AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT CREW'S SELFISHNESS HURTS DISABLED TRAVELER - 8

WHEELCHAIR SEVERELY DAMAGED BY UNCARING GROUND CREW AFTER AMERICN AIRLINES FLIGHT CREW REFUSES TO MOVE ITS LUGGAGE TO ACCOMMODATE ONBOARD WHEELCHAIR STORAGE

Editor's note: We arrived home on Dec. 31 from a week in Mexico City. The City was great, our Hotel -- the St.Regis -- was spectacular but the flight getting there was a nightmare caused by American Airlines employees who are abusive toward the needs of disabled travelers. It is no wonder why this carrier is in banktruptcy. We will share our tale of disability discrimination during the next several days. The postings are in the form of a letter to American Airlines, which has not even been addressed -- despite the urgency of our complaints.

Thankfully, the crew on the return Flight 2188 (Dec. 31, 2011) heard our pleas and allowed me to take my wife’s wheelchair apart and store it in the front closet. The closet was full of crew luggage, but they quickly moved their stuff to some very nearby vacant overhead bins in first class.

I thanked the crew profusely and they were shocked.

They said “this is what we do for disabled people.

This is the right thing to do and that’s what we do.”

I politely explained that the crew on Dec. 25 did the opposite and we suffered greatly because of it.

Upon return to Miami, we did not have to go to baggage claim because we carried on our two small bags.

We went to the baggage claim area, but saw no one capable of handing a complaint about a wheelchair damaged on a flight.

Besides, my wife was in pain, we were exhausted and wanted to get home.