We got in on the free dining at WDW. Then made reservations on Air Canada. Couldn't get the attendent fare for me, but got the oxygen arranged for my daughter. That's OK. Air Canada faxed the form to my Dr. He filled it out and faxed it to Air Canada. Things are going too good. Popped in to my TA yesterday to get the tickets. The presciption was for 5 liters per minute oxygen flow. They had her set up for 4 lpm. Their tanks were either 6 or 4 lpm so they bumped her down without telling us. The TA phoned AC's medical desk and was also told that the humidifier the Dr. ordered would not be allowed. It ended up, that my Dr. had to phone AC's medical desk to set it up, even though they had the prescription faxed to them on their own medical form. My Dr. phoned the medical desk this morning and was told it didn't matter what he said. Air Canada's aviatian Dr. will review it and it is up top his discretion whether or not the humidifier and proper oxygen level will be allowed. By the way, I'm paying an additional $300.00 for this oxygen above and beyond the air fare, taxes, surcharges etc. So, lets see if I have this straight. A Dr. who has never met my daughter will decide how much oxygen she is to recieve, and how it is to be administered. He has the power to say if we have a vacation or not. Something seems very wrong with this picture.
An Air Canada Rant
- Thread starter pampam
- Start date
hockey mom
<font color=coral>Loves to do the Napkin Dance at
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Are you kidding. I can't believe they wouldn't just give you the 6 to be on the safe side. That is pathetic.
declansdad
DIS Dad #639 New Brunswick, Canada
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Air Canada truly is a piece of work. No wonder they went broke.
blizzard
DIS Veteran
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Before this turns into a me-too thread about Air Canada...I feel I need to defend them a little bit.
Be aware that the regulations for aircraft oxygen are very stringent due to FAA regulations. In fact WestJet will not even allow oxygen on transborder flights because it is too much of a pain.
I know it seems that Air Canada is out to get you, but they really aren't. If they do something against FAA regulations, they end up with a big fine to pay. They need to make sure they are in compliance before the aircraft leaves.
So, remember although it seems that there are too many hoops to jump through, many airlines (WestJet and Southwest to name two) won't even bother to jump through them with you. They would rather you book on another airline because they can't be bothered.
(Note: I work for Air Canada however I have many friends (and a DH) who work for WestJet and I will defend whichever airline is being slighted. I have had good and bad experiences with both)
Be aware that the regulations for aircraft oxygen are very stringent due to FAA regulations. In fact WestJet will not even allow oxygen on transborder flights because it is too much of a pain.
I know it seems that Air Canada is out to get you, but they really aren't. If they do something against FAA regulations, they end up with a big fine to pay. They need to make sure they are in compliance before the aircraft leaves.
So, remember although it seems that there are too many hoops to jump through, many airlines (WestJet and Southwest to name two) won't even bother to jump through them with you. They would rather you book on another airline because they can't be bothered.
(Note: I work for Air Canada however I have many friends (and a DH) who work for WestJet and I will defend whichever airline is being slighted. I have had good and bad experiences with both)
ChisJo
Cause afterall, a dream that you wish, will come t
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I also cannot believe this situation. As someone working in the medical profession, I know the importance of having the oxygen tank set to the appropriate level. Nobody should have the authority to switch the level unless that person is familiar with the patient's situation.
On the flipside, if they have to abide by certain FAA regulations, that's what they have to do. Unfortunately, when it comes to medical ethics, the doctor on the airline should consult with your daughters current physician to ensure that your daughter is receiving adequate oxygenation while flying. If I were you, I would ensure that your physician is aware of the situation, and to try to get the two doctors to communicate so that your daughters health is taken care appropriately.
Jo
On the flipside, if they have to abide by certain FAA regulations, that's what they have to do. Unfortunately, when it comes to medical ethics, the doctor on the airline should consult with your daughters current physician to ensure that your daughter is receiving adequate oxygenation while flying. If I were you, I would ensure that your physician is aware of the situation, and to try to get the two doctors to communicate so that your daughters health is taken care appropriately.
Jo
Well, we finally got everything straightend out.
