I am disabled and I take medication for my disability. I was booked on a flight from London Gatwick Airport, England, UK going to Phoenix, Arizona, USA. I had to change at Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. I had pre-booked disabled help from London Gatwick Airport, all the way through to my final destination, Sky Harbour Phoenix International, Arizona, USA.
I got into an assisted wheelchair at London Gatwick International Airport, however I was dumped in these seats in the departure lounge where I could not get to the toilet or even get a drink. I was given this bleeper and told to put it round my neck. Nothing like showing the world who is disabled. Anyway, I nearly missed my flight; this was because I could not move from where I was dumped without a wheelchair. If it was not for a member of the public, I would have been still sitting there after my plane had taken off. Anyway, as stated, a member of the public went and found someone working for US Airways. Then after about 10 minutes, a member of staff for US Airways came along with an electric cart. She just told me to climb on board, completely ignoring my disability. She asked me why did I not go and ask a member of US Airways in getting me to the departure gate. I told the lady that I have severe problems with my mobility. She then just dumped me at the departure gate. She claimed that she would be back with a wheelchair, however she did not!
I was then told that I needed to get on the plane. I told the US Airways staff that I have mobility problems. I was then told that if I did not get on now, the flight would leave without me. I had to go through the pain barrier and stop every 2-3 meters; I was getting some really nasty looks from the staff. I thought to myself, would they be like this if they or a member of their family were disabled? I thought that this would be a one off event. Well can you believe that this also happened at Charlotte Airport and at Sky Harbour, AZ? Can you believe it that this happened on my return to the UK? This time, I flew from Sky Harbour Phoenix, Philadelphia Airport and at London Heathrow Airport. Now you may think that was bad enough service, however things get worse. I was treated like a third class citizen. Correction, the staff made me feel like disabled persons should not fly or indeed, disabled persons should not be seen at all!
While I was traveling from London Gatwick to Charlotte, NC, USA, I had to take on board my medication. Now on the whole, the medication I was taking with me was medication you could probably get over the counter. However, I take a drug that is in the same class as Heroin and Cocaine. The medication was Morphine. Now the only persons who can carry these or deal in these are fully qualified Doctors, Head Licensed Pharmacists and obviously the patient. When I got on the plane I was given a bulk head seat as this gives you more legroom. Now I had on me my personal bag which included my medication. This is when things started to go wrong. One of the cabin crew came to me and said that I had to put my bag with my medication in it above in one of the overhead lockers. I said to the person that I had a letter from a Doctor stating that I had to retain the bag with me due to the contents. Anyway at that point, other people were now boarding the plane. Numerous people over heard the conversation between the cabin crew member and myself. All these people heard that I had Morphine tablets in my personal bag. Well moving on, the cabin crew took away my personal bag with all my medication against my wishes. Now you would think that they would put the bag where I could keep an eye on it but that was not the case. The cabin crew must have thought it was funny that they put my personal bag half way down the plane. I could not see my bag at all. Now this is the only time that the bag was out of my sight.
When I eventually arrived at my final destination, I noticed that the bag with my medication had been turned over. Now at that point, I thought that things may have moved due to traveling. I was not thinking any more about it until I came to opening a new box of my Morphine medication. That was just about three weeks later. I looked through my bag thoroughly, however, over three weeks supply of my Morphine medication had disappeared. My other medication was all there, it is just that there were no Morphine tablets. Now, the only time that the bag was not with me or out of my sight was on the flight with US Airways travelling from London Gatwick, UK to Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. Because I require this medication and the fact that I could not get any more from either the UK or the USA, the only thing I could do was to cut short my six week stay. I take the Morphine to ease the pain I get from having Degeneration of my L3, L4, L5 of my Vertebrae. Without my medication the pain becomes unbearable, however, the medication is not classed as life saving medication!
