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Am I missing anything, but to get to Kokoda the protagonist in question presumably caught a J* flight from NTL(no aerobridges - so he may have been emplaned via a forklift/highlift, or indeed hopped up the stairs), went so SY or BN(aerobridge) - hopped on QF or ANG(aerobridge), then on a Twotter(stinking humid tarmac) to Kokoda(dirt/mud), done the Kokoda track(well done:ok:, but generally not a recognised wheelchair accessible location)
Reverse that to come home - possibly via Cairns. Why is he now complaining about wheelchair access? |
Looks like Jetstar spokespersons need to read their own passenger information on their web site
Wheelchairs - At the airport All customers travelling with a wheelchair must check-in 2 hours prior to flights departing from a domestic terminal and 3 hours prior to flights departing from an international terminal. Jetstar provides customers with a wheelchair in which to transfer at check-in.Jetstar customer service staff will assist in the transfer into the wheelchair, using Jetstar's approved transfer method of slide boards and slide cloths. If required, a Jetstar customer service staff member will then escort a customer who requires wheelchair assistance from check-in through security to their boarding gate. If the customer is travelling with a carer/companion who is willing to escort the customer, a Jetstar customer service staff member will organise to meet the customer(s) at the boarding gate. Baggage: The customer's wheelchair must be checked-in as baggage. Wheelchairs or mobility aids are carried free of charge on Jetstar services and are carried in addition to the baggage allowances applicable to the customer's travel itinerary. When a customer has more than one wheelchair or mobility aid(s), the second mobility aid will be charged as excess baggage. This includes wheelchairs, electric wheelchairs and electric scooters. |
Jetstar & Tiger, hold your heads in shame.
Some people just don’t get it. For most paraplegics, independence is a fiercely cherished ability. You remove that independence, especially with a wheelchair that can’t be propelled by themselves, i.e. aisle wheelchairs, you are taking away something extremely important to them.
It is also interesting to see which airlines let special needs pax use their wheelchairs to the boarding gate and/or aircraft door and those that couldn’t be bothered going that extra mile and be more considerate. Jetstar and Tiger should hold their heads in shame. Cathay Pacific Passengers travelling with wheelchair Passengers with a disability may use their own manual or electrical wheelchair to the departure gate, and when airport facilities permit, to the aircraft door. Virgin Blue Travelling with a Manual Wheelchair: You can either check-in your manual wheelchair and we will provide you with an airport aisle wheelchair or self-propelled wheelchair for use within the airport or, where possible, you can choose to take your own manual wheelchair to the boarding gate. Your wheelchair will then be stowed in the aircraft hold. Qantas Mobility Aids and Wheelchairs • You may surrender your mobility aid at check-in or at the departure gate where appropriate assistance will be provided to you. • You may choose to have your mobility aid delivered to you at the gate lounge upon arrival or you may collect it from the baggage collection area. • When travelling on narrow-bodied aircraft, your mobility aid will need to meet the specified size dimensions when adjusted or broken down for that aircraft type. • Note: whilst all reasonable care will be taken, you remain responsible for obtaining insurance in relation to the carriage of your mobility aid. Jetstar Wheelchairs - At the airport All customers travelling with a wheelchair must check-in 2 hours prior to flights departing from a domestic terminal and 3 hours prior to flights departing from an international terminal. Jetstar provides customers with a wheelchair in which to transfer at check-in. Jetstar customer service staff will assist in the transfer into the wheelchair, using Jetstar's approved transfer method of slide boards and slide cloths. If required, a Jetstar customer service staff member will then escort a customer who requires wheelchair assistance from check-in through security to their boarding gate. If the customer is travelling with a carer/companion who is willing to escort the customer, a Jetstar customer service staff member will organise to meet the customer(s) at the boarding gate. Baggage: The customer's wheelchair must be checked-in as baggage. Wheelchairs or mobility aids are carried free of charge on Jetstar services and are carried in addition to the baggage allowances applicable to the customer's travel itinerary. When a customer has more than one wheelchair or mobility aid(s), the second mobility aid will be charged as excess baggage. This includes wheelchairs, electric wheelchairs and electric scooters. Tiger Mobility Aids and