We fly with AC at least once a year. Very often it is 2 or 3 times a year. My daughter has always required the oxygen, and over the years the prescription has not changed. I would never ask AC to go against FAA regulations, and indeed, they never will anyway. I just say this to reassure our readers that this is not something new, and I am very familiar with the way things are usually done. Usually, AC faxes a medical request form to my dr. He fills it out and faxes it back to AC. That is what happened this time. Except that AC in their own wisdom, changed the prescription. I never found out who. And I still don't know why.
When we realized the mistake, my Dr. phoned AC. Nothing was changed. I phoned but the aviatian dr. will only talk to another dr. , not to a mom with no medical degree. I asked them to look through their records and they will see that the prescription is always at 5 lpm. My Dr. phoned AC again. Still it wasn't corrected. I went back to my Dr. but he refused to phone AC again. He could see he was getting nowhere, and he couldn't believe the commotion over $10 worth of oxygen (his words). By the way, we are paying $300.00 for this oxygen.
I had to phone my daughter's cardiologist to get this mess straightened out. AC won't listen to a gp but have a cardiologist at a major teaching hospital 300 km, away call and things get straightened out. And yes, blizzard, I do feel they wish I would go away. Anyway, I firmly believe we must make memories while we can, and if my daughter wants to go to WDW, which she loves, hey, I'll try to move heaven to get her there.
We fly with AC at least once a year. Very often it is 2 or 3 times a year. My daughter has always required the oxygen, and over the years the prescription has not changed. I would never ask AC to go against FAA regulations, and indeed, they never will anyway. I just say this to reassure our readers that this is not something new, and I am very familiar with the way things are usually done. Usually, AC faxes a medical request form to my dr. He fills it out and faxes it back to AC. That is what happened this time. Except that AC in their own wisdom, changed the prescription. I never found out who. And I still don't know why.
When we realized the mistake, my Dr. phoned AC. Nothing was changed. I phoned but the aviatian dr. will only talk to another dr. , not to a mom with no medical degree. I asked them to look through their records and they will see that the prescription is always at 5 lpm. My Dr. phoned AC again. Still it wasn't corrected. I went back to my Dr. but he refused to phone AC again. He could see he was getting nowhere, and he couldn't believe the commotion over $10 worth of oxygen (his words). By the way, we are paying $300.00 for this oxygen.
I had to phone my daughter's cardiologist to get this mess straightened out. AC won't listen to a gp but have a cardiologist at a major teaching hospital 300 km, away call and things get straightened out. And yes, blizzard, I do feel they wish I would go away. Anyway, I firmly believe we must make memories while we can, and if my daughter wants to go to WDW, which she loves, hey, I'll try to move heaven to get her there.
lilsonicfan
DIS Veteran
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Air Canada sucks, and I don't believe in defending them when they're clearly just making things difficult. Pampam I hope you guys have an awesome vacation... I know you will!
blizzard
DIS Veteran
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- Aug 19, 1999
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- 952
Hi Pampam,
I'm glad you got it straightened out. There is no excuse for not providing proper customer service. I'm not sure why they would make changes without consulting you or your doctor first.
The point I was trying to make (but probably didn't do it well) was that there is always more to things like oxygen requests than most people realize. (if you have done it before, you are probably well aware of the hoops that one must jump through) I was only trying to point out that at least Air Canada actually lets you use oxygen on our flights. It would probably be easier for the airline if we didn't. Part of being a full service airline is providing some of these services that people need. It would be unfortunate if there were no airlines that would allow passenger oxygen.
So, I was only pointing out the other side of the coin to try to educate those who chime in with "yeah, Air Canada sucks!" without even having a clue about what is involved.
Enjoy your Disney vacation, and I am glad you got it straightened out, but am sorry that it took so much time to make it happen. I work in maintenance, and will assure you that the airplanes are the best maintained in the world.
I'm glad you got it straightened out. There is no excuse for not providing proper customer service. I'm not sure why they would make changes without consulting you or your doctor first.
The point I was trying to make (but probably didn't do it well) was that there is always more to things like oxygen requests than most people realize. (if you have done it before, you are probably well aware of the hoops that one must jump through) I was only trying to point out that at least Air Canada actually lets you use oxygen on our flights. It would probably be easier for the airline if we didn't. Part of being a full service airline is providing some of these services that people need. It would be unfortunate if there were no airlines that would allow passenger oxygen.
