British Airways and Disability Discrimination!!

dmg24

Tojo_Ralph wrote: »

I am baffled as to why you would be denied an exit row travelling alone?

I travel alone 95% of the time and get exit rows whenever available..... i.e whenever I have checked in early enough at the airport and demonstrated the fact that I am able bodied.

Yep, me too, pretty much the only time I haven't had an exit row seat was when I was with someone!

After the agent had make the left handed comment, I thought he was joking when he said he couldn't allocate me the exit row (the woman was two desks down but chose to ring him?!). He was very apologetic, and I get the feeling it was the first time he had heard the reason/ excuse too ... maybe she was the ex and didn't like him flirting with me?!! x

IvanOpinion

*jobags* wrote: »

Can I be a bit thick and ask what a bulkhead seat is?

I'm flying to Miami on 22nd May with my 13 month old twins and terminally ill 5 year old son
Would a bulkhead seat be better? (wherever that is)

We've been told he should get a window seat as he needs Oxygen (we have to pay £100 each way for that - not complaining but just wanted to ward off anyone complaining about us getting special treatment)

If you're planning to fly to Miami with BA on that date you may wish to reconsider - the twins are very active and have just learned shouting, the boy can fart for England

not quite sure if you are serious or not .... when you say he needs a window seat because he needs oxygen, I usually find the pilot gets annoyed if you try to open the window.

on the other hand (a bit more serious), if he needs a window seat then the bulk head ones are often at the emergency exits. Generally they only allow able bodied adult passengers the emergency exit seats.

Ivan

rose28454

dmg24 wrote: »

I am not making fun of your brother in law at all, I am making fun of your complete overreaction!

I don't think that anybody should be discriminated against for any reason, but am I less important than a person in a couple, or than a person with a visible disability (I am also disabled, but mine is less apparent)?

The airline could not provide my request (which I was no more entitled to than the next person, I had paid no more than them), and so on the basis of your argument, I should get a free upgrade!

The whole point of this thread was that BA would not allow my bil to check in online (and then be responsible for their own choice of seat -be it right or wrong) and therefore they did in fact discriminate as they did not provide the same choice to everyone.

loftus

IvanOpinion wrote: »

not quite sure if you are serious or not .... when you say he needs a window seat because he needs oxygen, I usually find the pilot gets annoyed if you try to open the window.

on the other hand (a bit more serious), if he needs a window seat then the bulk head ones are often at the emergency exits. Generally they only allow able bodied adult passengers the emergency exit seats.

Ivan

I assumed that the poster meant her son needed oxygen from an external source - rather than outside - and it would bloke the space between the seats so would need to go next to the window to avoid doing so.

dmg24

rose28454 wrote: »

The whole point of this thread was that BA would not allow my bil to check in online (and then be responsible for their own choice of seat -be it right or wrong) and therefore they did in fact discriminate as they did not provide the same choice to everyone.

:whistle: :whistle: :whistle:

Poppy9

budgetflyer wrote: »

This is not so bizarre as first thought. (GENERALLY )from my experience, first language spoken ie for safety info, is normally that of majority of passengers.
(Ironically, in most cases, this being a UK site + most folk fly from UK)
but there could be instances, ie lo cost flights back to Europe after football matches etc where the majority of passengers are Spanish , Italian etc where this could be a major consideration on a flight.

A friend's family were flying from France to visit her in Wales with KLM. On the flight they had seats by the emergency exits. The stewardess came up and asked them if they spoke English and they said a little (my friend said her sister and BIL english is dreadful). The stewardess started pointing to the emergency handle and my friend's sister said "I know, no touch, no touch!":D The stewardess just went away. I guess she figured if you are in the situation that you need to open the door, you open it and don't need to be told!

Tojo_Ralph

dmg24 wrote: »

Yep, me too, pretty much the only time I haven't had an exit row seat was when I was with someone!

Today I was told at check in I could not get an aisle seat because I did not speak Spanish!! :eek:

Or rather that was the message relayed to me by my Spanish speaking colleague. Naturally I suggested they GTF as the airline had no such policy... And I got my aisle seat.

donny_osmonds_mad_fan

Jobags...i think I may know you and have sent you a private message

coolio_2

rose28454 wrote: »

To change the subject slightly he has just got his driving licence back after being disqualified 10 years ago for a drink driving offence and 1 year after applying he was assesed as fit to drive with his disability and has just got a specially adapted car and is really happy. However he has to pay £22.00 to have the Drink Driving removed from his licence even though it was 10 years ago and he only lost it for 2 years.

And rightly so, I'm only sorry it wasn't considerably more than £22

Is anyone else starting to think rose is a troll?

duchy

Well she's persistant
As the mother of a son with a disability and a mid tier frequent flyer (not with BA but same group so I get the same priveleges with BA) I find this whole thread incredible. If you choose to buy economy (which I do-or perhaps my bank manager chooses for me) then expect to FLY economy too. The days of arbitary upgrades are long gone on any decent airline (the rubbish ones might do it as they can't fill their planes) on a transatlantic flight. If I want to upgrade I pay-as a frequent flyer I might use miles to pay but it still costs me and I'm upgrading at the expense of those miles that could be used for a free ticket another time instead.