines have to provide this for free. Things are a lot easier when people pay for the services they want. That’s the problem with taxation. I don’t want any of the services provided. If there was choice, I would spend on those I do.
I saw something similar at an AA gate in Terminal C, DCA, last June, minus the lights out.
Incoming flight disembarked and a woman sat in the wheelchair at the gate doorway for over 45 minutes. The one gate agent at the gate, positioned to board our flight on the same plane, couldn’t leave the position. She paged and called repeatedly for someone to push her. I would have offered to push her to the security exit, but the gate agent said our flight would be boarding as soon as crew showed up.
Not really a reflection on AA (though a second gate agent could have helped), but another sad reflection of the times.
Decades ago, when I worked for an airline at JFK, I heard of a case where a wheelchair employee’s shift was ending and he needed to turn in his assigned wheelchair. He had the passenger stand and hold on to a post in the passport control arrivals area. After waiting and yelling for help, someone else showed up about 20 minutes later with another wheelchair.
@Harry: It’s the last arrival of the day. There are no gate agents.
Overall, our experiences with Delta for my partner with reduced mobility have been mostly good to excellent.
To be sure, there have been a few times where he when flying solo has been disappointed with Delta’s wheelchair assistance, but compared to most airlines, Delta is still his preferred airline.
I might add that since the Dr. Dao dragging incident (early Spring 2017), United’s wheelchair assistance has been excellent.
But, for sure, there have been many problems at home (domestically) & overseas, especially when my partner flies alone, and finds himself facing either exceptionally long wait times for the attendant to arrive, or is completely neglected and/or abandoned, which is worse, as at least when we’re traveling together, I can assist him (as long as the airport and/or airline permits me to).
Several years ago, we, and several other reduced mobility passengers found ourselves left aboard a Southwest Airlines plane at BWI literally until they were ready to turn the lights off and close the plane’s door for the night at the furthest possible gates on the A pier at the other side of the long connector from the flight to Long Island/Islip MacArthur Airport that was departing from a gate on the B pier.
Fortunately, the Captain personally intervened on our and the other reduced mobility passengers’ behalf and brought wheelchairs down the jetbridge, which allowed us to finally make our way with me pushing the chair to next flight.
As to the other reduced mobility pax, we’re not sure how they fared – but that particular night we observed most others in wheelchairs being pushed by their traveling companions (or possibly good samaritans) since uniformed attendants were few and far between.
Bottom line: as most will agree, airports are difficult, congested and stressful for nearly everyone; for reduced mobility passengers the gauntlet of challenges can be that much more difficult and stressful.
So, when airlines (or airport operators) fail to provide needed assistance, the hardships they create for reduced mobility passengers is that much greater than most people realize until they either face it themselves or come to understand when they’re traveling with a loved one and discover how much harder airports can be when airlines fail their reduced mobility passengers with long waits for attendants, or outright neglect and/or abandonment as happened to this passenger in Phoenix.
When questioning at the next airline management meeting the rationale behind more restrictive consumer-oriented mandates from Congress, the folks in the C-Suite need only to look at each other to appreciate the culture they had built.
This sounds like a great embellishment of the issue. The wheelchair pusher taking 40 minutes to show up is the real issue – all the other stuff about employees abandoning and lights being turned off is very questionable.
When I pick-up my elderly Mom (99 yrs old) I request a escort pass at the ticket counter and meet her at the arrival gate. Some people may not be aware this is available from most airlines.
Almost missed our connecting flight in AMS waiting in the lounge for the wheelchair transport to show up. They had mistakenly checked my own wheelchair through to the destination, so, while this wouldn’t typically be a problem, this time I was trapped. It was nerve wracking and also demoralizing not to have the freedom of my own chair, but after 30 minutes of being told not to worry, someone would come, they eventually found someone to take me and held the flight for us to get there. We were the last to board and flight took off late. Delta ticket, but KLM flight. I’m not sure anyone even read my complaint, they certainly never replied.
