American Airlines Chicago to Dallas direct, 3.40pm, 27dec 2010

dec 29, 2010

"Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down" -said President George HW Bush when passing the law Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - 26 Juli 1990.

Embarking on a new big journey dec 21 to feb 4, 2010.

This entry will handle the flight with American Airlines (AA) from Chicago to Dallas flight 2337 dec 27.

THE GOOD
  *they upgraded me & my PCA so we could sit next to eachother in front - best seats in airplane.
* the wheelchair arrived directly to airplane entrance at landing
* assistance came promptly WHEN WE LANDED

THE BAD
*AA website DIDN'T send email-confirmation on anything (they force u to use their online form and have no email to let u have a dialogue that u can have as EVIDENCE at check-in/disputes etc!) + the AA guy who called my US cell several days before the flight REFUSED to emai-confirm anything, but promised I wouldnt have problems/pay extra for ANY of herein mentioned three (3!) AA flights ( extra weight, extrta luggage etc being free, wheelchair, wchc assistance etc)

* We (my PCA Karin + I) were at ORD Chicago Airport WELL before the 2hrs before flight AA guy who called said. BUT I HAD TO WASTE 55+ MINUTES ARGUING AT CHECK-IN BEFORE THEY FINALLY ALLOWED ME TO CHECK-IN WITHOUT PAYING EXTRA.. This time-waste resulted in:
- we almost missed plane
- no time to use restroom
- no time to buy lunch or even bring something on board
-starving due to thus skipping lunch, not eating until 9pm once our friends who picked us up in Dallas dropped us off at hotel, etc (NO too much to ask to make them wait etc)

* refused to tell me the decision to wave my paying extra for medical equipment would stand also on the upcoming 2 additional AA flights

* AA crew didnt call for assistance until at very end of debacle, hence giving the assistance WAY too little time to bring us thru security to gate.

*time-waste forcing me to worry about coming 2 AA flights and writing this (due to slow disabled fingers I write slowly).


* DISCRIMINATION!



DETAILS:


First they said totally OK for my Pers.CareAss. Karin + I to check in 4 bags together, BUT the weight was too much so I should pay usd 180 extra.


Then they finally waived the extra weight since its medical equipment, BUT SUDDENLY claimed we no longer could checkin 4 bags together, that I should pay usd 120 extra 'for having too many pieces of luggage'...


After 45 minutes and a phonecall to a relative who works for AA, a senior manager let me check in free...


YES I said from start (+ also wrote in AA's web form) that:


1) I bring one piece of luggage w normal stuff
2) The other stuff/weight IS medical equipment as said on their website + to the said AA guy who called my US cell
3)I don't want to bring all this extra stuff  (see part of it in list below) but HAVE TO FOR MEDICAL REASONS
4) I'm in the US for 46 days
5) Two MORE AA flights...
6) I fly alot with AT LEAST this same medical equipment, and have NEVER paid extra (incl China, India, Australia , New Zealand, Europe, USA + all over said places internally etc).
7) EUs 'handicap-flying law' for Persons with reduced Mobility (PRMs) allows me to bring at least 100kg EXTRA. USAs ADA law etc provides me with even more rights.


Questions: how will the coming two AA flights go? (Sunday jan 2 w AA1394 at 9.00am from Dallas to Ft Lauderdale and jan 30 with AA1699 at 1130am from Orlando to Chicago.) I asked them to fix these to as well, including to note IN THEIR computers PROPER place not to charge me extra for weight or nbr checkins/carry-ons...

Will AA make me pay extra for herein said medical equipment/disability stuff thus forcing me to consult independent 3d parties?











CLARIFICATION

i dont WANT to exit airplane first after we land.

In fact, i want to get off Last after we land.

BUT i dont wanna wait 30-60 mins AFTER last person leaves. THAT is the result SAS normally gets BECAUSE they refuse to order assistance until they  have landed.