Wheelchairs Passengers' own wheelchairs will be carried free of charge, in addition to their normal baggage allowance, but must be checked in. Wheelchairs that are powered by sealed, non-spillable batteries are accepted for carriage. Wheelchairs with un-sealed, spillable batteries will not be accepted. All powered wheelchairs must be checked through and comply with relevant battery connection/disconnection requirements. You must advise us whether you are able to board using steps or whether you require a wheelchair from check-in to the aircraft. For Australia, we are able to provide a manual wheelchair to convey you from check-in to the aircraft, at which point a lifting device will be available, if previously requested (in the absence of an aero-bridge). Our crew can then assist in transferring you to an aisle wheelchair and from an aisle wheelchair to your seat. At your destination we will similarly transfer you from your seat and supply a lifting device and manual wheelchair for disembarkation, if previously arranged. Your wheelchair will then be delivered to you at the baggage collection point. Our crew’s ability to assist is subject to compliance with mandated Occupational Health and Safety Regulations in Australia as to the maximum permissible weight of a passenger for lifting (130kgs) and the mobility status of the passenger (eg a full lift of a passenger compared to passengers able to partially lift themselves, and whether assistance is available from a carer, if applicable). For Tiger Singapore flights, there will be a charge for assistance in respect of wheelchair and other services required from check in to embarkation if previously requested. There may be local unavailability of a lifting device or weight restrictions applicable to the use of devices and the ability of our crew to provide direct lifting assistance. Fees may be applicable for some devices. |
Sounds like a dumbass customer service policy written with more thought to corporate laziness than customer satisfaction.
As for the numpties that think taking a wheel chair down the stairs on the airbridge is a bad idea...how about doing what they do in other parts of the world where the weather is a little less benign than Oz (i.e. ice, snow etc) and use the bloody stairs that you will find somewhere at the top of the airbridge (i.e. the bit connected to the terminal) Jetstar..get your ducks in a row |
He dragged himselfalong the Kokoda Trail. I can barely drag myself out of bed some days.
Anyone in frontline Customer Service knows what a Tool this guy really is. Maybe Virgin or Tiger could better suit his needs. |
The QF terminal in BNE is one of the worst designed terminals in the world for disabled people. A wheelchair passenger goes on a tiki tour to get to the gate.
There is more to this that meets the eye as I believe that Mr Fearnley has an ongoing dispute with Brisbane Airport (BACL) over disabled access. |
Anyone in frontline Customer Service knows what a Tool this guy really is. Just because this guy think's he's "special", doesn't mean he is. It was his own decision not to use the supplied Jetstar wheelchair (which is designed to fit the aisles and be properly stored when not in use, and attempt to bring something non-standard and specifically excluded from the cabin onboard), and instead to "drag" himself to the aircraft under his own steam, same as he did the whole length of the Kakoda trail. There is no story here, just a media beatup and a bunch of bleeding hearts. |
p.j.m
No there is a story here. It is your airlines “Jetstar’s” dumb ass policy that is the story here. It just took someone with a megaphone to point it out to you. This applies equally to Tiger and any other dumb ass airline that doesn’t allow a wheelchair bound passenger the dignity to use their own wheelchair under their own steam to at least the gate. If you can’t see that and you are actually in customer service god help your airline.:yuk: |
The aircraft are loaded with cans. If he took his own chair to the aircraft he would then hold up the entire flight whilst his chair is then loaded under the terminal. The cans are not usually opened on the tarmac due to security practices. I guess it could have gone in the bulk hold but there is always more of a chance of damage due turbulence in the bulk.
It screams out publicity scam to me. After walking the track then CHOOSING to transport himself through the terminal and out to the aircraft you wouldn't think that another couple of hundred meters would matter. This bloke has made a class 1 fool of himself in most peoples eyes and unfortunately conforms to the lowest common denominator of airline pax these days, disabled or not. Doug. |
I admire his tenacity , he got plenty of attention for disability causes. As one would expect the media played it for all they could . I have met many lowlifes during my time , its funny how many are Journo's.I noticed it did not take long for Bill Shorten to jump on the bandwagon , what a joke he is !
