FORT WORTH- American Airlines (AA) mishandles wheelchair, drawing criticism after an Arizona man paralyzed from the chest down discovered his essential mobility device was not loaded onto his flight from Hawaii to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).
The airline reportedly prioritized luggage over mobility equipment on the flight from Kona International Airport (KOA).
The incident occurred on March 26 when Shivers and his wife Anne were returning from their week long Hawaiian vacation.
Upon landing in Phoenix, they learned his essential mobility device had been mistakenly sent to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), leaving him stranded without means of independent movement.
Photo: American Airlines Airbus A321 -231 Taxiing on the south si… | Flickr | Creator: Bill AbbottAmerican Airlines Mishandles Wheelchair
On March 26, Sam Shivers, a paralyzed man concluded their week-long trip in Hawaii by checking in his wheelchair at the American Airlines gate at Kona International Airport (KOA).
However, when the flight landed in Phoenix (PHX), the wheelchair was missing. The airline later confirmed it had been redirected to Los Angeles (LAX), leaving Shivers immobile and distressed.
Shivers described the experience as devastating, stating that without his wheelchair, he had no way to move independently.
According to the Daily Mail Report, an American Airlines employee reportedly chose to load other baggage over mobility aids, citing limited cargo space.
Alongside his wheelchair, another chair and a baby stroller were also left behind. Shivers said he would have gladly given up his luggage if it meant retaining his wheelchair on board.
This incident, he believes, was not a random mishap but a consequence of prioritizing baggage over assistive equipment.
Photo: File:Airbus A321-231(w) ‘N915US’ American Airlines (28442733186).jpg – Wikimedia CommonsAmerican Airlines Response
While American Airlines offered a hotel room for the night, Shivers declined due to the lack of mobility.
He was eventually transported to his van by a Passenger Wheelchair Assistant and used a spare wheelchair once home.
The airline later offered him 10,000 frequent flyer points, a gesture he felt failed to address the severity of the incident.
He expressed concern about systemic issues affecting passengers with disabilities and has since filed a formal complaint with the US Department of Transportation.
The Department of Transportation mandates that assistive devices be returned “in a timely manner and in the same condition,” but Shivers’ experience highlights a potential gap in enforcement and accountability.
Photo: Joe Shlabotnik | FlickrImportance of Mobility Equipment
For wheelchair users like Shivers, mobility equipment isn’t optional, it’s essential for basic independence and dignity. As he emphasized in his social media post, “This isn’t optional, nice-to-have equipment. It is quite literally the only way we paraplegics have to get from place to place.”
The incident highlights the ongoing challenges faced by disabled travelers, even as airlines claim to improve accessibility.
Shivers’ experience follows other recent controversies involving disabled passengers, including a separate incident where another disabled traveler reported being removed from an easyJet (U2) flight because he “couldn’t walk to the toilet.”
Photo: By Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia – American Airlines, N106NN, Airbus A321-231, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41995921Court and Reforms
Shivers remains determined to hold American Airlines accountable, not just for himself but for all disabled passengers. “I want my chair to arrive on time, with my flight,” he told KGUN.
His complaint to the Department of Transportation (DoT) seeks to spark policy changes, ensuring mobility devices are never sidelined.
Advocacy groups and affected passengers are pushing for clearer regulations and penalties for non-compliance.
Training programs that emphasize empathy and awareness could bridge the gap, preventing decisions that leave passengers like Shivers stranded. As air travel evolves, prioritizing accessibility is non-negotiable to ensure dignity for all.
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