Australian airline company discriminates against disabled! PLEASE READ!

[scooterrach]

Hi all,

I have been debating on whether or not to post this, but decided that it needs to be told. Below is an email that I wrote to my cousin who happens to be a travel agent. I'm also going to be posting this on the Disability section of CC aswell. Please give me your feedback. I have not taken this any further and don't intend to, but I thought people needed to hear what happened to me.

 

"I looked online first to see the best price I could get and found Virgin was the cheapest and at the best times. I rang them, the first lady I spoke to was delightful. She told me that she just needed a few measurements of my chair and then could book my tickets. I said this was great as I had flown with Virgin late last year and had no problems. She then put me on hold and just needed to check the regulations, no probs so far. When she came back she asked me the height of my wheelchair. I measured and told her it was 120cm. She said that she couldn't see any issue but would put me through to the head office just in case.

I waited on hold for a while and was greeted by another staff member. She asked me the height of my wheelchair, I repeated 120cm. She proceeded to tell me, that my chair had to be 84cm or under. I took my headrest off and re-measured, told her it was now 100cm. She told me it had to be 84cm to travel.

 

I told her that I had travelled with Virgin in October last year to Queensland with the same equipment without any hassle, and asked what regulations had changed. She started to get quite angry and told me no regulations had been changed and my chair had to be 84cm or under to travel.

 

I told her that I'm a very small person, with a small wheelchair and no-one I know who uses an electric wheelchair has one under 84cm tall. She told me in a very stern way that if I contacted my manufacturer they would assure me that my chair could be broken down into pieces and would be able to travel. I told her that my chair was specially made and this cannot happen due to the fact that is welded together.

 

Once again I was greeted with "I assure you if you contact your manufacturer then they will tell you it can be taken apart". I asked her why is this ridiculous rule in place that my wheelchair has to only be 84cm tall? She replied, because Virgin knows that your wheelchair is your life and we will only take wheelchairs that are under 84cm that way it doesn't have to be laid down and therefore there is less risk of damaging it. I told her I wasn't happy with this and felt it was discrimination.

 

She then told me, now get this, "I will happily take your booking now and if you show up at the airport and the engineers can't put your wheelchair in then you cannot fly".

 

I got very angry, and told her this was ridiculous and I was not paying $6000 for a cruise that I could not go on because I was stranded at Perth Airport. I told her I was going to be contacting lawyers and TV stations because it was complete discrimination and I know many other people with disabilities who have had the same treatment.

 

She then asked me to warn Virgin before I took action by writing a complaint through their website. I hung up.

 

Why should I warn virgin when they had no intention of making it public that they do not want customers with disabilities?

 

Virgin knows my wheelchair is my life? No my wheelchair aids me in having a life and that's what I was trying to do by having a holiday!"

Thanks for reading this I hope it gets others worked up. I did receive a response from the company in their defense, however it says nothing except that is what their policy is.

[sweet_successes]

OMG - that is horrible - that is definitely discrimination - I would go to the media and also contact a lawyer. What are the other airlines policies??? I wonder if they are the same.

 

I hope you can get this sorted out soon

 

Rach

[qld cruiser]

Hi all,

I have been debating on whether or not to post this, but decided that it needs to be told. Below is an email that I wrote to my cousin who happens to be a travel agent. I'm also going to be posting this on the Disability section of CC aswell. Please give me your feedback. I have not taken this any further and don't intend to, but I thought people needed to hear what happened to me.

 

"I looked online first to see the best price I could get and found Virgin was the cheapest and at the best times. I rang them, the first lady I spoke to was delightful. She told me that she just needed a few measurements of my chair and then could book my tickets. I said this was great as I had flown with Virgin late last year and had no problems. She then put me on hold and just needed to check the regulations, no probs so far. When she came back she asked me the height of my wheelchair. I measured and told her it was 120cm. She said that she couldn't see any issue but would put me through to the head office just in case.

I waited on hold for a while and was greeted by another staff member. She asked me the height of my wheelchair, I repeated 120cm. She proceeded to tell me, that my chair had to be 84cm or under. I took my headrest off and re-measured, told her it was now 100cm. She told me it had to be 84cm to travel.

 

I told her that I had travelled with Virgin in October last year to Queensland with the same equipment without any hassle, and asked what regulations had changed. She started to get quite angry and told me no regulations had been changed and my chair had to be 84cm or under to travel.

 

I told her that I'm a very small person, with a small wheelchair and no-one I know who uses an electric wheelchair has one under 84cm tall. She told me in a very stern way that if I contacted my manufacturer they would assure me that my chair could be broken down into pieces and would be able to travel. I told her that my chair was specially made and this cannot happen due to the fact that is welded together.

