This was generally a nightmare for me. On the first leg, from Seattle to Maui, the SeaTac airport services were perfect. But once landing in Maui- it was horrible. No empathy. No assistance from the gate to baggage. No airport assistance either. I was simply dumped at the gate and told that I was on my own - they actually laughed when I requested a skycap for assistance. “We don’t have anything like that” the gate agent told me with a chuckle. It was scary. I had to rely on a Good Samaritan to help me to the baggage claim and help me out to my hired driver - which was on the opposite side of the airport.
Once headed back to Seattle, both ends of the trip were a nightmare. The agent at check in - when I asked for assistance - not only refused to help, but threatened to call security when I insisted that she help. Rude, insensitive and mean. Again, some Southwest passengers were enraged at what they saw, and helped me to my gate and through TSA. TSA greeted me with - “you’re going to have to stand up sir.” You’re not getting out of here without us scanning your seat. I’m a man in a Wheelchair. If I could stand, I wouldn’t be in a wheelchair. There was no assistance to get down the jetway - which was steep and impossible to navigate with my carryon. Still no empathy. No help. A Good Samaritan helped me, but not without pushback from the woman taking boarding passes. Again I heard, “Sir, you’re on your own. Don’t fly if you can’t handle your responsibility as a passenger”.
Once landed in Seattle at 8:40pm - again, dumped at the top of the jetway, no help to get to the tram or to baggage claim. I called “Prospect Wheelchair” and they told me that Alaska is to handle my situation. They said they are only contracted with Delta and American. Still no assistance from Alaska. Again, a Good Samaritan saw my situation and got my bags, got a cart, and ushered me to the ride share area.
The First Class Flight attendants were terrific. Callie and Kimberly were sensitive, knew it was my first time traveling since I was injured three years ago - and treated me very well. The flight experience was pleasant and efficient.
But the promised help in the airports, assistance to get my bags in from the curb, checked and help to get to the gate was atrocious. The Maui airport Alaska employeees were rude, if not downright mean. And the airport employees refused to help me. They said they could push me in an airport wheelchair (what am I supposed to do with my own wheelchair?) and that they didn’t “do” carryons.
There won’t always be good Samaritans to help me. I don’t know if I can ever fly again. What I ruminated about prior to my trip, not only came true, but it was even worse.
If I’m an executive at Alaska airlines, I would be ashamed of this performance. In particular, that one of your employees would threaten me with security for simply requesting help - is stunning. I did not use profanity. I did not raise my voice. I simply asked for help repeatedly. She told me “to step back” (I can’t step) or she would call security. All with a sneer on her face and resistance to trying to make things easier for me.
And it happened in three of the four legs of the trip.
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