Category: Let's talk
So, interesting situation today. I am flying in the morning, and American air lines called me, because at booking, I mentioned that I am traveling with a service dog. They asked me how big the dog is, and then they put me in first class and requested jpre boarding for me. Normally I don't pre board, and I just fly coach like everyone else, but I have never flown in first class before so I took it. On another hand, the aircraft that I will be flying in is very small, and I do not think my dog will fit under the seats in coach. Do you think I was wrong for taking this? I would like to see people's opinion on the matter.
No. Why? It was offered and given, not asked for.
Marry Christmas.
I think most people would take an upgrade to first class. Lol. Also if it will mean your dog is more comfortable I would do it for their sake also.
It's a trip in first class. I would take it in a heart beat. lol
Mmm peanuts.
You didn't push for this. Presumably the flight isn't packed full and you aren't booting someone else out of first class. And even if you were, you have no way of knowing it, and the company put forward the suggestion.
I see no particular problem with this.
It's the same as how sometimes they'll bring a wheelchair when you don't frankly need one. If foor whatever reason you're happy to ride in the wheelchair, feel free to. It's there, and it's an option. On the flip side, don't feel pressured to take such offers if you really don't want it.
Merry Christmas is right.
Meglet and I flew last year, and we got seated in first class by mistake. We had just enough time to stretch our feet out and help ourselves to the little complimentary bottles of water before they told us they'd read our tickets wrong and we had to move. The attendant was very apologetic about it all, but we didn't pay for first-class so really it made sense.
LTE I always preboarded when I traveled on business. Never been in First Class so congratulations.
Let me explain why I go ahead and preboard. To the religiously indoctrinated into blinky independence ideology, you won't listen anyway. But for the thoughtful and questioning:
I was on contract, they're paying me for software deliverables not ideology or independence. If they were paying for ideology i'd have donned the brown shirt. So, what's most expedient? Get preboarded, schedule assistance at a connecting flight, do all the things ideologues hate. When you get home, who cares? Deplane how you want, hit the pub on the way home and sack out.
Now, if I was by myself but on a pleasure trip, things might be different because I didn't have anyone or anything to answer to (woo hoo!) and so might or might not do a preboard situation, just depends.
Wen you travel on business everything you do is on their dime, or yours if it exceeds per diem, and it's up to you and not them that you get there in the most expedient fashion. most expedient usualy doesn't include constraints of what you will and won't accept placed upon you by brownshirt ideologies.
If your trip wasn't business, I echo Wayne: Merry Christmas. Order a drink, slip the flight attendant an extra tip for their efforts and have at it. Still not satisified? Yu could take it as an educational type situation: See how the other half lives, how them yuppies with their Lexus or Beamer gets it done, unlike the rest of us working stiffs cramming our stuff into overhead bins and ourselves into seats next to the snoring fat guy. Lol
I see no problem with this. It was something the airline did; not you. Personally I've never liked the idea of people getting treated better than everyone else just because they paid more, but I don't really let it get to me. That said, I don't see why someone "would" turn down first class if it were offered. Guess I'm a hypocrit.:)
Get stuck with a dog in coach and you won't even ask this question again. It's nearly impossible and extremely uncomfortable for you and the dog.
If they offer it without you asking first, then I'd take it, no questions asked.
I got comped from steerage to business class once only because I was flying standby --
my plane to Toronto was late in arriving and I missed my connection to Vancouver, which
was one of the last planes of the evening, so I was stuck in Toronto overnight and couldn't
get re-booked for two days later... this would have been fine, except I had to be at work
the next afternoon.
Anyway, the guy whose seat I was supposed to take refused to move up to Business Class
when the flight attendant called on him, so I said that I'd take it (business class) if the
Steerage Class guy didn't want to move.
You did the right thing. I've never understood those people who think that
they're able to put a dog under the seat in front of them in coach. I can barely
put my bag under the seat in front of me in coach, let alone a dog. Personally I
find it cruel. I always insist on a bulkhead, and sometimes I get offered first
class. When that happens, I take it.
Nothing wrong with this at all, nor is there anything wrong with pre-boarding. I've pre-boarded ever since I started flying, and never cared about what blindness organizations try to shove down my throat--and other people shouldn't care either.
Besides, as was said, if things like this are offered to you, accept them.
I pre-board because honestly it often makes things quicker. You've got someone trying to get you into the right seat on the plane or whatnot, you'd otherwise have to deal with people and bags and things in the aisle. This way it's easier on me, and it's easier on everyone else who isn't gonna get stepped on.
I won't insist on pre-boarding or anything, but if it's offered, I take it. It just makes sense.
I don't care what the NFB says about this, I pre-board. It just makes things easier on everybody.
I pre-board also, even moreso now that I have a little girl. It takes the stress off me, and off other people if I for some reason run into an issue. Honestly I've heard a lot of horror stories about airlines, but Rarely have I ever run into any personally.
I pre-board if offered it. I've also been offered an extra seat for free for the dog and taken it, it means she has some of my legroom and the whole space in front of that seat.
