Alaska Airlines flier's post sparks online backlash

Alaska Airlines

(CBS/AP) BEND, Ore. - A longtime Oregon concert promoter sparked an online backlash against Alaska Airlines with a Facebook post describing what he called "the worst of humanity."

Cameron Clark of Bend wrote to his Facebook friends Friday that he saw a disabled man miss a flight because numerous airline personnel refused to give him extra assistance, even after Clark intervened and asked employees to help.

Clark said the man told him he has late-stage Parkinson's disease.

KTVZ reports Clark's story spread quickly and sparked a series of angry Facebook posts directed at the airline.

The airline sees the incident differently and says employees did their best to accommodate the passenger.

Alaska Airlines officials posted on Facebook that the man's ticket was refunded, and he boarded a new flight Saturday morning. A spokesman said the man never said he was disabled, and airline employees, smelling alcohol, believed he was intoxicated.

In his Facebook post, Clark said the man appeared to be in his 70s and told him that he missed a limited window of time he had to meet his daughter in Bellingham, Wash.

Clark wrote: "what happened to our collective sense of decency, of compassion, of our disposition to help those in need of extra help. alaska airlines. you broke a man's heart today. you maintained your policy, and ignored an opportunity to do the right thing. you broke my heart too."

How to gripe effectively while you're traveling

Clark told KTVZ in a written statement that he never intended for his post to become viral, but the many people who responded to the story and put pressure on Alaska Airlines to "show that the best of humanity is alive and well. that light exists. that accountability is possible."

The man never told airline employees that he had Parkinson's disease or any other disability, spokesman Paul McElroy told The Associated Press on Saturday. Officials believed he was intoxicated because they smelled alcohol.

"We are prohibited from asking customers if they have a disability, and the customer never told us that he had Parkinson's, or any disability for that matter," McElroy said. "He did appear disoriented to us, and later, when we smelled alcohol, we were led to the conclusion he was intoxicated."

"We don't know whether this customer has Parkinson's or not," McElroy added.

McElroy said the passenger has not complained to the airline.

Clark responded in Facebook to Alaska Airlines' statement: "this is truly outrageous! i stood next to the man, and spoke face to face with him - much closer in proximity than any of Alaska's folks across a counter. i smelled nothing. isn't it conceivable that someone absolutely mistook his parkinson's behavior for that of someone being impaired? you folks are starting to make a bed that will be very difficult to climb out of... Alaska Airlines you have hit an all time low with this post. tragic."

[kaysveil]

Alaska Airlines has terrible service at the gate. In my own experience, they have lacked decency and common sense, but added extra helpings of rudeness. The cherry on top of it all is that their customer service (email, phone, etc) are awful as well. All you get are defensive excuses and no acknowledgment of wrong. I really hope Alaska Airlines does something to fix this. My experiences didn't seem to be a firestarter in the company, but maybe this one will.

[kurners]

Wow, talk about a late story.

[YogagirlCA]

I had a horrible experience with Alaska Airlines last summer when I flew to Maui. Their customer service agents in Sacramento, CA are rude and lack customer service skills. My mom and I were the only ones who spoke up in the front of the line. We had a long line of people behind us (100 plus for an early morning flight) who actually cheered and clapped when we spoke up and asked when the agents were going to help us. I'm not surprised in the least about their lack of compassion shown to this passenger. I wrote a complaint letter to Alaska Airlines, and their canned response to me was an absolute joke. They should have bent over backwards for my business, especially in this competitive market with the airlines. The only credit I will give Alaska is that when I was flying out of Maui the customer service was a LOT better, but that's Hawaii for you - great people.

[kay5572]

I'm not surprised. Even if you are disabled and tell them, that doesn't mean that they will help you. I missed a connecting flight in Reagan Intl a couple years ago because they wouldn't get me a wheelchair because I had almost an hour to make it from one terminal to another to catch a connecting flight. I had recently had leg surgery and was walking with a cane. I was in tears by the time I got to the other terminal and then had to go through security again, so missed my flight. I was sobbing with pain before someone in security from the new terminal got me to a seat in the gate area. Then I had to wait 6 hours for the next flight. I'll never schedule a flight that connects through that airport again!

[larry2012]

"Officials believed he was intoxicated because they smelled alcohol." I would like to ask Mr. McElroy how many passengers, business class or not, board airplanes after having pried themselves out of the lounge in order to make their flight? I would also like inquire as to why it is "ILLEGAL" to ask passengers if they are suffering from some kind of disability. If this is airline policy I can't help but feel that they are opening themselves up for some pretty hefty lawsuits. It is a disturbing fact to see that the new American paradigm seems to be: "less for more". I am speaking of everything from customer service to the quality of merchandise offered by the huge box stores, fast food restaurants, and just about everything in the service industry. The problem is that very few will step up and utter the famous phrase, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more." Folks if you allow them to walk all over you, they will have no compunctions at all about putting their footprints all over your prostrate body, as they make their way to the bank. In all fairness not all of them are so callous, just most of them.