• All airlines incl SAS have good routines for safety demo.
• MOST airlines incl SAS have good routines if a passenger is allergic to PEANUTS.
• SOME airlines have good routines of ordering assistance SEVERAL HOURS AHEAD OF LANDING, but NOT SAS !

Lack of said routine OR charging me with my herein said medical equipment etc extra for overweight/pieces of luggage IS discriminatory.

Plz confirm u will INFORM CREW  i expect them to START e said routine or I WILL FILE A NEW ERRAND W Diskrimineringsombudsmannen (Björn handles a prev. SAS errand for me)

Thanks
BACKGROUND
Despite being disabled with neurological handicap Friedreichs Ataxia (FA or FRDA), using a wheelchair + needing the help of a Personal Care Assistant (PCA) -  I have travelled to China, India, all over Europe, all over USA, Australia, New Zealand etc. Naturally I have to bring a LOT of medical equipments, medicine, tools for activities of daily living (ADL), spare parts, tools, equipment to communicate with my PCA's including walkie-talkies, cell phones, chargers, voltage converters etc (see long list at end).

Having written a thesis in college about discrimination, I KNOW my rights, incl I should NOT pay ANY extra as punishment for being disabled and needing all said extra stuff/luggage/check in / carry on, despite much of it being packed in normal bags! (How else would they look - bright red?! WHERE would I buy them? Why should I have to pay more for luggage just because I'm disabled?

On all said travels I have brought at LEST the medical equipment mentioned below in ordinary looking suitcases. NEVER had to pay extra, not for overweight, not for more pieces of luggage etc. Never have! Never will! EU has a handicap flying law where Persons with Reduced Mobility (PRM) is by LAW allowed to bring 100kg EXTRA weight. USA's Americans with Disabilities ACT (ADA) goes further.

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Read my Thesis on USA's ADA law + UK equiv: C-uppsats i retorik "Otillgänglighet är diskriminering" (Uppsala Universitet): http://www.cederholm.net/otillg_ar_diskr.pdf


CONTACT:
Peter Cederholm,
  ph +46 766 23 2000
email peter@LazyBee.biz

--------------------------------------------
The same info as below WAS submitted to AA thru the only way they allow (email FORM on their website that will NOT confirm what u wrote + AA guy that calls u claims he is NOT ALLOWED to email-confirm what he says...)


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Peter Cederholm <peter@lazybee.biz>
Date: 2010/12/7
Subject: Fwd: Angåeende din USA resa.
To: sasmedical@sas.dk
Cc: peter.o.cederholm@gmail.com

Davs Ida,

as per phone just now, I need an email from you saying that I am allowed 105 kg overweight to bring different handicap/medical equipment including the wheelchair. Since my new wheelchair is 29kg - 20kg heavier than old one, I would apprecite being allowed 120kg?

Lifestand LSE manual but w electrical stand-up function - small dry cell battery= no sparks

please confirm in email for both trips (arn-ohare PLUS ohare-arn!!!) that i:

- use my own wheelchair all the way to entrance of aircraft,

- it gets put in airlanes SPECIAL HOLDING AREA (no, not w normal luggage),

- and get brought up  directly to airplane entrance when we arrive,

+ call and order 2 person wchc-assistance SEVERAL hours BEFORE WE LAND (so as to avoid the usual SAS&BA problem where airplane staff wait to call until AFTER WE LAND (!!!) thus forcing me to WAIT 30-55 minutes alone in airplaaane after everyone leaves JUST BECAUSE STAFF REFUSED TO ORDER AIRPORT-WCHC-WITH-AISLE-CHAIR WELL AHEAD OF LANDING) 

im not sure they got wheelchair specs correct, here they are again:

