The Department of Transportation collects data on airlines mishandling mobility devices on a monthly basis. But Emily Ladau’s incident isn’t likely to show up in any official report.
Ladau’s wheelchair was damaged in late April on an American Airlines flight, but she never filed a formal complaint with the airline.
“I know people will probably say why didn’t you file a report, why didn’t you follow proper channels? But it’s exhausting,” Ladau said. “If it’s a minor issue, I’d rather just deal with it personally.”
She told USA TODAY that she was flying from Indianapolis to New York on April 22, but her flight was diverted to Boston Logan International Airport because of weather. While in Boston, she said the airline refused to retrieve her power wheelchair from the cargo hold, meaning she had to get assistance from her boyfriend to use the bathroom while waiting at Logan to complete the trip.
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Ladau, who has Larsen syndrome, said when she eventually made it to New York, the joystick was bent and the chair was soaked through by rain.
“I was really furious at how wet the chair had gotten because that could easily mean the whole chair would be totaled,” she said. Ultimately, the chair dried out and her father was able to fix the joystick, but she said it’s still possible water damage could affect the chair’s performance down the road.
“I’m hoping that it’s not the kind of thing that it’s a cumulative effect,” she said.
American Airlines said in a statement that they reached out to Ladau to learn more about what happened.
“We want all of our customers to have a positive travel experience when they fly with us and we recognize how important it is to support the independence of customers with disabilities as they travel. A member of our team has reached out to apologize and learn more about the customer’s experience,” the statement said.
Ladau said she hopes airlines will start to take these incidents more seriously.
“I don’t want perks, I don’t want rewards, I just want to know that my wheelchair will get from point A to point B safely,” she said. “I would much rather that an airline focus on improving their practices than paying lip service to every person whose mobility device is damaged.”
How common is mobility equipment damage in air travel?
According to the Department of Transportation, airlines “mishandle” on average about 1.5% of the mobility equipment they transport. In 2022, that translated to 11,389 incidents reported by U.S. airlines, up from 7,239 in 2021.
This year, USA TODAY wants to highlight what those figures mean for travelers with disabilities. We’re looking to track these incidents throughout 2023 with the goal of bringing light to an all-too-common problem.
If your own mobility equipment was damaged or lost by an airline this year, please share your story with us using the form below:
Real experiences highlighted
Read Amanda Parkman’s experience with Southwest Airlines on her flight to New Orleans
Read Shayn Pulley’s experience with American Airlines on their flight to Philadelphia
Read Clifford Gowing’s experience with American Airlines on his flight to Miami
Read Heather Bennett’s experience with Delta Air Lines on her flight to Boston
Read Emily Voorde’s experience with United Air Lines on her flight to South Bend
Read Colleen Flanagan’s experience with JetBlue on her flight to Washington, D.C.
Read Andrew Bogdanov’s experience with Frontier Airlines on his flight to Atlanta
Read Rob Birk’s experience with Allegiant Air on his flight to Cincinnati