 

Once again I was greeted with "I assure you if you contact your manufacturer then they will tell you it can be taken apart". I asked her why is this ridiculous rule in place that my wheelchair has to only be 84cm tall? She replied, because Virgin knows that your wheelchair is your life and we will only take wheelchairs that are under 84cm that way it doesn't have to be laid down and therefore there is less risk of damaging it. I told her I wasn't happy with this and felt it was discrimination.

 

She then told me, now get this, "I will happily take your booking now and if you show up at the airport and the engineers can't put your wheelchair in then you cannot fly".

 

I got very angry, and told her this was ridiculous and I was not paying $6000 for a cruise that I could not go on because I was stranded at Perth Airport. I told her I was going to be contacting lawyers and TV stations because it was complete discrimination and I know many other people with disabilities who have had the same treatment.

 

She then asked me to warn Virgin before I took action by writing a complaint through their website. I hung up.

 

Why should I warn virgin when they had no intention of making it public that they do not want customers with disabilities?

 

Virgin knows my wheelchair is my life? No my wheelchair aids me in having a life and that's what I was trying to do by having a holiday!"

 

 

Thanks for reading this I hope it gets others worked up. I did receive a response from the company in their defense, however it says nothing except that is what their policy is.

 

 

Hi scooterrach, I am sorry to read of your difficulty with the Airline.

have you rang Qantas ???

I know that different aircraft take different height chairs with Qantas.

a boeing 737 is width 100cms. height 84cms. length 125cms

the Bombardier Dash 8 width 85cms. height130cms length115cms.

I hope you find a way around it. because lots of people enjoy a cruise in

electric chairs, wheelchairs etc.

 

kind regards, Lorraine:) :)

[scooterrach]

Yeah, I actually told Qantas of my ordeal. They were disgusted and gave me flights straight away.

 

At least I'll get a meal right lol

[Croozin']

It does sound strange. I personally wouldn't go to one of the tabloid rubbish current affairs evening programs, but I would definitely start a paper trail of letters to the company in writing (what's said on the phone won't matter if you ever need it to). Sounds like you are already doing it.

Perhaps contact an ombudsman from the appropriate regulatory body and ask them to look into it. Does Virgin have that wheelchair policy in writing on their website/tickets terms and conditions? Can you find any thing in writing about it anywhere from them? Again, what is said on the phone can be useless but something in paper is very valuable. Having an ombudsman look into it after you’ve established a paper trail and gotten no where would be a very good – and appropriate – line.

[gooch47]

Please pardon my ignorance (again!).

 

Are you talking about taking your wheelchair in the cabin or checking it?

[Skyrules]

Please pardon my ignorance (again!).

 

Are you talking about taking your wheelchair in the cabin or checking it?

 

 

I think it would be an issue either way.. There's some strange rules coming into our 2 major airlines down here in regards to what they will and won't carry.

[sarah_in_townsville]

that is down right ridiculous... Why is there height restrictions on virgin, and not on qantas....

 

Im sorry you have had this horrible experience and thankfully you can still get to go on your cruise and have the time of your life!

[wallaby]

I know that different aircraft take different height chairs with Qantas.

a boeing 737 is width 100cms. height 84cms. length 125cms

the Bombardier Dash 8 width 85cms. height130cms length115cms.

 

There is your answer. You don't need lawyers, the aircraft design is what restricts the size, not discrimination.

 

The people at Virgin could have handled this much better if they had explained the situation.

 

Virgin only operate boeing 737 aircraft while Qantas use 747, 767 and airbus aircraft. Qantas would not have booked you on a 737 either.

 

Regards

[LizCruising2007]

I too am sorry that you had this bad experience, but I think it was more of bad customer service rather than the airline discriminating. They have all these rules and regulations for safety reasons - as per the above message. The person that you spoke to obviously didn't explain very well. I have a family member that works for this airline and you wouldn't believe what they have to put up with sometimes when they are just trying to do their job and abide by the rules - anyway, I think it all comes down to customer service. I'm sure you wouldn't have been upset if she explained it was due to the size of the aircraft etc.

[scooterrach]

I think the reason why I got so angry is that I had traveled with them in October last year, with the same wheelchair and they had no problems whatsoever.

Teaching staff customer service skills are certainly not on the priority list of their's.

Oh well, I am still going and will have the best time ever!

And I just wanted my story to be heard and shared with others, as it's not right to still have this stigma over people with disabilities in this day and age.

[wallaby]

Have a wonderful cruise. As you said, at least you will get a meal with Qantas. I flew from Perth to Sydney last month and the standard of the meal was very good.

 

Regards

[sayaguru]

Hi I hope everything goes well.

When I read your title I thought it was going to be about Jetstar.

 

Virgin is not an Australian airline.