Total vikt
29 kg
Stolens bredd
500mm [widht WITH WHEELS still on 65 cm].
Stolens längd
1020 mm
Stolens höjd(beroende på ryggstödshöjd)
1000 mm

all other medical equipment than wheelchair will be packed in xtra checkin suitcases + xtra small carry-on bags:

techaids (=medical euipment to asist Activities for daily Living:
hand sanitizer gel in carry on: very smallbottle (59 ml = 2 oz) of: equaline waterless hand sanitizer with aloe and vitamin E, "kills germs without water", compare woth Purell active ingredient. IF u dont like i'll skip it :)
on top of normally allowed weight/nbr luggage pieces allowed for everyone (both check -in + carry-on) i will,, FOR MEDICAL HANDICAP REASONS, BRING extree weight + extra luggage pieces (both carry-on + check-in) to bring all below. I will put stuff in carry-on I cannot be without in case the check-in gets lost/delayed (YES HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN) ,, maybe an extra carry-on + 1-2 extra check-in bags ALL IN ALL CA 40-60KG OVERWEIGHT plus weight/space for special luggage such as wheelchairs etc. and variou((UTÖVER normalvikt/#kollin tillåtna för alla (carry-on +checkin) kommer jag ha med XTRA VIKT/KOLLIN BÅDE CARRY-ON & CHECKIN  för att få plats med nedan + mer handikappgrejer. Brukar bli ca en extra ryggsäck carry-on med det jag ABSOLUT EJ KLARAR MIG UTAN IFALL CHECK-IN försenas / försvinner (JO händer ibland!) + brukar bli 1-2 stora extra resväskor checkin:
Gripbelt to lift and move (greppbälte)
4 mobile grips for bathroom (4 mobila grepp t badrum)
And more techaies including spareparts to booth wheelchairs + spareparts to booth above and below menchioned techaies (mfl hjälpmedel inkl reservdelar till min egen medhavda rullstol + reservdelar ovan och nedan nämnda hjälpmedel)
Tools for techaies (verktyg t hjälpmedlen)
2 big medicineboxes full of pils.(2 stora pillerlådor med massa medicin)
Legsupport for the hygienechair (benstöd & potta till hygienstolen)
Shower shoes (duschskor)
Several diabetes tools and spareparts for the diabetes measuring machine(diabeteshjälpmedel (inkl blodsockermätare med tillbehör/ reservdelar)
Electronics and cables for them (elektronik och sladdar till dem)
2 non-slip mats (anti-glid mattor)
4 bottles to pee in (4 kissflaskor)
2 sliding parts when transfering from bed, to toilet etc..(2 glidbrädor)
walkie talkies + xtra mobilphons to communicate wpersonal assistants
Hand alcohol to kill germs (handsprit)
disallowed by airlines:klorin. Alternative to klorin that is allowed on airplanes: farmacy sold liquid we need to clean thee pee bottles its called DAX surface desinfection and we keep some of it in a smaller listerine bottle. This is instead of klorin wich no airline will alloud. (att tvätta kissflaskor, potta mm)
One time gloves (engångshandskar)
wetnapkins (våtservetter)
velcrobands in different length to help in wheelchair etc (kardborreband olika längd)
Ducttape (vävtejt)
Plastic stripes to repair the techaids (=medical euipment to asist Activities for daily Living) if they brake (bultband)
shakers
Diabetesproteinpowder (diabetesproteinpulver)
Small hygiene towels (små hygienhanndukar)
Lots of plasticbags for peebottles and hygien etc (massa plastpåsar till kissflaskor mm hygien)
10-20 diabetesproteinbars (low-gi)
Batterys for diabetesmachine, walkietalkies and for other medical equipment (batterier till diabetesmaskin, walkietalkies mm medicinsk utrustning)
 Doctors papers for diving and medical condition + medicines explain (ta med dig ett läkarintyg på engelska där det framgår vad du har med dig för medicin).
Duvet beedsheet cover because American cruise only have then in their suites and i need it for medical reasons.

Arm-rest-table for the wheelchair (ihopfällbart bord till rullstolen)
ALL THE ABOVE ARE NEEDED FOR MEDICAL handicap REASONS SINCE I HAVE THE NEUROLOGICAL HANDICAP FRIEDREICH ATAXIA THAT AFFECTS PEOPLE VERY DIFFERENTLY.