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Douglas Mcdonnell
If other airlines can do it then why can’t Jetstar and Tiger. You are all required to comply with the same ramp security requirements. Remember Jetstar’s policy is that someone in a wheelchair must check in 2 hours before departure for domestic a 3 hours for international. Your really think a Jetstar staff member will stay with him for the entire 2-3 hours. Get real. This is a classic case of a dumb ass policy thought up by a dumb ass pencil pusher. It’s a shame some of its front line staff can’t see that.:yuk: |
Is there a bloody prize for ignorance on PPrune?
QF: I have either been right at the entrance door or have seen from within the cockpit, disabled passengers on numerous occasions transferred from their own wheelchair into the aisle chair (so they can get up the aisle to the seat) at the aircraft door. Both coming and going. The A320 has containers as do many other aircraft. But all of them have the capacity to load bulk cargo, which is normally how passenger's personal wheelchairs are loaded. If I only had a dollar for every time I have sent an ACARS to QF dispatch saying "pax whlchr in bulk hold...pls bring to dr". Translation for the bloody ignorant: "we have a passenger's personal wheelchair loaded in the bulk hold. Could you please unload immediately on arrival and bring to aircraft door at aerobridge". He may well be an obnoxious prat, but then JQ can be an obnoxious prat of a company sometimes too. |
He could have chosen to fly with an airline with a different wheel chair policy.
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How many thousands of disabled people have flown with jetstar and not had a problem? He raises some good points regarding the policy but I have to say that his speech regarding the matter was more akin to an auschwitz survivor.
The Kokoda thing impressed me I have to say but the Jetstar issue changed my mind to think he is a pretentious little whinger. No problem for the content of what he said but the delivery...Come on mate harden up hey. I thought the Jetstar media people handled it well. As in "this is how policy and procedure is changed". |
Whether or not the policy was adhered to by the customer service staff or not, I am still in disbeleif that this actually made the NEWS! Give me a break. Maybe I'll run to the media next time I'm forced to take off my belt, shoes, hat, take the calculator out of my shirt pocket and hand over the half empty toothpaste tube before going through security as a pilot! But that's right, nobody cares! Whether Jetstar was in the right or wrong, this story (pax complaint) should never have left the airport really....:hmm:
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Sometimes people it takes a megaphone to be heard in this world. The very fact the company was forced into an embarrassing apology and rethinking of their own policy is testimony to its effectiveness and also their bloody mindedness for having such a policy in the first place.
Some people ought to know when it is time to criticise their own company rather than criticise someone for standing up against something that is just plainly wrong. |
Gooday Titan 404
"This is a classic case of a dumb ass policy thought up by a dumb ass pencil pusher. It’s a shame some of its front line staff can’t see that.http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...lies/pukey.gif" I read your quotes re wheelchair policies and while i am not saying i agree with J*'s policiy to me the the point is that at the time the booking was made and at the time of travel a wheelchair policy was in place. I am assuming (possibily a big mistake, i know) that the policies you quoted were taken from the respective airlines sites. Having made such a bold assumption the question i would ask is why give the front line staff grief for followong current policy. If you believe something is wrong by all means take appropriate steps to have the situation changed. Until then you need to play by the current rules. We all have choices as did this pax. Did he read the fine print, possibily not, I know I have been guilty of this. The point I am making is he could have chosen another airline if he was not happy with the terms and conditions of travel for J* Fly safe and play hard Hoss58 |
404 titan, "dumbass". Says it all really.
D |
The very fact the company was forced into an embarrassing apology and rethinking of their own policy is testimony to its effectiveness and also their bloody mindedness for having such a policy in the first place. The correct thing to do, would have been to sue the newpapers and media for defamation and to ban the troublemaker from flying on their airline. We all know in this day and age, sometimes it is just not worth the time and effort, and the quickest and most expedient thing to do was to send in their PR people so smooth over the troubled waters. |
hoss58
My criticism was directed at people like “p.j.m” who quite frankly disgust me, not at the frontline staff in general. How someone like “p.j.m” can work at the coal face of a customer orientated industry is beyond me. Having had a mother who worked voluntarily for years with the “House With No Steps”, my understanding of how wheelchair bound people think is particularly acute. I accept it is a shame the check in staff had to deal with this but blame should be squarely laid with the idiot high up in Jetstar that dreamt up this dumbass (eat your heart out Douglas Mcdonnell) rule. Yes all the airlines wheelchair policies were from the respective airlines web sights. Most were quite easy to find, mind you Jetstar’s was a little bit more difficult being hidden away in a separate link. |
Maybe he should try fly NZ then, They have a policy that Crew & Ground staff must not lift passengers.