So, I was only pointing out the other side of the coin to try to educate those who chime in with "yeah, Air Canada sucks!" without even having a clue about what is involved.
Enjoy your Disney vacation, and I am glad you got it straightened out, but am sorry that it took so much time to make it happen. I work in maintenance, and will assure you that the airplanes are the best maintained in the world.
blizzard said:
Would you mind having a look for our luggage?
We fly Air Canada for a variety of reasons.
And we - meaning my family - understand that some days, it's amazing that a fully loaded plane can actually take off, and land, on time, at it's destination, with all the people and cargo aboard, safe, happy, and pleased for having chosen AC as their "transport partner".
We also understand that it's each and every passengers responsibility that they hold up their end of the partnership/transport and carriage deal. From booking their ticket to the point of arrival, a passenger should conduct themselves with the same professional attitude that they would expect from AC's representatives.
Do they?....unfortunately, no.
Does AC?...unfortunately, no.
And that's why the really good ones, the professionals - like you - stand out.
You responded to a "letter" from a customer in a polite and informative way....and followed up as well.
And that's something I haven't experienced from anyone at Air Canada yet - including Mr. Milton.
I'm glad to read pampam, that everything did get straightened out. I'm glad you let us know.
blizzard
DIS Veteran
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- Aug 19, 1999
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- 952
mbb said:
Oh, that's yours? (Can I blame it on Magical Express!?)
I'm sorry your luggage was lost. It's happened to me before too, and I know it sucks.
No one does it on purpose, but accidents happen (little ones - hopefully not big ones)
As I mentioned in a previous post, my DH works for WestJet, so we are a 2 airline family. We fly WJ sometimes and AC sometimes. (Also have flown together on Skyservice and Canadian North) On all sometimes we have good experiences, and sometimes bad. AC certainly doesn't have the market cornered on bad service.
We always laugh about people who say "I'm never going to fly "airline X" again!" Well, that usually lasts until the next time they are flying somewhere and the fare is cheaper. Although people talk about brand loyalty in airlines, there really is very little.
In the end, you hope that your flight will be safe, uneventful and reasonably priced. Anything beyond that is a bonus, and anything less is not good customer service.
When we return from our Disney trips, the plane ride down should be the last thing we have to talk about. :thewave:
Juist an update on how our trip went. No problems getting there, but coming home was another story. First of all, AC doesn't have a desk at MCO. They use United. That's ok, except when there is a problem, United doesn't have the access to AC's records, computers etc. We check in. We are the very first in line. As we check in, I ask if they will check to see if the oxygen is on the plane. She went to see, and when she was gone for about 20 minutes I knew there was a problem. The oxygen was on board but not the humidifier. Now, I am relating what the supervisor said, because I was not talking to AC. As soon as the sup. mentioned my name to them, they were familiar with us, and recognized our name right away. As I said in previous posts, we fly quite a bit with AC, and I guess over the years we have quite a file built up. The sup. asked if we could get on the flight tomorrow, and they would send down a humidifier. No way. AC needs 48 hours notice. Sup.+= OK, can the passenger stay 3 days at the airport and then get the humidifier? AC= No, there will be no guarantee that the humidifier will yet be on board. Sup= But the passenger has all the paperwork. This has been ordered by the dr. This has been assured by AC, and surely you must realize this is your (AC) mistake. AC= Well, just drink lots of water. Sup.= water will hydrate the body but the mucus membranes in the nose will still be dried out. AC= we don't supply humidifiers any more. Sup= what if it was a long flight to say Austrailia? AC= no. Sup.= But the passenger has all the paperwork, dr.'s orders, etc. AC= no
So, the sup. comes to me, explaines everything and is very upset. In the USA they have the Americans with Dissability act, and by law, the disabled must be taken care of. She is appaled that this could ever happen. Her hands are tied, but she works for United and can do nothing. All she can do is give me a bottle of water. So we get on the plane. I insist that the oxygen be set up before we take off. It's not their policy, but I explain I will not turn it on untill we are airborn, so they set it up. The strap that goes around the head was broken, so the canula could not stay on her head. No problem, they said, we will use the strap from the second cannister of oxygen. I explain that it may not fit, because these things often uses different connections. Of course it wasn't compatable. So, that only left her with 1 cannister, and she needed 2. No problem, they said with attitude. We will just use the emergency cannisters on board. I agreed, because otherwise it would mean 3 days at MCO (remember their 48 hr. rule). So, during the flight, we used her 1 cannister of oxygen, and 2 of their oxygen cannisters (that only went up to 4 lpm). And for this I paid and additional $300. I guess what really upsets me is their lack of concern. No sorrys, KMA or anything. Oh well, they are the only game in town, so I guess they can do what they want. And if we want to go to WDW, we gotta use them.
