Disclaimer: This incident happened several years ago and was not recent. I felt as if my story was just as relevant (if not more) now than it was then.
If I had to pick one transportation method that I love most it would be flying. I have lost count on how many flights I have taken throughout my life. There’s been way more positive experiences for me than bad. But today, I am going to be discussing the time that a major airline broke my brand new wheelchair. Let’s deep dive into it!
My Wheelchair Was 2 Weeks Old
For those who aren’t familiar with the process of getting a new chair, it can take months to get approved for a new one or sometimes, a new wheelchair isn’t approved the first time it’s submitted to insurance and the appeal process must start. For me, thankfully, I’ve never had to appeal a claim, but I’ve had to fight for certain “add-ons” that I want. My wheelchairs usually cost as much as a used car, which is a fact that isn’t well known!
The first time I had my chair broken by Southwest was on a flight to Orlando, Florida. It was 2 weeks old. When I got off my flight and transferred, I went to put my feet on the footplate and it fell in the floor! It was completely broken, even the screws were out of it! Upon noticing this, I also saw that my front casters were broken, the spokes were bent, among other things. I had to wheel up the jetway with my footplate in my lap. My wheelchair was 2 weeks old.
Going to Southwest Airlines Customer Service
I was so thankful that my chair was still able to semi-function! The tires themselves weren’t broken, which is the only reason it was still possible for me to use it.
Once my grandmother and I were off the jetway, we were directed to the Southwest Airlines Customer Service Counter. Once there, they had us fill out a form that detailed serval different things. What model it was, what damage was done and a ballpark figure of how much it would be to repair. The agent told us the company would reach out with an update “soon” and we left after the form was completed.
I had to go to Walt Disney World with a broken wheelchair, which was not ideal or fun for anyone. It was a challenge, but I still had a fun time!
Southwest Airlines Reached Out
After I returned from my trip, Southwest did contact my grandmother and I. They profusely apologized and wanted to make it right. They ended up paying for all the repairs on my wheelchair! I was very surprised and grateful. This meant I didn’t have to pay anything out of pocket, which would’ve costed a couple thousand dollars due to the extensive damage.
Conclusion + A Suggestion
I still love Southwest Airlines and have flown them almost exclusively since. The issue with airlines breaking wheelchairs is universal. I now write down any scrapes, etc that my chair has before I fly. That way, I can see if there’s any damage that wasn’t there before.
My suggestion to airlines is that they need to implement some sort of training that will help their employees understand the importance of handling wheelchairs with care and respect so that those with disabilities can fly without the added stress of whether or not their chair will be broken when they get to their destination.
Airlines, no matter which carrier, need to implement this training because people in the disability community are often overlooked. We exist. We travel too, just like everyone else.
This potential training is critical for employees because without it, more and more mobility aids will be damaged or completely broken and unusable, which could be have long-term consequences for those who use mobility aids to help them live life as normal as they possibly can.