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In recognition of this tool's suffering, on this day every year all JetScar crew should be made to crawl to and from their aircraft. Wheely-bags trailing behind them with rope.
took off on his own to the John |
If I only had a dollar for every time I have sent an ACARS to QF dispatch saying "pax whlchr in bulk hold...pls bring to dr". Translation for the bloody ignorant: "we have a passenger's personal wheelchair loaded in the bulk hold. Could you please unload immediately on arrival and bring to aircraft door at aerobridge". WH/CH 02 UN/MNR 00 1 AISLE CHAIR PLS. AL SO INF ENG THE LEAK I N F GALLEY NEED ATN --------------------- WHLCHR 06 / MED ASST MINORS PEJ SICK N SI GOOD A/C 6 WCH IN HOLD --------------------- WHLCHR 02 / MED ASST MINORS PAX SICK N SI 1 AISLE WCR. BOTH PAX HAVE WCHR IN HOLD. --------------------- HI ADL 01 AISLE Cl`hR NEEDED PLSE + 1 WLCHR IN HOLD. C YOU SOON --------------------- WH/CH 01 UN/MNR 00 GDAY. 1 AISLE CHR AND PAX CHR IN HOLD PLS. ALSO GND PWR AND AIR --------------------- WHLCHR 01 /00MED ASST 00MINORS 00PAX SICK N SI GDAY. AISLE CHAIR PLS AND PAX WCHR IN HOLD. THANKS --------------------- ARI SYD ETAB 06:10 WH/CH 02 UN/MNR 01 HOLDING... DOH... --------------------- WHLCHR 03 / MED ASST MINORS PAX SICK N SI 1 PEOPLE MOVER 1NWC 2 WC 1 IN HOLD A/C OK --------------------- WHLCHR 03 / MED ASST MINORS PAX SICK N SI 1/W/C PAX NEEDS AISLE W/C AND OWN W/C FROM HOLD --------------------- WHLCHR 02 / MED ASST MINORS PAX SICK N SI REQ AISLE CHAIRS --------------------- WHLCHR 02 / MED ASST MINORS PAX SICK N SI 1 ISLE CHAIR PLS --------------------- NEED 1 ISLE CHAIR. ALS K10Y/P. NOW DELAYED ETA 0 20 NOW NEED M/A --------------------- WHEEL CHAIR IN HOLD PLEA SE BRING UP TO GATE --------------------- WHLCHR 01 /00MED ASST 00MINORS 00PAX SICK N SI GDAY. AISLE CHAIR PLS AND PAX WCHR IN HOLD. THANKS --------------------- /WCHR /UMNR /MAAS N HI AGAIN.CE HAVE AN AIS LE CHAIR ON BOARD. THANKS --------------------- ASST MINORS PAX SICK N SI PLS HAVE AISLE CHAIR AND WLCHR FROM HOLD. TKS --------------------- WHLCHR 02 /00lED ASST 00MINORS 00PAX SICc N SI ONE CHAIR IN BULK HOLD PLS BRING TO FRONT DOOR. THANKS --------------------- BNE ETAB 20:30 WH/CH 01 UN/MNR 00 HI AISLE CHAIR PLS --------------------- WHLCHR 02 / MED ASST MINORS PAX Sici N SI01 AISLE CHAIR. OTHER CAN WALK TO DOOR. THANKS --------------------- WHLCHR 01 /00MED ASST 00MINORS 00PAX SICK N SI CHAIR 2 DOOR + PXLE |
p.j.m
Not all airlines use ACARS for MAA. At my airline it’s all done from IOC in HK. All we need to know as cockpit crew is that we have them on board. By the way there is a difference between a paraplegic and someone who is old. One god forbid hopefully will never happen to any of us, the other eventually will. zube If that’s trying to be humorous it has fallen flat. I can’t believe some of you actually work in this industry. It makes me sick.:yuk: |
Bleeding hearts make me sick.:yuk:
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All the bloke needed was a set of wheels to get him to the aircraft. He was offered a set when his own went into the hold, he refused. The bloke is probably more used to international flights as he competes in marathons the world over, and as we all know the turnaround on international flights is far different to domestic.The staff at Jetstar knew who the bloke was and tried to accomodate him, he in turn acted like a turkey, and spat his dummy, and started dragging himself around the airport, which distressed the staff who were only following the airline regulations, which make sense to me, to assist turnaround. In all my years of flying I saw them come on in splints, stroke victims, people with kidney machines, accident cases, and most only cared about going home, and didnt' care if you lowered them thru a window, as long as they were on the aircraft and going home. You can betcha this bloke is now hitched up to Harry M Miller and is looking for publicity good or bad. Sorry 404 add me to your bad books.:(
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Whinge Whinge Whinge
I won't disect all the comments in this thread, however Mr Fearnely is out of line, and out of touch with society.