[max_silgar]

It is prohibited to ask passengers if they have a disability because it would be a violation of the Americans Disabilities Act, viewed as identifying, targeting and attempting to discriminate against those with disabilities. Also a violation of patient's rights under HIPAA. If a traveler doesn't volunteer their disability the airline (or other business, for that matter) can't ask.

[nohater]

who expects any compassion, any courtesy, any decency on any flight on any airline by airline employess and/or fellow passengers? you got to be kidding.

[firstpoet]

I am surprised at how folks appear to think this lack of compassion or 'good sense' by airline personnel is anything new. I even work in the industry and I avoid flying at all costs...they treat you like a suspect, and herd you around.

3 years ago when flying Delta to my Mother's funeral and upon the return we were delayed getting into Memphis - I had a close (1/2 hour) connection, so when we did finally land that had been reduced to 5-10 minutes...it was about 8 p.m. - so I ran to the gate and the plane was there but the door was just (I watched as I ran up) being closed. I pleaded with the lady at the gate to let me get on, telling her I was returning from my Mother's funeral. She scolded me for 'making up such a lie' and told me go check with the folks in the terminal...that was that - missed my flight, had to stay in 'wonderful' Memphis at my cost for the night since they said the delay was not their fault, and I was accused of lying about my Mother's funeral...

The airlines could care less about any one or any traveler - they care about money...period - and if they can get it from yuo and treat you like crap, they will! ...and after 9-11 and all the drama, they have everything in their corner to treat you like crap and get away with it.

On a broader front, compassion is something our world could use a whole-whole lot more of but I'm afraid to say I see it going the other way - callousness and arrogance are on the increase and compassion and empathy are the rare birds...

[nonpolitico]

firstpoet: I agree.
The whole world seems to be going crazy.
I too have decided to abandon flying in the USA and Europe.
If every traveller opted for the "private pat down" procedures, which do not include the x ray whole body scan, after flights delayed as a result mebbe US Airlines would drop the fascist style "Guilty as charged" attitude.
After all are US Citizens supposed to live in the "land of the free?"
Constitution says yes we are, but other "regulations" countermand our inalienable rights!
Israel has profiled passengers ever since the Munich Olympics.
El Al possibly safest way to fly, with less intrusion.
USA is in some ways becoming less tolerant and more officious.
(But attitude is widespread!)
Best airports I have ever passed through were Singapore, Auckland and Sydney.
If you want to be treated as badly as USA visit London Heathrow!!

[retiredgustav]

You should have taken Southwest. I was on one flight , the plane had already pushed away from the gate when the pilot announced we are going to go back to the gate and pick up one more passenger. On a number of other occasion I have had close connections and SWA has held the plane for me on several occasions.

[Living_In_America]

Interesting situation I'll say this .... Airline staff have a difficult balance to maintain On the one hand they have passengers who are often frustrated with "take off delays" and they have passengers that for what ever the reason are causing take off delays. I find it fascinating that airline personnel are prohibited from asking if a person has a disability yet can tell someone their just to fat to fly without a second seat. And theirs your answer and confirmation of the "Facebookers" concern ... COMMON SENSE has left ex. Sir is their anything I can do or any special services you might require to assist with your boarding today ? as opposed to "Are you disabled?" Bottom line is in EVERY SITUATION where a passenger is being denied boarding privilege their should be a SUPERVISOR there to deliver the news.

[Scimajor]

It sounds to me like it was an understandable ... misunderstanding and this promoter is trying use the incident to get some air time.

I'd be willing to bet this promoter was in A.A.'s face and actually contributed to the problem instead of helping to resolve the problem. If the man told this promoter person that he had "late stage parkinson's" then surely the promoter could have informed the A.A. personnel in a calm fashion and the issue would have been quickly resolved. I doubt very much the situation went down as the promoter is portraying it. He is after all a promoter and as such is inclined to make more of something than there is in reality.

Remarkably the promoter probably stated the truth of the situation in his response to A.A. " isn't it conceivable that someone absolutely mistook his parkinson's behavior for that of someone being impaired? ". Of course it's conceivable! So why are you making it out to be so INCONCEIVABLE?

[seattletoo]

I agree, this does smell of self-promotion and an orchestrated campaign. Notice how similar the language is on many of the FB posts. Looks like the promoter encouraged people to cut and paste templated material into their posts. He told the media he "never intended for his post to become viral". He's exposing this poor passenger to national scrutiny--without the man's approval--for his own gain.

[Montana5]

Airline personnel unhelpful, unsympathetic and uncaring??? I'm just shocked.