At four months pregnant, I fractured my foot, so I requested wheelchair assistance for boarding and deplaning. At the airport, after learning that our plane had been downsized, I waited over 30 minutes after boarding began for a wheelchair. The gate attendant called for the wheelchair three times, and everyone else had boarded by the time it arrived. As a consequence, I was told that there were no remaining overhead bins, and I would need to gate check my backpack.
I explained that my wallet, laptop, and fragile gifts were in the bag, but they insisted that it would be handled carefully. I was hustled to my seat without even a gate tag for the bag. When I arrived at my layover airport, I asked for my bag, only to be told that it had been checked through to my final destination! They simply threw my backpack, with my laptop, gifts, and wallet, into the main baggage hold without telling me. I was told I could complain when I retrieved my bag from baggage claim at my final destination.
Meanwhile, they refused to offer me even a food voucher, despite the fact that I was pregnant, had no wallet, and hadn’t eaten since giving up my bag three hours prior. Upon arriving at my destination another three hours later, starving and worried for my possessions, I was told by Baggage Services that they couldn’t accept my complaint because they didn’t have the right forms, but that I could email the airline if anything was broken. My computer is unusable, the gifts I purchased are broken, and three months later I still haven’t gotten anything from the airline.
- Airatic
Tagged as:
airport,
baggage,
disability,
gate agent,
pregnant
We were flying back home to Portland, Oregon from a Thanksgiving holiday visit in Sacramento, California. We were on a small Alaska plane for the short hour and half flight. I was about 6 months pregnant, and was traveling with my husband and my 2 year old daughter. The plane was configured for 2 seats on each side of the aisle. My husband and daughter were on one side of the aisle, I was across from them on the aisle side. As my seatmate boarded, it was clear that she had a small dog in her bag. She had tried to take a shortcut and had put her dog into a regular duffel bag with some mesh lining for breathing instead of an animal carrier. As the plane took off, the flight attendant discovered the dog in the bag because it was barking and loud. The dog began to get more and more upset. The flight attendants were warning the woman that she couldn’t let the dog out to sit on her lap, and had to keep the dog contained in her bag. They were also very upset that she was not using a animal carrier to transport the dog.
As the flight attendants were in the midst of drink service (with the drink cart in the aisle), the dog chewed a hole and escaped from the bag and ran under the seat and towards the front of the plane. The flight attendants had to leave the drink service to try to catch the dog. The dog was racing all over the plane and was visibly freaked out. The woman couldn’t get out to help because we were at the back of the plane. Eventually the dog was captured, but the woman had difficulty keeping the dog in the bag. The flight attendants brought cardboard and duct tape – for her to try to tape up the rip in the bag that the dog had chewed through.
I could no longer sit in the seat because the dog was restless; the woman was almost sitting on the bag on the floor to keep the dog contained. So, I was moved to the empty aisle seat in front of my husband and child.
Unfortunately, it was occupied by a man reading a porn magazine. After discovering this, I clearly showed I was disgusted and tried to communicate non-verbally that I was not pleased. I did not however ask him directly to put away his magazine. It probably wouldn’t have helped; he did not bother to put his magazine away even with quarters close. I ended up turning my body with my legs in the aisle for the remainder of the flight.
Tagged as:
animals,
dog,
flight attendant,
holiday,
porno,
pregnant
I was travelling from San Francisco to Vancouver, BC to visit family and I was 6 months pregnant. I was flying alone, and although I was having a good pregnancy I would easily get cold, hungry, etc. I would carry granola bars, etc. in case I got hungry, but I got cold on the flight and my jacket wasn’t enough.
Low and behold when I asked for a blanket I was told I would need to pay $2.00! I didn’t have $2 ~ only $20, and they weren’t sure if they would have enough change. They said they might have to get me change when they landed. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Even the stewardess was embarrassed. I guess they would rather the pregnant lady shivers for 2 hours – what if I had no cash with me? Embarrassing for the airline - please just tack on $2 to my $500+ flight and spare us all.
Tagged as:
fees,
pregnant
Having been a regular flier, I always booked my flights well in advance and always chose the same type of seat - by the aisle closest to the front of the plane. Knowing that my upcoming trips would be towards the end of my pregnancy, I made an extra effort to ensure that I would have ready access to jump up to the restroom if needed.
During my last trip home, which was 2 weeks before my son was born, I waited until most of the passengers boarded the plane. When I approached my seat I noticed a man sitting there, so I politely said “I’m sorry, but I believe you’re in my seat.” The man was not in poor shape; he possibly had a beer belly but wasn’t obese I would say. The man replied “Oh, well I was thinking maybe whoever’s seat this was wouldn’t mind switching with me since I’m kind of a big guy.” I took turns looking at him, then looking at my very pregnant 36 week belly pointing at it, and said “Oh, well, I sort of have my own issues.” The man harrumphed at me and moved over.
Trying to find middle ground, I offered to switch seats in the middle of the 2 hour flight if he wanted to. He declined the offer. I’m not saying that pregnant people should get all the breaks, but I paid for that specific seat regardless of whether or not I was pregnant… maybe he should have planned better (if possible) and had a little more compassion.
Tagged as:
portly,
pregnant,
seats