Firstly,Mr Fearnely should stick to what he understands - and that sure doesn't invove anything about airline operations. There are several factors involved here which have been stated already: 1) Pax wheelchairs don't fit down the aircraft isles, and they don't fit inside DPL's ( Disabled Passenger Lifters which for the laymen are like an elevator which lift's the pax from the ground and almost into the aircraft door and avoids the steps). This occurs frequently with LCC's because they don't always use aerobridges due to flying to cheap ass airports that dont have aerobridges, and boarding is and disembarkation is done across the tarmac and up and down stairs. And yes, some of the airports designs are absolute crap, however the LCC's in their thirst for a quick buck at any expense choose to purposely operate this way.....aagh if only the general population knew ! 2) The pax personal wheelchair has to be loaded into the aircrafts container hold, therefore taking the wheelchair at the check-in counter and transferring the pax into the airline's wheelchair creates a smoother and more timely boarding process for ALL passengers. 3) Staff are trained to assist wheelchair pax to the best of the staff's ability. What has yet to be mentioned is that staff are 'damned if they do and damned if they don't' meaning that if you ask the wheelchair pax if they would like assistance, they yell at you and say that you are treating them like a second rate human, or they say you are making out that they are different, or incapable. Then if you don't ask them if they need assistance they yell abuse at you saying that you are discrimatory, that you are uncaring and even prejudice. So perhaps wheelchair pax could spare a thought for the genuine people out there who are simply trying to assist you, without knowing what it is that you want. Being disbaled certainly doesnt make a person any less of a human being than somebody who can walk, so disability aside,people like Mr Fearnely need to stop acting like complete a#*holes which is what he is for such an outburst. This bloke has a chip on his shoulder that needs removing. Wheelchair or no wheelchair, he is a complete tool. I have dealt with many gracious, caring,thoughtful and understanding wheelchair pax in my time, and I give credit to all of them who are inconvenienced when they fly simply due to the required logistics involved. It's a pity Mr Fearnely wasn't more like them. 4) This comment is aimed at the LCC's, particularly Senior Management. You have no idea the level of abuse that ground staff receive due to having to work with third rate procedures, third rate equipment, third rate airports so that you can bleed as much money out of the public as possible. You provide the wheelchair pax some basic understanding of what will be required, but you dont outlay the true picture to them. Well now finally, if only for a few days, the true picture is revealed and the negative publicity you are receiving is rightly so, years to late.It is simply that a tool like Mr Fearnely has been the one to bring attention to it. I reiterate that my comments are not made 'against wheelchair pax', considering one of my closest friends is disabled. My disgust is aimed at the Airlines who dont tell the wheelchair pax the true processes of flying with them while leaving frontline staff to cop abuse day in and day out from the pax, their families and friends. As for Mr Fearnely, again he needs to understand their are two sides to this story and perhaps 'vent' in a more diplomatic and proactive fashion rather than 'simply assuming' that the whole aviation world is against him. |
There appears to be two sides of the story...only one side got aired in a very public very national forum in front of the PM, his missus and a lot of parliamentary heavyweights....on that reqard....there is a time and a place to make a compliant and a national award presentation speach is not the right forum....right or wrong, the deathstar was painted into a very tight corner.