So, the sup. comes to me, explaines everything and is very upset. In the USA they have the Americans with Dissability act, and by law, the disabled must be taken care of. She is appaled that this could ever happen. Her hands are tied, but she works for United and can do nothing. All she can do is give me a bottle of water. So we get on the plane. I insist that the oxygen be set up before we take off. It's not their policy, but I explain I will not turn it on untill we are airborn, so they set it up. The strap that goes around the head was broken, so the canula could not stay on her head. No problem, they said, we will use the strap from the second cannister of oxygen. I explain that it may not fit, because these things often uses different connections. Of course it wasn't compatable. So, that only left her with 1 cannister, and she needed 2. No problem, they said with attitude. We will just use the emergency cannisters on board. I agreed, because otherwise it would mean 3 days at MCO (remember their 48 hr. rule). So, during the flight, we used her 1 cannister of oxygen, and 2 of their oxygen cannisters (that only went up to 4 lpm). And for this I paid and additional $300. I guess what really upsets me is their lack of concern. No sorrys, KMA or anything. Oh well, they are the only game in town, so I guess they can do what they want. And if we want to go to WDW, we gotta use them.
pumpkinboy
<a href="http://www.wdwinfo.com/dis-sponsor/" targ
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I guess it's time you all lobbied for a Canadians with Disabilities Act, more along the lines of the ADA here in the States. Here, the airline would have had to accommodate your DD, and likely free of charge to you. Sure, I know Parliament passed something supposedly modeled on ADA, but without the teeth needed. With the ADA, you could sue them into compliance, which would make disabled Canadians' lives a whole heck of a lot easier. And here in the States we've had it in force for 15 years already, so companies have had some time to implement measures to accommodate.
Hmmm, after we get the CDA fixed up, we go to work on a Europeans with Disabilities Act; that way I can take my DS to most of my favourite places (tho I can't imagine taking him to Mexico anytime soon, but it could happen).
What a hassle, PamPam. Glad you had a nice trip besides all that trouble with getting there and back.
Hmmm, after we get the CDA fixed up, we go to work on a Europeans with Disabilities Act; that way I can take my DS to most of my favourite places (tho I can't imagine taking him to Mexico anytime soon, but it could happen).
What a hassle, PamPam. Glad you had a nice trip besides all that trouble with getting there and back.
SplashMom
I have a whole new perspective on life!
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I'm glad you had a good trip other than the return flight. This whole thing infuriates me! I think pumpkinboy is right. Maybe it is time that AC is forced to take notice and treat people equally. This is so unacceptable. I'm sure you are just happy to be home safely, but hopefully, you will write a long letter to AC explaining the situation. They may not act on it but maybe if you also send a copy of the letter to several newspapers and organized support groups for people with disabilities, it will at least get uncomfortable for the airline and changes may be forthcoming. I have two children with disabilities and sometimes I feel as though we are living in the dark ages!
I am happy that you did have a great trip.
This really upsets me to hear about this situation you and DD were put in especially when you were left with no other option.
This is not acceptable.
I would strongly urge you to contact your Member of Parliment.
I am fortunate to have two healthy children...but I'd like to think that if I needed the services that your DD requires that something reasonable could be done to accommodate the special needs required.
Lets put the pressure on people!!!
This really upsets me to hear about this situation you and DD were put in especially when you were left with no other option.
This is not acceptable.
I would strongly urge you to contact your Member of Parliment.
I am fortunate to have two healthy children...but I'd like to think that if I needed the services that your DD requires that something reasonable could be done to accommodate the special needs required.
Lets put the pressure on people!!!
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