For those who have been responding to my condition and been asking for more info, firstly let me apologise for the epic reply, I told you it was long, and please understand I am not a disabled person who thinks the world owes me, I generally like to keep my condition to myself, and live a normal life, My life defines me, not my illness. Ok, it seems as though I have to be a little more specific, which is a problem as it is a medical condition that caused all the ho-ha. Basically I am a very frequent flyer on the international circuit, but not so frequent on the domestic circuit within Australia, I do however, take about 8 flights a year with virgin blue. Due to a shortage of flights to Melbourne, I was forced to land in Sydney and commute to and from Melbourne, as I also had business in Canberra that same fortnight; I was forced to take 4 flights in total within a 14 day period. I suffer from an autoimmune disease that is very serious without regular treatments, one of which is an injection. As I fly all around the world I am VERY in-tune with the laws and procedures for carrying sharps on board an aircraft. I carry with me at all times a letter from my consultant (higher than a doctor or a specialist) that states I am fit to fly; I carry an authorisation certificate to carry sharps on board (again issued from a consultant, being higher than a specialist or a doctor). I also carry a licence to have sharps in my possession, one issued by a specialist in a highly regarded hospital in Melbourne; I also carry a permit for carrying sharps from two other countries, being Germany and Taiwan.
I made my bookings on the virgin web site, and I noticed that it stated at the time that if you suffer from an illness that you have to contact their customer support service and look at the restrictions of flying. I contacted the team, and I spoke to them for over 45 mins (3 separate phone calls on one night), I told them about all my documentation, and that I required medication that must be injected. I also looked at their web page and I found out that I did not fall into any of their very specific criteria for a ‘medical clearance certificate’ that they are now requesting sufferers of very specific conditions to carry. They also asked if I’m able to perform certain physical and cognitive acts, and I could perform all. I was assured that I had all the documentation that would be required. Flight one went without a hitch, although I had to go through a very lengthy check in process that involved two senior staff, both of which stated that all my documentation was fine, and said nothing about my documentation being lacking.
Flight two, the night prior, like a good little crippled, I made my obligatory phone call and spent a considerable amount of time informing the staff of my illness, my sharps, the documentation I had, and I answered their questions about my physical abilities (no other airline incidentally, asks this of me, and last year, I used over 17 different airlines). The day of the flight, I was checked in, again a very lengthy process, but NOBODY suggested that my documentation was lacking. The flight was good, although, I was asked to show my documentation regarding my sharps 3 times by virgin staff (again, this is the only airline that asks for my documentation, not even customs asks as they can clearly see my prescription on the bottle of the medication accompanying the sharps.) So after yet more intensive contact, everyone stated that I was ok to fly, not even a hint of a problem.
Flight number 3, and as it turns out, final flight with Virgin. The night before, I rang again like a good little crippled, only to be told that I had no right to make an online booking and that I must in the future pay the $15 phone booking fee and ring up (as I am often overseas, this cost is thus considerably higher), I suggested that this was very discriminatory, and it is surprising enough to have to call in before each flight, without now being told I cannot make bookings in the regular way. The woman apologised and became exceptionally helpful and passed me on to a person I was lead to believe to be a ‘person whose job is to assist disabled customers’ (not that I see myself as disabled). I spent over an hour on the phone with her, telling her every nitty gritty part of my medical condition, I was asked extremely personal questions, I again stated every single document that I had, and in the end, she went away and spoke to a superior personal many times, but in the end she was very happy that I had all the documentation I needed and that she had made things very easy for me, so that this time, I would feel more comfortable and there would not be the holdup at check in. (sad that on my last night with my very sick father, I had to spend over an hour of it on the phone). Check in did go ok, they took copies of some of my documents and they gave me my seat booking. My family took me to the gate and all hell broke loose, I was escorted to the front to be loaded with those needing assistance, and I was stopped (so too was the entire flight) and then I was told that I could not fly with sharps, and when I stated that that was against the Geneva convention (that states that access to medication is a basic human right) and also against countless discrimination laws, they changed their mind. In a loud voice they implied that my documentation for my sharps was questionable as my documents were not from the diabetic association (funny that, as I am not diabetic, I have an auto-immune disease). I stated that this was very limiting as there are over 13 conditions and counting that are now being treated by regular self-administered injections. But the damage was done, as far as the entire aircraft of passengers were concerned, I was carrying illicit sharps for questionable reasons, and you can bet they were all listening as it was the discussion with me that was keeping the aircraft from loading. At this time, after I started to list all the conditions that are requiring self-injection (including haemophilia and cystic fibrosis), they changed their tract, and started to say that I was actually my condition that made me unfit to fly. I stated that I had a letter from a specialist stating that I was fit to fly, but they said that because it was not on their special form, it was not legitimate (this is the same form I stated earlier, that according to their own website, I did not require, and besides that, that form only has to be filled in by a G.P., my docs were from a consultant, and less than 1 week old). I told them that in all the phone calls with them, with all the other check-in's and flights, it was crazy that nobody has asked for it, and besides that, my documentation not only covered all the points of their certificate, but it exceeded the requirements of their certificate. They stated it was not good enough and I could not fly, even though I had an international connection. At this stage, after letting the whole aircraft hear my personal info, they let them board. I continued to fight, and I stated that this was clearly discrimination, that it is hard enough to fly with a disability, but now we have to jump through hoops that no other airline asks for. My argument was that firstly, according to their own web page at that time, I did not fall into the categories that required the certificate, that they had had so many chances to inform me of the need for the form, but they had not, and finally, I am afraid of how far they are going to take this ‘special treatment and segregation of disabled passengers”.
Incidentally the ground staff and headquarters were quite happy for me to fly; it was the chief cabin attendant saying no. I even had the ground staff stating “I know you are right, but she is saying no”. Any way after all the other passengers were on board, I was given permission to fly by Brisbane HQ, but have you ever had to walk onto an aircraft knowing the people you paid to serve you, do not want you there, that the whole passenger body know your personal medical information, and that they had been led to believe that there was the possibility that you were carrying illicit sharps (for a medication that is keeping you alive and functioning!!). I thought it could not get any worse, I was boarding, and if I could just survive the death stares from the passengers and the crew, I would be ok. I was so wrong. I made it to the aisle between rows 1 and 3 approximately, when I heard a male voice from that coughpit yell out, “Is that sharps woman on board yet!), in a very aggressive and cynical tone. If I could hear it, I know every else in the immediate area could, because when I boarded, you could have heard a pin drop. Nice to know that Virgin blue pilots are taught that it is ok to call passengers derogatory names, talk behind their back, and carry out these activities within ear shot of other passengers. During the flight I heard one passenger state, something along the lines “that I was a security risk”, and another respond something along the lines of “you wouldn’t know what illegal drugs she is carrying”, another woman mumbled if she got stabbed by one of my needles she would sue me!! I had to go home to my children and face them that following day; it’s not good for the self esteem. And I paid for it, but hey, they are just doing this for my protection. Funny, other airlines offer me a sharps container and are very helpful. Anyway, I guess you had to be there. I am not sure if they have adjusted their requirements for that form by this stage, it would not surprise me if they had, after my incident with them.
like in school.