We live in a culture where the unbelievable is true and the believable is suspect. So therefore, I will just assume the reports of maltreatment are true as are the reports of great service are also good.
I witnessed that once but I helped out. Another passenger, not an employee, I was. The circumstances were very similar except it wasn’t dark. I was waiting for another flight in a few hours and sat, seeing the woman.
Sad…..
Sheesh…not much of a “holiday spirit”. Would it have hurt the gate agent to say ‘we’re all leaving’? She was probably busy on her phone.
Hey this has happen to me 4 times and all they say is we are sorry. You were not sorry when you took my payment. Delta has proven that they take the money and make excuses where the drop the ball. I told them you can drop the ball in many areas but wheelchair assistance is not a area you should fail in. I came in on a international flight waited a hour and was told I had to push my own wheelchair to customs because they didn’t have any staff. Staffing is a problem because they are greedy and still want to pay people slave wages. These corporations need to be held accountable customer service is at a all time low in this country.
It happened to me. I had requested curb to curb. Got everything set up and confirmed. I was left at the gate and then someone showed up and there was eight on the flight that needed assistance. Woman in cart came and picked up who she wanted as they had left us all waiting at a drop off area. We waited and waited forever to get to baggage claim. All in Atlanta. Sinful treatment.
You can get a tkt that lets you in tsa just ask at counter!then meet your guest at gate! My wife has done it a few times
Southwest seems to be the most handicapped wheelchair friendly airline
They also seem to have the most wheelchairs in the gate area
United and Delta would push them out the emergency exit given the Choice
US airlines could take a lesson from Air Canada. Very courteous, gratis, professional. I’ve flown many US and Canadian Airlines in the ladt year. And, by the way, i was left sitting in a chair alongside two other persons and then a transit vehicle picked me up and took me to the elevator and told me to take it down to luggage. This was in MSP
I find this story to be highly questionable.
The biggest issue I’ve found when it comes to disabled assistance at any airport is that the folks at the airport are contractors hired by the airport and are disconnected from the actual airline. The airline has their job and the contractors have theirs. Unfortunately in some airports it’s a total disconnect regardless of the airline. It needs to be fixed. There should be some ADA regulation in place across the board that fills all the gaps I keep reading about.
This is so tragic…happened to my mom 5 yrs ago (will not fly again to see us) @ Ric airport as they pushed to gate that then chgd for her flight to Atl & then CA. She missed her connection in Atl and a 7 hr flight turned into almost 12. I was incensed & complained & she got $200 voucher…Big deal Delta as it was ur people who did this! Not good at all…
THIS HAPPEND AT DELTA!
Why are you showing a photo of AA Gate/logo?
This story is utterly ridiculous. “Nobody took care of me”. Was the woman mute, unable to speak, unable to roll her wheelchair with her hands? Did she just sit there mute and ‘unnoticed’? Someone with a disability who is unable to communicate with airline/airport staff should not be travelling alone. I am not excusing Delta for one minute, but I have little sympathy for someone who won’t even lift a hand to help herself. I will be very interested to read the real story … the whole story.
Nothing, and I mean-NOTHING- infuriates me more, than callous disregard for those who cannot or will not lend assistance to limited mobility passengers. I work for an undisclosed airline, and I make it a point to know how many are on each flight, and who are the one’s who require additional help. I see alot of workers, across all areas, from wheelchair assistance, rampers, agents, etc. who show such little regard. I will stop whatever I am doing, even if management frowns, to assist anyone who needs it. We are all human beings, and deserve to be treated as such, with DIGNITY. Air travel is a people business; if you do not over people, this is not an occupation you should be in, PERIIOD!!!
The lack of compassion, comprehension and the judgmental attitudes expressed in several comments here is VERY disturbing. GOOD ‘christians’ all no doubt.
Hear, hear, Wallace.
