American Airlines tests new boarding procedure

[WinniWoman]

I know. I've seen all of the posts here complaining about it. While I'm sure there are some people who take advantage of this, there are many that truly need it. And those who truly need it don't always look like they do.

I’m one of those. If a gate is close I can usually walk it. But my problem begins the longer or faster I need to walk. Once at the gate I don’t need to be in a wheelchair at all. I’ve had people get mad at me when I board because I am standing normally in line with no wheelchair. They also see me walking around a bit while waiting for the plane. I can’t sit too long either.

My husband has to put the carryon on the bin because no way I can lift anything over my head.

Upon arrival again, if I need to walk real far for a connection, or run, no can do.
Or even if let’s say the parking lot or the luggage retrieval is very far. Unless I can take some breaks and sit a short time.

Last year when I got to Logan at 5:30 in the morning no one could tell me how to get the wheelchair we “ ordered”. But we were lucky because the gate was real close so we just walked to it.

 

[klpca]

We are supposed to leave on a trip on Thursday that is probably not going to happen. On Sunday I somehow I hurt my back. By Monday morning I could hardly move and was in Urgent Care by 7:45. I am taking norco, a muscle relaxer, and prednisone and I am still in a lot of pain. If I had to fly, I might be able to do it, but there is zero chance that I could stand in line, put a bag in the overhead bin, or walk between gates. When I broke my foot in the BVIs I used the wheelchair in the airport in Puerto Rico, but when we landed in Charlotte our gates were side by side so I didn't need a wheelchair. I didn't know what gate we were assigned until we landed so there was no way to let someone know beforehand. There are other reasons that people don't use a wheelchair for both flights. So you never who who is cheating the system and who needs help. I hate cheaters more than anyone else, but somehow we also need to stop assuming that *everyone* is cheating the system.

 

[davidvel]

We are supposed to leave on a trip on Thursday that is probably not going to happen. On Sunday I somehow I hurt my back. By Monday morning I could hardly move and was in Urgent Care by 7:45. I am taking norco, a muscle relaxer, and prednisone and I am still in a lot of pain. If I had to fly, I might be able to do it, but there is zero chance that I could stand in line, put a bag in the overhead bin, or walk between gates. When I broke my foot in the BVIs I used the wheelchair in the airport in Puerto Rico, but when we landed in Charlotte our gates were side by side so I didn't need a wheelchair. I didn't know what gate we were assigned until we landed so there was no way to let someone know beforehand. There are other reasons that people don't use a wheelchair for both flights. So you never who who is cheating the system and who needs help. I hate cheaters more than anyone else, but somehow we also need to stop assuming that *everyone* is cheating the system.

I don't know anyone, certainly not here, that has claimed everyone was cheating.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I don't know anyone, certainly not here, that has claimed everyone was cheating.

Bingo!!!

I raised this point. What I was thinking of are passengers who, when boarding the plane, seemingly require a wheelchair and an attendant to get down the jetway and stow their bags on the airplane. And thus take advantage of pre-boarding so that they can board without delaying the boarding process for other passengers.

Yet, when the flight lands, those same passengers are suddenly spry enough to get their bags out of the overhead bins and haul themselves and those bags up the jetway without delaying unboarding for other passengers. And although they couldn't get to the gate without wheelchair assistance, miraculously they can now transit a concourse and get to the airport exit or baggae claim without apparent difficulty. I even recall instances of being at a baggage claim carousel, and seeing people who needed wheelchair assistance easily grabbing and unloading large luggage items off the cart and hauling them to the curb.

It's miraculous, I tell you. I think a good clinical study is needed to identify those people and figure out what happens during the flight to produce such miraculous results.

 

[moonstone]

It's miraculous, I tell you. I think a good clinical study is needed to identify those people and figure out what happens during the flight to produce such miraculous results.

We witnessed that on our return flight from Amsterdam 3 years ago. There was a couple who appeared to be late 60's, maybe early 70's who both requested wheelchairs to our gate in Amsterdam and onto the plane when they were ahead of us at the KLM check-in counter. It appeared that they had walked that far on their own. They were loudly complaining about how long it was taking for their wheelchairs to arrive while looking at my dad who was already in one, since his was pre-arranged and we had been met curbside with it. When we landed in Toronto there were wheelchairs waiting for them (as well as my 91 yr old dad, and a few others who definitely appeared to need them) as soon as we stepped off the plane. In Toronto it can be a very long walk/ride from the plane's arrival gate to Customs and Immigration plus a trip downstairs. The wheelchair pushers in Toronto are divided in groups, so 1 will push the person from the plane to the elevator and park them there. Then another person will ride up in the elevator, load the folks on, take them down to the Customs Hall and push them a few feet from the elevator to wait for yet another pusher to take them to the Customs/Immigration desks and then to baggage claim. While we were waiting for the elevator, in a group of 6-8 wheelchairs (& their accompanying family), it arrived on our floor twice with no elevator operator -just empty. The doors opened then after a few seconds they closed. Lots of people were complaining, especially the couple who didn't appear to be needing a WC. When the doors opened a 3rd time with nobody there DH grabbed my dad's wheelchair and told DD & I to follow him. We all got on the elevator and took it downstairs where the previous riders were still waiting there for a pusher. We went around them and over to the line for wheelchair folks and within a few minutes along comes the complaining couple -walking and pulling their carry-on bags! My dad said look, they're miraculously cured, they can walk! Of course they tried to walk into the line for wheelchairs but an airport staff member directed them to the regular line up, which was huge! We laughed!


