Travel news: baggage costs more to check; in-air emergencies
Today’s San Jose Mercury News has an article on two airlines charging extra for more than one checked bag. United Airlines said it would charge $50 to check a second bag; US Airways says it will, too. The article quotes a consultant as saying that by Memorial Day, all the major airlines will be charging extra. (There are some exceptions, including first-class passengers and assistive devices for those that need assistance. See the article for the full list.)
We’ve already become accustomed (well, maybe we don’t like it, but we’re accustomed) to paying for in-flight meals; another person quoted says the airlines are unbundling travel and charging for it a la carte. Airlines are looking to squeeze every possible dollar from passengers, of course.
On our second topic, there have been several reports on an in-air emergency on a flight from Haiti to New York City. The story has conflicting versions depending on who tells it. A woman on the flight complained to the stewardess about suffering from shortness of breath, saying she had diabetes. The passenger asked for oxygen. The attendant apparently questioned the effectiveness of oxygen for diabetes and went to ask the lead cabin attendant. By this time the woman was clearly ill, and oxygen was administered. Medical assistance was requested from other passengers, the plane’s defibrillator was put in place, but apparently it was too late. The passenger died, and the plane continued on to New York.
The passenger’s companion asserts that oxygen was requested more than once and that two oxygen bottles were used, but both were defective. I have sympathy for the friend, but I won’t make a judgment of fault on the conflicting stories (a doctor, two EMTs, and other passengers were also involved in trying to care for the woman and to resuscitate her).
From another point of view, the issue is making it clear to a disinterested (and probably uninterested) person that you are having a medical emergency. The difficulty is worsened if you are having trouble breathing and can’t yell and raise a fuss. This is when a companion who knows your medical history can make the difference between life and death by becoming your advocate. If you have had a disabling medical event of some kind, make sure your traveling companion knows you need emergency treatment (and if possible, what) and is willing to go to bat for you to get it.
I suspect that if the flight crew knew this passenger’s problem was more than just shortness of breath and diabetes, the attendants would have provided prompt attention; whether the outcome would have differed is a matter forensics pathologists will argue about, I’m sure.
(On the first topic of airline budgets, the crew laid the body on the floor in the first class cabin, covered it, and the plane continued on to New York.)
4 months ago