This happened to me once, because of me being in a wheelchair. On my trip home, my seat was not in a good spot, so the flight counter at the airport, asked if we wanted to move up for a cheaper rate. Since they offered $10 upgrade, we took it! And, we loved the spoiling!
It wasn't cause of me being blind, but another disability. They have to use these cart chairs to load a passenger on, in a chair, and going to the back of the plane didn't seem like a good idea to them. So, since we got a cheap upgrade, we just took it. Plus, I agreed. I don't like complications when there's a time crunch. I guess it's years of listening to my dad gripe cause I'm not hurrying enough. LOL
Also, I've seen blind people trying to get their guides on a train and other places. Not a picnic at all! No sir!
And, Merry Christmas! Enjoy the flight! Drink some Champaign, and dream of being with family!
Blessings,
Sarah
Hell, I'd take it if the offer was extended.
The way I see it is if it's offered there's nothing wrong with accepting, especially if it might make things more comfortable for your dog.
I'd sure as hell take it if it was taken. Bliss and I flew coach from DC to London, but there was an empty seat in between another passenger and myself, so Bliss had more room to stretch out. We have flown coach just fine. Bliss curls up anyways so the space is never a problem for her.
Merry Christmas
I agree here. They offered it, and it's rude to refuse a gift. LOL
Anything to make the trip more comfortable for the furry one, I'd do! She's my first priority. Flying is stressful, so any extra kindness offered to make it easier, I am grateful for. I always ask for a window seat, and bulkhead; I don't expect I'll get it every time, but there's no harm done in asking.
On my last flight, the flight attendant asked the guy sitting next to me to move, and he was kind enough to do it. More room for the pup, and less chance that with such close proximity, someone will be tempted to feed her... it's happened!
Nothing's wrong with pre-boarding, either. It makes the whole thing easier. I have nothing to prove to anyone.
I always preboard. That gives me time to get settled, and get my girl settled. I also don't have to rush. Man people will just push you if you aren't going how they want. Sometimes if my pain is bad I have to walk slow, otherwise I walk fast.
I also will stay on board and get off last.
Everyone is rushing to get out, so to take the stress off the flight crew making them wait, I tell them to go ahead.
Nah, I can take myself off the plane, and won't wait a minute longer than I have to. If I'm sitting far back, though, that's a different story.
It often takes them a few minutes to get someone to come to the plane to get me where I'm going once we've landed. Soometimes I'll just sit tight and wait, if everyone's in a mad dash. Sometimes I'll stick myself in the queue and disembark with everyone else. I can follow a jetway, after all, and if they know I'm guaranteed to pop out the other end of it, then that's a little less of a trip the hired help have to take in order to collect me. Honestly I don't mind though; it's gonna be twenty minutes or more till I can get my damn bags anyway, so either I wait in the airport or I wait while everyone deplanes.
Must be the exception. I like to board with everyone else, but I have a cane, and I don't think I necessarily take longer to board than anyone else since I can follow a jetway. I also just get off with the rest as well. Maybe it's all in what you prefer.
I've never pre boarded, but I have waited to get off.
If I traveled with a dog, I'd preboard. Just easier.
I pretty much echo what most of the posters have said. There is no harm in accepting an upgrade to first class since you were actually offered one, you didn't demand it or anything just because you're either blind or have a service dog. Now, if you were playing the blindy card by saying "wlel I'm blind and I deserve first class", well, then you'll probably get what you deserve by (hopefully) not getting a seat on that airplane at all.
However, I am in agreement with the last two posters in saying that I don't preboard. I actually despise preboarding, but not because I'm blind and it's a rather conspicuous thing. No, I mostly despise it because I want to stay near power outlets for as long as possible to charge my electronics since a lot of the times, unless you're flying internationally or unless you're flying on one of the newer model airplanes, there are no power outlets to plug your stuff into. So, I wait. That's all a matter of personal preference though, either way.
I got bumped up to 1st class on the way home with my very first guide dog. That's been my one and only first class flight. Enjoy!
Well of course. She was first-class, and deserved it. *smile*
Many reasons for the same thing. I wait till they bring a chair for me. I could do the walk with help. However, not knowing the slipperiness or lack of, I don't do that anymore. I learned on a train, in my Senior year of high school. I was escorted off, and landed in a foot of snow. Sure, that's not going to happen. However, I don't like falling, so if they can get a cart thingee to get me off the plane, well, I'll do it. I fall more than most, and that's from my head trauma. So, I think I'm being perfectly safe, and protecting the airlines from ambulance chasers. LOL
Merry Christmas!
Nope, LTE, don't think there's anything wrong with taking that. You made the best decision for you and your dog. There's no way your dog would have fit comfortably under the seat in coach on a small plane. This was much more humane on the dog, and probably better for you too.
I usually pre-board, but that's simply because I find it easier. I honestly don't care what other blind people do. If they want to pre-board, great, if not, then that works, too. Not an issue worth getting fired up about. However, I usually do just get off the plane with everyone else as opposed to waiting to be last off. I can't do that as often these days, as my fiancé has mobility impairments in addition to blindness and needs a wheelchair. So for his sake now I wait with him till they bring the chair for him.