Following an American Airlines flight, two passengers discovered that their wheelchairs had not been loaded into the cargo hold. One of the affected passengers spoke out about the incident.
Last month, passenger Sam Shivers flew with American Airlines from Hawaii to Phoenix, Arizona. Mr. Shivers is paralysed all the way down from the chest and therefore dependent on his wheelchair. To his surprise, upon arrival at his destination, he discovered that his wheelchair had not been loaded. ‘Without my wheelchair, I have no legs. At that moment, I almost threw up. I thought, “Oh my god, what am I going to do?”‘ said Shivers.
The incident is remarkable because Mr. Shivers had clearly indicated during check-in that the wheelchair had to be on his flight. According to Shivers, the American Airlines staff at Phoenix Airport were very friendly and offered him and his wife a hotel stay. However, they decided to travel home to Tucson by bus. The lost wheelchair would arrive at the airport eight hours later. It later turned out that Shivers’ chair, as well as another wheelchair and a stroller, were likely deliberately loaded onto a flight to Los Angeles. American Airlines have not been able to explain the situation.
Fine
Mr. Shivers reported the problem to the US Department of Transportation, which has guidelines for such aids. American Airlines later published a message stating that the airline had reached a settlement with the department and promised to improve the travel experience for passengers making use of a wheelchair or other mobility aids.
It is not the first time such incidents happen for the airline. American Airlines has made several mistakes in the past. For that reason, the company was fined US $50 million last year. The fine included several serious violations of legislation protecting passengers with reduced mobility in the period from 2019 to 2023.