Pensioner's Pilgrimage plus 1

If only morning Melissa, Allan and Jan knew what this day had in store. We'd have enjoyed a 2nd, possibly 3rd cup of Joe. Definitely Irish style. Perhaps smuggled some food off the ship - Allan knows all too well, Melissa isn't hungry, then it's urgent 🤣. We didn't know we'd subsist the day on airline pretzels with a date of manufacture matching the deceased date of Elvis Presley himself.

Our first leg. Vancouver to Dallas. Fort Worth. Vancouver does as Vancouver always has. The process is smooth. People are kind. Friendly. Obliging. They see you pushing a wheelchair with 6 pieces of luggage and assist (at least the porters do for a fee). People move aside to enable easier traversing in a wheelchair. They see you! What a high bar our Canadian friends had set.

The shit show begins shortly thereafter. Dallas, Fort worth, Texas. We knew things were big in Texas. But. This is next level. 17200 plus ACRES!! We've been here before, en route to Vancouver from day 1 of our departure, though the second coming was a reminder of why. We. Hate. This. Airport.

No Mohammed today. We make our connecting flight to Memphis with enough time for Melissa to skull a Prosecco. It's after 12 everywhere, maybe, and this is challenging! American airlines are heavily reliant on their more seasoned clientele using their 7kg baggage allowance for snacks. We're not that clever. In fact, Melissa is over baggage limit and another expense charged to Allan's credit card.

This flight begins, and almost ends before take off (maybe see Tik Tok video for angry yet rational Australian advocating for NOT being okay with another passenger (also; disabled) climbing over Jan to get to her window seat). As instructed, Jan was seated first as a disabled passenger in allocated aisle seat. No Mr Flight attendant, it is not appropriate to ask one disabled passenger to climb over another because someone erred in seating allocations. Allan and Melissa are happy to do this, but not a stranger - and another disabled (though ambulant) passenger no less.

The entire crew band together; and although they back down, they all agree - we are in the wrong for not being okay with another disabled passenger climbing over Jan. And that we in fact should have placed Mum at the window seat for safe evacuation in case of emergency. Hello? Hello? Mum. Can't. Walk. Or. Transfer. Without. Being. Lifted. And you allocate the seats! Not us. And....if we did choose our own seating, you best bet it would be in business class.

The flight ends. The opinion of American Airlines does too. An organisation that should be ashamed of themselves. Here's hoping a stern letter to those with influence will at the very least see an apology.

American Airlines: Do better.

Signed. Karen. I mean Melissa.Lue lisää