~Diane

 

[WinniWoman]

We witnessed that on our return flight from Amsterdam 3 years ago. There was a couple who appeared to be late 60's, maybe early 70's who both requested wheelchairs to our gate in Amsterdam and onto the plane when they were ahead of us at the KLM check-in counter. It appeared that they had walked that far on their own. They were loudly complaining about how long it was taking for their wheelchairs to arrive while looking at my dad who was already in one, since his was pre-arranged and we had been met curbside with it. When we landed in Toronto there were wheelchairs waiting for them (as well as my 91 yr old dad, and a few others who definitely appeared to need them) as soon as we stepped off the plane. In Toronto it can be a very long walk/ride from the plane's arrival gate to Customs and Immigration plus a trip downstairs. The wheelchair pushers in Toronto are divided in groups, so 1 will push the person from the plane to the elevator and park them there. Then another person will ride up in the elevator, load the folks on, take them down to the Customs Hall and push them a few feet from the elevator to wait for yet another pusher to take them to the Customs/Immigration desks and then to baggage claim. While we were waiting for the elevator, in a group of 6-8 wheelchairs (& their accompanying family), it arrived on our floor twice with no elevator operator -just empty. The doors opened then after a few seconds they closed. Lots of people were complaining, especially the couple who didn't appear to be needing a WC. When the doors opened a 3rd time with nobody there DH grabbed my dad's wheelchair and told DD & I to follow him. We all got on the elevator and took it downstairs where the previous riders were still waiting there for a pusher. We went around them and over to the line for wheelchair folks and within a few minutes along comes the complaining couple -walking and pulling their carry-on bags! My dad said look, they're miraculously cured, they can walk! Of course they tried to walk into the line for wheelchairs but an airport staff member directed them to the regular line up, which was huge! We laughed!


~Diane

I can tell you from past experience and what I have thus far experienced on the trip
I’m on right now.

I preordered a wheel chair for all my flights. Check in at Boston and told the rep we ordered a wheelchair. She made a phone call and we just sat. And sat. And sat.

I was getting antsy and then we decided to get up and walk to try to find out how far the gate was.

Then we bump into an employee with a wheelchair and ask him if he can take me to our gate and he agreed. Good thing because the gate was far in a new section.

Get to Munich- no one there with a wheelchair. We decide since we have 6 hours we will walk and take breaks. We pre board as scheduled. It’s on our boarding pass after all.

Get to Catania- no wheelchair there either. Again, we take our time walking to baggage claim. Thankfully our transport driver was right outside that door with our name in big letters.

This kind of thing happened to me last year. Round trip connecting flights- only two airport's had wheelchairs waiting for me though they were ordered.

Last April I had to ask for one leaving from our home airport, even though it was preordered and nothing was at the connecting flight, but then when I got home there was one waiting for me.

So nothing is reliable or consistent. I can walk, but I can’t walk real far or run to catch a flight.

Thankfully I won’t be flying after this anyway. And the flight I had coming into Munich sealed that decision which I will write about in another post when I get back from our trip.

 

[davidvel]

I can tell you from past experience and what I have thus far experienced on the trip
I’m on right now.

I preordered a wheel chair for all my flights. Check in at Boston and told the rep we ordered a wheelchair. She made a phone call and we just sat. And sat. And sat.

I was getting antsy and then we decided to get up and walk to try to find out how far the gate was.

Then we bump into an employee with a wheelchair and ask him if he can take me to our gate and he agreed. Good thing because the gate was far in a new section.

Get to Munich- no one there with a wheelchair. We decide since we have 6 hours we will walk and take breaks. We pre board as scheduled. It’s on our boarding pass after all.

Get to Catania- no wheelchair there either. Again, we take our time walking to baggage claim. Thankfully our transport driver was right outside that door with our name in big letters.

This kind of thing happened to me last year. Round trip connecting flights- only two airport's had wheelchairs waiting for me though they were ordered.

Last April I had to ask for one leaving from our home airport, even though it was preordered and nothing was at the connecting flight, but then when I got home there was one waiting for me.

So nothing is reliable or consistent. I can walk, but I can’t walk real far or run to catch a flight.

Thankfully I won’t be flying after this anyway. And the flight I had coming into Munich sealed that decision which I will write about in another post when I get back from our trip.

What a bummer.

 

[krystalp]

Personally, i think boarding should be by seating....windows then centers then aisles!

That is precisely the comment I was about to make! I have just done a flight with American, and the crew were all miserable and unfriendly - I was not impressed and will avoid them another time.

 

[davidvel]

That is precisely the comment I was about to make! I have just done a flight with American, and the crew were all miserable and unfriendly - I was not impressed and will avoid them another time.

If you do that for every airline that you experience this, you will be on the bus or train.