A tax on ageing and disability
Having not flown since Ryanair introduced their baggage charges, it only struck me today when Aer Lingus announced their intention to introduce a baggage charge that this might make a good Equal Status Case?
Am I right in thinking that it is downright unfair that those who are not able to carry bags and who cannot avail of assistance will be forced to pay for their bags to be carried? Even if you do have one of those Greencap assistants or other service providers with you, the last thing they want to be doing is hawking your bags around as well as your body! I know that I won't be trawling through the place that does not deserve to be known as an international airport with a bag and will have to check it in.
posted by Maman Poulet @ 8/02/2006 01:54:00 a.m.
3 Comments:
"Am I right in thinking that it is downright unfair that those who are not able to carry bags and who cannot avail of assistance will be forced to pay for their bags to be carried?"
I don't see why. It assumes they will charge people for assistance with carrying bags. The fee is for them putting the bags on the plane you will be flying in. That should be a distinct matter from whether people with an impairment / a disability that prevents them from carrying their bags get or don't get assitance and are or are not charged for that assistance.
You're missing the logic, Tipster.
Coming next pay extra for a seat on the plane, second-class passengers huddle in the cargo hold and third-class passengers push faster! It's scandalous.
However, Aer Lingus did lose our luggage when we last travelled to Paris and had to transport the (single) bag by taxi all the way from CDG to the Sofitel at Versailles - cost them about €70 by my estimation. Ah Kharma!
There are a few issues here.
First I think that disabled people and older people are more likely to check bags in under the new system because they can't face the hassle or are unable to lug them around.
Secondly The service provision for disabled/elderly travellers is for the transport of people and not their bags. Ryanair charge everyone 73 cents for disability assistance - i think they are making huge money here!
But to get back to the bags - even if the service contract was changed with service providers - the logistics mean that chair users and the otherwise disabled would still be worrying about their bags and making sure they get where ever safe and sound.
The other thing that many forget is that disabled travellers often have a myriad of different things/equipment with them when they travel. The per bag charge is going to cost disabled people money - their bags may weigh less or more but if there are more of them than were booked in - they are going to be penalised. as the non disabled. It's unfair that due to their disability many disabled people will pay up becaus they can't handle the stress of trying to get from A to B, fighting queues, dealing with people who looko right through you or over you, and being placed in seat where in the event of an emergency your life is not going to be equal to others - everyone else off the place first and crips last. Yet anther test of disability.
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