Maybe parts of this story are questionable.
However, the bare bones of it are that a helpless person in a wheelchair was disserviced and left in distress by employees.
Which is simply cold, callous, and wrong.
There is often zero coordination in assisting a wheelchair passenger from an aircraft right thru to arrival reception. If you are not expected with a waiting wheelchair at the jetway it is all downhill (no pun intended) from there.
Best experiences are with non-US airlines who use their own staff for the job, with Lufthansa being at the top of the pack with personable staff happy to assist.
Worst are the US airlines who subcontract the work to private companies, who in turn contract the work to others. Expect a slow and surly transit by someone who practically asks you how much you’re gonna tip them as soon as they see you.
Anyone who thinks she should have pushed herself: most airport wheelchairs are not designed to be pushed by the person in them, and are actually impossible to push on your own. Even the ones where it is technically possible, are usually very heavy, don’t fit the passenger, and are often in disrepair making them extremely difficult to push yourself for more than a few feet.
I suffered a similar fate recently from a delta flight from Amsterdam which arrived at Atlanta airport on 29th September 2021 exactly as this passenger narrated and I wrote a letter of complaint to Delta BEING a skymiles member. They I uh stay replied me mid December 2021 offering apologies with a gift card of $200 which is not worth the frustration.
Gregg Bender – rather ableist of you to suggest that a woman who uses a wheelchair is ‘helpless.’ Nothing in this story implies anything of the sort. She was interviewed and obviously has a voice, as she spoke to the gate agent (though we didn’t get what the gate agent’s reply was).
(Sighs and chuckles ruefully)
Dude, I’m permanently disabled myself. Kind of ableist of you to think that I’m speaking from a position of being able, isn’t it?
And I spent twenty five years as a ground operations supervisor at both hub and line stations. Seems to me that if she sat there that long and wasn’t able to help herself, then she was relatively helpless, wasn’t she?
It’s a shame because I looked up wheelchair attendant jobs at the Austin Airport (I could take the bus) but I saw the must lift 75 pounds requirement and shuddered. I’m on disability for my back (but I can work part time) and don’t think I could do it constantly. I’d also need to sit to rest my back for a minute after standing, walking or pushing for a while. Does anyone know how grueling of a job it is? I like to help others and tipping is not a big deal to me (disabled people usually live on fixed incomes) and it would be a good way to give back. Can anyone help me with some information please? It would be most appreciated. Thank you!
American airlines did the same thing to me. If it weren’t for the nice gentleman who helped me I would still be sitting there. When AA sent me a survey I told my story. No reply whatsoever . Someone should take responsibility for a vulnerable population.
I have to chime in again. Imagine a woman in a wheelchair, employees milling all around her. Then, one by one, they all leave. She says nothing. Then someone turns off the lights, even tho they are her there. She doesn’t holler out. She doesn’t roll herself toward the jet bridge door and bang on it. (Maybe she couldn’t use her arms, but I didn’t see anyone say she was a paraplegic.). She also couldn’t use a cell phone. And the daughter couldn’t insist on a supervisor to assist?
This whole thing is greatly exaggerated.
Had exact same thing happen to us on southwest. We tried to push our grandparent and got our butts jumped because we were not qualified to push a. wheelchair . Waited 30 minutes for help.
My guess is there weren’t enough wheelchair pushers at this airport at that point in time or too many passengers requested the service at the same time.
Someone did push the lady’s wheelchair but after 40 mins of waiting.
I bet you a stranger would have pushed her wheelchair to baggage claim had she waved a $20 bill in the air.
I find this strange. I flew Delta in Sept and requested wheel chair assistance. A chair and pusher was waiting for me at every stop. One was delayed and they kept me on plane with stewards until pusher arrived. Everyone was thoughtful and gracious. I have nothing but high marks for Delta and their staff.
If Phoenix Airport builds a Motel 6 in the terminal, Motel 6 would “leave the light on for you.”