The guy is an outstanding person....right up to the point he aired his complaint in front of a crowd of dignitaries. After that? I lost all interest in the guy.:= |
One of the newspapers reported his brother was there and that at one stage his brother carried him on his back ... So all this jazz about not being able to control the provided wheelchair is nonsense when his brother could of easily pushed him around!
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Mr Fearnely made no complaints about the staff whatsoever.
My understanding is that he was most complimentary about the way he was treated by the ground staff. Those who can't [won't?] see that his issue is with management and their bloody minded Jetstar policy and nothing more, really can't see the wood for the trees. Those who bag him for taking a stand about having his "legs" [read wheelchair] taken from him before it was necessary have an obvious inability to see life beyond their own experiences. Quite sad really. |
Cactusjack
I won't disect all the comments in this thread So some of you don’t like how he made a big deal of it in front of the media and the Prime Minister. Get over it. He used the loudest megaphone he had and by doing so he made Jetstar management sit up and take notice. Do you thing for one minute the policy would have changed if he hadn’t done what he did? Of course not. ditch handle Thank you. |
Cactus Jack
Most of what you have written is garbage. 1 point I agree on. This clowns actions. In future try and write a little less. I fell asleep reading through it. Crapy airports. So what they are cheap and as for LCC terms and conditions. They are spelt out. 1 to 200 hundred dollar airfares and making a quick buck. You got to be kidding me. Actually one word sums up your posting BORING:ok: |
I note the comments re he had no complaints about the staff, but more JQs policy - which operates as an LCC
Perhaps Mr Fearnley would like 2 or 3 staff scanning boarding passes rather than 1, and five minutes before gate close (ignoring closing gate procedures checking and double counting), 1 staff member gives him a shoulder massage while the other 1 transfers him into the specially designed, padded and silk lined chair for on boarding, whilst the other staff personally take his wheelchair down to the ramp, wrap it in cotton wool and gently place it in the hold. Then at the other end ... |
moa999
So what. If the two largest LCC’s in the world can let a disabled passenger take their own wheelchair to the gate or aircraft why can’t Jetstar? Even their competition Virgin Blue allows is. Ryanair Q: Can I bring my own wheelchair/mobility scooter or walking frame? ________________________________________ At the majority of airports you will be permitted to travel to the steps of the aircraft in your own wheelchair, however, some airports such at Girona in Spain do not permit passenger travelling with a battery operated wheelchair to take their own chair to the aircraft and as such it must be checked in and the passenger will be transported to the boarding gate via an airport wheelchair. Wheelchairs, mobility scooters and walking frames are carried free of charge The 32kg maximum single item weight does not apply to mobility equipment. Restrictions apply to the transportation of battery-operated wheelchairs. Electric Wheelchairs can only be accepted on the basis that the battery is a dry or gel cell and the dimension of the wheelchair when collapsed will not be greater than the combined dimensions of more than 81cms (height), 119cms (width) and 119cms (depth). The passenger must show how the battery power is to be isolated and ensure that exposed terminals will be protected from short circuiting. The battery must also be securely attached to the wheelchair or mobility device. Wheelchairs or mobility devices with spillable batteries cannot be carried. Segways cannot be carried. Southwest Airlines Manual and Power Wheelchairs Southwest will stow wheelchairs in the aircraft cabin as long as they can be stowed in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety guidelines. Each aircraft is equipped with a specially designed wheelchair storage compartment to allow in-cabin stowage of at least one standard-size adult collapsible wheelchair. The wheelchair compartment is located in the rear of the aircraft and is available for Customer use on a first-come, first-served basis. Virgin Blue Travelling with a Manual Wheelchair: You can either check-in your manual wheelchair and we will provide you with an airport aisle wheelchair or self-propelled wheelchair for use within the airport or, where possible, you can choose to take your own manual wheelchair to the boarding gate. Your wheelchair will then be stowed in the aircraft hold. |
This discussion has become quite heated, which isnt in itself a problem, but the attacks are getting a bit personal over peoples opinions, which like ar$eholes, everyone has and not everyone will agree with them.
