I know and agree that helping the woman in the wheel chair would have been the right thing to do, but my true feelings are that is it not someone elses responsibility to help. I would hope that in such a situation most people would help and that I too would... but as for being upset no one did... it really isn't their job. I feel especially horrible for saying this because my grandma is in a wheel chair. At the same time, she is extremely self sufficent... and if she does need help, she specifically asks for it. Obviously this women just expected help and could not have communicated it properly. No one leaves a women alone on the tarmac after being told they will not be able to do it themselves. (if that is the case that it really is a horrible move). I guess I'm somewhat torn on the issue. I think both sides are to blame. I see it more as miscommuncation that complete and utter disrespect.

My husband is paralyzed from the chest down, but before he was, I didn't know much about wheelchairs so I guess I can understand some of the idiotic and thoughtless comments I see posted here. Such as, why did she take a connecting flight? Well, maybe she's not the booking wizard many of you are, and she took what she could afford, or what her travel agent gave her. Or, why is a person in a wheelchair traveling without an aide. Please. Who can afford to, if she's in a wheelchair, she already has expenses that most of you could not begin to fathom, and besides, the airlines say they accomodate WC's. And most do a great job, in our experience. Why did she call her daughter? My husband calls me when he's in a jam, hoping I will have advice or just to give him moral support. Maybe her cell was almost dead, and she needed someone who could make calls for her. Or, why didn't she take a shuttle or a limo? Shuttles are rarely able to accomodate a wheelchair. Limos never are. If she can't walk, she can't stand up to get into a vehicle. Forget about taxis, too. The W-chairs don't fit in the trunk, and nobody is going to carry you in and out even if you have a foldable. Wheelchair van rentals are hundreds of dollars just across town, they charge about half what an ambulance charges. Most regular folks can't afford them and most private insurance doesn't cover them. Most planes don't have room for a "real" wheelchair onboard, such as a power chair, so that gets stowed, and you are stuck in a tiny chair that requires a pusher to go more than a few inches. Even if you are in a good chair, and can use your arms to use a phone, it doesn't mean you have the strength to wheel youself across a tarmac, uphill, etc. If your plane stopped on tarmac, people have to carry you down the plane steps, or they bring a hydraulic lift over to convey you down to the ground. It happens after everyone else deplanes, and the crew is only obligated to stick around until you're off the plane. And it's obvious they are anxious as heck to get you off and get going. But I agree, it's pretty unlikely you'd just be left on the tarmac. The airport staff takes over once you are off the plane. And it's also become clear that this particular story was fiction. But unless you truly know what it's like to be totally wheelchair-dependant, don't jump to conclusions about what is and is not reasonable. We have thousands of troops coming home every year who will be in WC's the rest of their lives; they are going to face so much frustration and financial hardship already without dealing with people thinking they have all the answers for them when in reality, they don't know the first thing about it.

If she was able to pick up a phone (cell or landline) to call her daughter, why couldn't she wheel herself if not to wherever she was going at least off the damn tarmac?? And if she was blowing a call (cell or landline) why didn't she call information for the airport security or airline or something and tell them HEY! I'm on the effing tarmac and none of your inconsiderate employees will help me!

How her daughter was going to help (assuming) hundreds/thousands of miles away I don't know.

@fesslove: I think it would've been reasonable, if they had arranged for that and made sure that she was getting help the entire way there, like othium: said. Even if they called ahead, and made arrangements, I'd make sure that she was getting help the whole way. When someone flies alone, they make plans. How is being disabled and flying alone any different? It means you have to make more accommodations and plans, like bringing a cell phone. Cell phones, for their basic functions, are not hard to use.

However, this story sounds really fishy.

The people I assist every day make their own transportation plans and always leave some "wiggle room" for unexpected delays, etc. They tell me "always have a fall-back plan, just in case."

She could have called to ask for assistance from the airport ahead of time, or inquired as to what sort of services were available. I hate to blame the person in this situation, as sounds like a sad situation, but this was very much preventable with some simple pre-planning.

Providing a personal caretaker to someone on a flight is not a "reasonable accommodation".

The question I have is did she try & get anybodys attention? Is she disabled enough that she can't just push her way off the tarmac? If she was able to call her daughter, perhaps she had use of her limbs somehow. I know if I was wheelchair bound, I would yell at the top of my freakin' lungs for someone to help me. I was wave my arms or throw something, anything to get a fellow passenger or workers attention. So many questions, so little answers....

[www.floridatoday.com]
"We don't have any accounts that we left her unattended. She ended up missing the connecting flight to Orlando because the flight from California was delayed," said Liz Landau, a spokeswoman with U.S. Airways.

"She was supposed to get there at 11:02 a.m. but the flight didn't arrive until 11:40 p.m. The flight to Orlando was departing at 11:45 p.m. She wouldn't have made that flight."

Landau said workers, who removed her from jet and took her to the airport terminal, gave her a meal voucher and put her in a hotel.

"We got her on a new flight the next day and upgraded her to first class."

Landau also said that for safety reasons, a passenger would not be allowed to remain on the tarmac.

I found [www.floridatoday.com]

gives a little more detail.

@esthermofet: I flew into Vegas early Sunday morning. They were having trouble with the Jet Bridges and we had to walk across the tarmac, too.

1. Yes, but in this particular case the woman had access to a larger hub.

2. No, I give you more credit then to think you'd sit/stand/kneel on the tarmac waiting for someone to come along and help you. It's a different situation.

