British Airways and Disability Discrimination!!

rose28454

You have misinterpreted what I said. I spoke to my sister yesterday and when they got to check in they were told they had bulkhead seats. When they got on the plane they were in the middle row with my brother in law in the aisle seat. My sister asked to be moved as the seat was not suitable for my bil so eventually they moved by bil back by 10 rows and he sat on his own for the whole flight. She did point out that if there was an emergency he would need help to get him out and therefore they should have been sat together. My BIL is a lovely gentle man who through no fault of his own had a massive stroke ( his father had on also) and has a all his marbles but his body wont do what his mind wants. My sister said the bulkhead seats were occupied by a young couple and she could not understand why the steward did not ask them if they would move. They could have said no but it would not have hurt to ask. My BIL does not play the disability card but BA did not do what they said they would do when my sister rang. Anyway why should people with children get priority over others perhaps they could pay extra to have more room for their children.

dmg24

How do you know that the 'young couple' did not have a valid reason for being seated in the bulkhead seats?

Why was the seat in question not suitable for your BIL?

Tojo_Ralph

rose28454 wrote: »

Anyway why should people with children get priority over others perhaps they could pay extra to have more room for their children.

Giving those with babies or toddlers the bulk head seats is not for the parents benefit, it's for the benefit of all the other travellers on the flight.

The only thing worse than sitting next to a full on sweaty lard arrrrrrse on a flight is having babies crying (no fault of the babys) .... So the staff will affix cribs to the bulkhead and the young uns sleep right through it.

Tojo_Ralph

nwt83 wrote: »

Rose, I am so sorry for your brother in law and that you have received so many ignorant and unhelpful replies!!!

The words you were looking for were informative and constructive.

nwt83 wrote: »

Obviously the people replying to this have no concept of disability.

Wrong assumption IMHO

nwt83 wrote: »

Is it not enough that this poor man has had a stroke???? Is he not entitled to a holiday?!?

I believe he got one.

nwt83 wrote: »

Disabled people are discriminated in every area from (the vast majority) having less earning power to having to pay A LOT more for travel insurance.

Are you familiar with the concept of risk in relation to insurance? You know, young drivers = high risk? Home in war zone = high risk? 101 medical conditions = high risk

nwt83 wrote: »

If they stopped being greedy and gave all seats a decent pitch, say 34 inches, then there wouldn't be an issue.

They are not being greedy. Airlines have years of experience with regard to passengers and the trade off between comfort and cost. More legroom = more expensive tickets.

nwt83 wrote: »

SO if they are unwilling or unable to provide accessible seats.

They are, they just cost more.

nwt83 wrote: »

If they are unwilling or unable to provide accessible seats, they should provide a free upgrade to as many of those who need it as possible.

Perhaps along with free upgrades to Business class seats for Economy passengers, the airlines could hand out free Economy seats to those who cannot afford Economy?

nwt83 wrote: »

not interested in ignorant replies from people who haven't got a clue.

Thank you for reading this far then.

saffiedale_2

i realf feel for them. as a disabled passenger i have had the same problem. last time was with firstchoice to maldives, we would pay for extra leg room. disabled cannot purchase them due to being emergeny exit seats. ok they say, we will put you at the front of the plane? yea right, a row or two back. the front row that did not have emergeny exit near there that flight was sold. yes sold. but i could not but it? i have had my stick taken and put in the overhead lockers, half way down the plane. the final insult was to be waiting for a wheelchair ang got called a stagerer by a gay cabin member. my husband went mad. i told him to chill. he may of ended up with a very intimate search by customes?? you carnt win?:mad:

Ed_86

I have read all the replies on this comment and am really quite shocked at the way in which reasoned and objected comments have been construed as 'offensive'.

Surely the reason for posting the original comment was to get other people's opinions on the matter at hand. Expecting people to say 'oh how terrible let's sue...' the OP got some very clear and non judgemental comments about the situation and how people get what they pay for pure and simple.

I am very sorry for your BIL but a if as many previous people have said the aircraft on the route only has a small number of seats YOU are deeming to be suitable then there are obviously going to be people who are disappointed.

The reason why families with young babies get the bulkheads has been explained, as have the reasons why emergency exit seats are unsuitable. I find it hard to believe that there is anymore anyone can explain.

BA in this case have acted badly, but in no way have they discriminated, they have merely been less than accomodating. One is a crime, the other is a fact of life when travelling now-a-days.

A number of people have asked why the original aisle seat was so unsuitable and how a seat ten rows back, alone, was so much better when factoring in that you Sister would not be able to care for him?

I have sympathy that you BIL has been struck down in the prime of life but the solution that you seem to want to be standard for anyone who travels and is disabled is not practical. Airlines have to balance the needs of 400 people on a flight and who is to say that there wasn't someone more deserving even than your BIL on the flight? Outwardly there may not have been but disabilities take many forms.

Please try and re read all the threads in this post as they are actually very reasoned and fair, the only offensive comments have been by the OP accusing people of being uncaring.

dmg24

saffiedale wrote: »

i realf feel for them. as a disabled passenger i have had the same problem. last time was with firstchoice to maldives, we would pay for extra leg room. disabled cannot purchase them due to being emergeny exit seats. ok they say, we will put you at the front of the plane? yea right, a row or two back. the front row that did not have emergeny exit near there that flight was sold. yes sold. but i could not but it? i have had my stick taken and put in the overhead lockers, half way down the plane. the final insult was to be waiting for a wheelchair ang got called a stagerer by a gay cabin member. my husband went mad. i told him to chill. he may of ended up with a very intimate search by customes?? you carnt win?:mad:

What is a stagerer?

What relevance does the cabin crew member's sexuality have?

Unfortunately if the seats had been sold before you asked, there is little they could have done, and again, how do you know that the people seated there did not have a reason for needing the seats?

Ed_86

saffiedale wrote: »

got called a stagerer by a gay cabin member.

I find this post offensive, what has the cabin member's sexuality got to do with anything? He acted wrongly in what he said about you but you are a bigot.

Homophobia is as much a crime as racism or any discrimination. You are now just as bad as the cabin member. Therefore undeserving of ANY sympathy.

PS I'm not gay but I am if people are going to start harking on about how they have been discriminated against and then bring in other prejudices then i have no time for them.

Tozer

Wow, some strange views being brought up.

Did BA discriminate? No, of course they didn't. They didn't say "You can't have an upgrade as you are disabled" or "Yes, you can be upgraded but it will cost you more as you are disabled." They treated the passenger in EXACTLY the same way as an able bodied person. Thus, no discrimination.

There has been some good factual points put forward. For instance, disabled persons should most definitely not sit by emergency exits as their ability to open the doors and exit would be hampered in an emergency. Thats not discrimination - it is common sense.

It is of course incredibly sad that the passenger is disabled and I think EVERY poster on here has enormous sympathies. But when people who disagree with the original poster are called "offensive" purely for disagreeing, then I think that in itself is offensive.

Quite frankly, if you don't like the answer, don't ask the question.

saffiedale_2

the cabin crew member said to us im not being nasty calling you a stagerer, he said people call me things cuz im gay?? not me. i dont care what you are mate, just dont call my wife that. he mention his preference. thats why i mentioned it. what i did not say is that another member of crew that also happened to be gay joined in. i did not call him a !!!!!!, faggot did i? no the idiot was saying stagerer for god sake. the bloke with the wheelchair said we say s for sierra means slow walkers. not im stagering. i dont suppose the idiot that posted that cmment is disabled:eek: ?