Now, I have had to pay for extra travel costs getting to and back to the airports. I had to pay for the change of flight time. In total I have lost around 300 ($450.00) in hotel charges etc. I have also had to pay 225+ ($300-$350) for the change of flight to get back to the UK. The reservation staff told me that I would get back the cost of the flight and other money I had lost when I put in a compensation claim. Well, I have sent two emails to the customer services team in which I received no response. I then found the Chief Executives contact information. I sent the full complaint with all the information to the Chief Executive's Office. I was then contacted at 11:30PM, a time that I am normally asleep. I was again contacted by a representative of US Airways. I tried to discuss with her what had happened. She said to me that US Airways staff was allowed to carry any medication. I enquired and said that according to UK and USA law, you need to be qualified to carry certain medication. This includes the likes of Heroin, Cocaine and Morphine. The lady I spoke to said that all US Airways cabin crew were qualified to carry such substances. I asked for her to send to me the qualifications that the staff had passed. She then said that it was US Airlines policy to be able to carry any medication or even class 1 Narcotics. I again asked for this to be sent to me. I also asked for this qualification that all cabin crew had to pass. Again she said that she was not allowed to send me anything, not even their own policies in regard to staff carrying such drugs as Heroin, Cocaine or in my case Morphine. Then she began to become very rude and obnoxious with me on the phone. I asked to speak to her manager but I was told that I was not allowed to speak with one. I asked to speak to another person as I wanted to escalate the complaint. I was told that US Airways do not escalate complaints. I then told her that I would be sending another email to the Chief Executive, she replied to this by saying "It's ok, if you make a further complaint, I would deal with that anyway." So apparently even if you make a complaint against the person you are talking to, that complaint would be dealt with by them anyway. So much for having good customer service.
Anyway, I still sent another email to the Chief Executive. I was then sent an email from US Airways, this time offering $100.00 dollars. Now this was in a way of a voucher. This meant that you had to buy a full price ticket to get $100.00 dollars discount. Now this only works out to be around 60.00. I think that this is a joke a complete and utter derisory offer. For the money I have lost and the extra charges I have been charged, I think it is a disgrace. To add to this all the stress and anxiety that this has caused, I feel fully aggrieved!
Now I was just about to send back an email when I received another call from US Airways. This time, we went through what had fully happened. Then they tried to say that they had lost all my previous emails. Then after me saying that I can re-send all of them, my emails re-appeared. Now for some reason, they could not find any fault with their service. Then I said that the disappearance of over three weeks of Morphine with a street value in the USA of around $3000 was according to them no big deal. I am sure the Federal Government in the USA would not take this stance.
I find that US Airways had changed their tack. They asked me to go to the tools management of US Airways baggage and luggage liabilities. They now claim that even though my medication was stolen while on board a US Airways flight, they were not liable. I asked them why, they said if you look at the exemptions, there is a part that US Airways will not pay for lost or stolen life saving medication. I told them that my medication was not taken for a life saving condition. The US Airways representative then tried to claim that all medication was regarded as life saving. So, if we take a headache tablet, that apparently is classed as life saving medication. I am sure that a court of law either in the USA or in the UK would disagree with US Airways definition of the words life saving medication. I use Morphine as a medication to ease the severe pains I have due to my disability.
All I want is to be treated fairly and to be reimbursed for the loss of three weeks of my vacation, the extra charges I incurred for changing my tickets and my additional travel costs. Also to be given as a gesture of goodwill some form of compensation for all the stress and anxiety that I have had. I believe that I have a case against US Airways as they have not followed the regulations set down in the Montreal Convention.
I think, or correction, US Airways thinks that they can do whatever they want. They seem to be able to make up rules and regulations as they go along. They are the only people or indeed organization that thinks that all medication is used for as life saving medication. I have five hospital consultants and I see my own doctors and all would state that Morphine is not used as a life saving medication. Morphine is used as powerful pain reliever. I really need someone who will look into the problems that I have had with US Airways. They seem to think that because they are a very big organization, they can just walk all over customers. I just want to get this situation sorted in an amicable way. I had to pay the change of flight charges, all other travel and all out of pocket expenses with my Visa card. I am now getting charged interest on what I had to spend to get me back to the UK. I am not supposed to get stressed out as I do suffer from Tachycardia. Unfortunately, all I have had is the stress and anxiety with this situation.
Just to keep you updated, I have received another email from US Airways, now claiming that I have not complained before and that I had not told them about the stolen medication. I think that they are going to do everything they can to stop me from making a claim against them. I also think that when a company or an organization calls their customers liars and then start to lose the customers paperwork, they stop being professional and that they manipulate the situation so that you become disheartened with carrying on your complaint. I may be disabled but I am very much focused and I know that eventually the truth will prevail. I do think it's amazing why companies go out of their way to stop customers from getting what they deserve. Unfortunately, this is the case with my complaint. The company also thinks that there are no regulators, so they seem to think that they are invincible and when it comes to rules and regulations, untouchable.
This is why I am now coming to yourselves and hopefully US Airways will listen to you more than they ever did for me. All I wanted was to be treated with respect and that the company looked after disabled customers. That I and my personal bag containing my medication were safe and secure and to have a hassle free vacation.
All of the above could have been done. However, US Airways failed on everyone.
I am so disappointed and so outraged.