Right or Wrong, Policy or OH&S the fact of the matter is that he made an absolute tool of himself by causing a scene which was not necessary, and then to go on stage later on and accept an award, then proceed to blast Jetstar again was absolute horsesh!t just to get some more media attention! :yuk: NOONE forced him to crawl through a toilet, NOONE forced him to crawl to the aircraft, HE made that decision himself! :ugh: |
777WakeTurbz
You just don’t get it. If you want to see how passionate paraplegics are about their independence go and visit one of the many charities that look after their interests. Mr Fearnely hasn’t got to where he is by just sitting back and accepting he is a paraplegic and will never walk again. He has fought for his independence and obviously excels at it. His achievements speak for themselves. If you can’t see how humiliating it is for someone like him to have that independence taken away from them then you are ignorant to their plight. The embarrassment he may have caused himself by crawling through the terminal is nothing to the humiliation of loosing his independence. |
Jetstar publishes their wheelchair policy.
It is available for every one to read. Certainly someone in a wheel chair could be expected to make enquiries at the time of booking. If Jetstar's wheelchair policy was not acceptable to Mr Fearnley he should have either booked with another carrier, or, at the time of booking, attempted to negotiate a suitable arrangement for himself. To behave the way he did is unacceptable and just demeans him. Not only that but he will have caused unnecessary distress to the Jetstar staff who were following their company policy and more than likely embarrassed a large number of other passengers and staff who had to witness his performance. To say that this was taking away his independence is probably true to a limited point, however there are some limitations that have to be accepted when one becomes disabled for any reason. Since he chose to fly Jetstar this was one of them. If he feels that Jetstar's policy is discriminatory or demeaning then,by all means, he should try to have it changed. This was not an appropriate way. By the way, I do not like some of Jetstar's policies so I do not and will not fly with them. Should I ever decide to do so I will be acknowledging the policies and accepting them. To subsequently try to have them changed at the check in counter in just not on. |
Some of you just don't get it.:ugh::ugh:
Anything that makes life easier for those who don't enjoy the full use of their faculties and facilities (mind and body) deserve all the help in the world. We live in a civilised society (I think) so we should treat our fellow men as we ourselves would like to be treated. In this case, why wasn't "Qantas Group policy" followed like Jet* claim in other instances that make the public arena? As I understand it, the fellow is neither a tool nor a fool: he has suffered a major disability since birth. Let's see how his critics fare if they had to rely on a wheelchair and the uncaring attitude of many. :mad::mad: |
The point here is that most airlines allow wheelchair bound pax to use their own wheelchair to at least the gate I'm not saying JQ's policy was correct, but at the time Mr Fearney travelled the policy said 'at check-in'- so why complain that JQ were not following policy? I don't understand- I know several people in wheelchairs and they have said to me they prefer to transfer at check-in rather than be 'on the spot' at the gate in front of everyone else. I know each case is different but it seems to me that this man could have brought up his issues with the policy in a better way. Instead, they've taken the 'cheap shot' by targeting Jetstar for something that isn't their fault- his choice. Sure you say they should be accommodating- they were. They offered an alternative, he chose not to use it. At the end of the day JQ are still a business and given that people want to fly on cheap fares, there are shorter turnarounds which mean less time to do things like take pax chairs at the gate. Maybe that's the reason for the policy of taking chairs at check-in? We have a free choice when we travel and it's up to us to choose the best carrier to meet our needs. I hate being cramped up in a tiny seat and like some decent service so I pay more to fly Qantas or Singapore rather than use Tiger or Air Asia. That's my choice. If I flew Air Asia and got what was in the T&C's, I'd have no fallback to complain, even if it didn't meet 'my' standards. Maybe the JQ policy should be changed, end of the story is they had nothing to apologise for if they followed their policy which was IN PLACE AT THE TIME and NOTED ON THE T&C's. Mr Fearnley admits the staff were fine, the resulting 'humiliation' was created by his own actions. I understand that wchr pax are dependent on their chairs... but we all are humans and we all need to accept help from others at some point in our lives. I think an apology should have gone both ways. Mr Fearnley could have raised his issues in a more civilised manner and I'm sure would have gained far more respect & attention for his cause for it. |
pcx
To say that this was taking away his independence is probably true to a limited point, however there are some limitations that have to be accepted when one becomes disabled for any reason. I couldn’t give a flying f*ck that the conditions of wheelchairs was freely available. The point is the policy is wrong and it was brought to Jetstar’s attention in the only way that they would take notice and do something about it. :yuk: |
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