Jillian Underriter

Air France Packed My Wheelchair With the Luggage

I went to London December 2013. I flew back home on Air France, but made the reservations through Delta. I flew out of Heathrow and had an hour lay over in Paris. My final destination was Washington DC Dulles airport. I am completely paralyzed from my waist down and cannot walk. Usually after I transfer from the seat onto the aisle chair they would have my wheelchair waiting for me to transfer on it so, I could leave. When we arrived in Paris they had me wait a long time before they let me on the aisle chair. After I got on the aisle chair they had me wait for another half an hour and my flight was suppose to leave soon and it was in the next terminal. I only had an hour lay over. I kept asking this woman what was going on because no one told me anything. Finally, someone told me they accidentally packed my wheelchair with the luggage and couldn’t get to it. I was really upset because I had my service dog with me too. I brought her to London with me. They had this woman push me in the aisle chair all the way through security and she kept complaining and running me into the walls. She also wouldn’t allow me to take my dog to use the bathroom. It was going to be a long flight from Paris to Wash DC. I would have missed my flight if they didn’t call and have them wait. I had to go through security again. They made me wait more while they made an exchange and had a man push me to the gate instead of that woman. They did offer me first class when I got to the plane, but the whole situation was horrible. I couldn’t believe the way they treated me. My wheelchair is my legs and I needed it. They took my freedom away and that woman kept complaining and running me into walls. I was so upset because I love to travel and am very independent and they took that away from me.