3. Now you're just being silly.

@CaffeinatedSquint: Maybe reception was bad out on the tarmac?

Was she led to believe by U.S. Airways that their employees would be helping her? Had their employees helped her before? Did she just assume they would (for whatever reason)? Does she normally rely on the kindness of strangers? Did she have help that bailed at the last second? What's the deal?

I also want to know why she was flying alone. That doesn't mean I assume she has the money to hire a butler to push her chair while serving her patte.

A lot of people who are in wheelchairs can't roll themselves anywhere, sure, but if she wasn't flying with someone, how exactly could she get anywhere if she couldn't roll herself? It sounds like the daughter didn't make plans with the airline ahead of time to see if her mother could have an attendant bring her to the gate, or make sure she reached her proper destination. how the heck was she going to get to her connecting flight if she couldn't do it on her own?

Did you ever think that not everyone lives near an airport that serves as a large hub and that a non stop flight from one city to another is absolutely not possible unless you lease your own private jet? My family's probably going to be booking a cruise in a couple weeks that departs from and returns to San Juan, Puerto Rico. I've been looking at flights, and not a single carrier has direct flights from St. Louis to San Juan. We have to stop in Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami or Orlando if we want to get to San Juan.

So I'm guessing when the first leg of my flight is late and I miss my connection, you'll be blaming me for not taking a non stop flight? Or are you going to tell me to drive to Puerto Rico to avoid problems?

@solmssen: Thanks for pointing that out (re:salaciousness). I was expecting at least some hanky-panky to be in the story somehow, and was sorely disappointed.

If you promise salaciousness, then you had damn better deliver!

I'm with wannabejew and also give-up.

As a matter of clarification, that is exactly how you treat your customers.

Now, can somebody explain to me how any passenger, at any time, is ever placed on a tarmac at any international airport? Perhaps they meant to say she was wheeled onto the concourse.

But hey, life's simple when you're not disabled and have all the answers, huh?

You're absolutely right. We all know how disabled people always have so much money that they can afford to fly someone else with them, and also that they always know someone who can travel on their schedule!

@solmssen: Normally I'm opposed to grammar/spelling/usage nitpicking, but I'm with you on this one. I was expecting some salaciousness in the story, perhaps involving hot US Airways flight attendants making out in the cockpit while the poor woman waited on the tarmac.

Instead, I got just standard thoughtlessness. You need to manage my expectations better, consumerist.

@Major-General: Correction, taking the LAX-MCO PLUS the shuttle/shared ride van/limosine/private jet/camel.

@MercuryPDX: From Bakersfield? Maybe if your destinations are major hubs, but not Orlando.

Also, it's more like three hours in an airport shuttle. And maybe the connecting flight was cheaper than taking the shuttle down. I know my local shuttle to LAX runs $70 round trip, and I live an hour from LAX. Or I could under certain circumstances take the train down...for $40 roundtrip.

@solmssen: Thank goodness you were here. I only hope you can spread your message of vocabulary throughout the whole internet -- before it's too late.

If she was not able to wheel herself around, why was she flying alone?

Even though it would be nice if some airport personal would help - but I know if my job was loading bags at the airport, and I decided to be helpful and take someone all the way to their connecting flight, then walk back to my regular job in a little bit - I would probable get in trouble for not doing my job since my boss does not want to have a negative comment on Consumerist about how they never get all the bag loaded on time and can't seem to get bags where they are suppose to go.

I know I'm being pedantic, but I get tired of watching web discourse turn into a bad Norm Crosby routine, especially when a definition is a click away...

i'm sure someone will say she desrved it because when she bought the ticket she agreed to their terms and agreements which clearly stated it's no one job to push your wheelchair off the tarmac, and that is she does a charge back she commiting fruad. lmao. there you go B*#@n.

It doesn't sound like she makes this trip often, why not indulge in an airport shuttle or a limo... if only for the piece of mind and door to door service.

And just where will you find non-stop flights to the majority of destinations?

The airline actually used the phrase "Deal with our customers"?
That alone doesn't sound too customer centric. Maybe deal with our employees and work with our customers would have been better.

There has....*has* to be more to this story. There has to be. Not to excuse the airline in the least because, come on, how do you just ignore a passenger in a wheelchair just kinda hanging out? How could the number of employees who must have seen her not even stop to ask her what was up? But what did the woman do to call attention to her situation? Did she sit there quietly? Did she try to flag people down? So many questions! Why are so many of these stories so damn skimpy with information? Damnit, I need to be a reporter so I can ASK THESE QUESTIONS.

"Pushing a lady in a wheel chair."

I would expect the answer from the boss to be,
"That's not your job, your suspended/fired/a moron."

Why aren't they taking this seriously???

@trollkiller: Maybe thats what it was:

Billy Bob Thornton: "Cessna 240, bear right 10*"
John Cusack: "Oh, you almost clipped her with the prop!"
Billy Bob: "I'll get her with that 747"

I wouldve asked someone for help.

My buddy just got his laptop stolen by US Airways flying from England to Calgary with 2 layover stops in the states. Anyone have any suggestions?

Well this definately qualifies for the 2007 "not MY job!" award!

Congrats!

I've flown into Vegas a zillion times and have never deplaned anywhere but at a gate. Something is goofy about this story.

(I was 16 at the time, and working at that grocery store)

The daughter wants a solution? Three words: Non-stop Flights Only.

It looks like her arms are functional judging from the picture. Why didn't she just wheel herself there by herself? Maybe her arms aren't strong enough to move her massive weight around?