My husband uses a CPAP machine. He made sure that American Airlines was well aware of it several…read moretimes before his flight, starting about 2 months before his flight, when his place of business set up the flight. He spent a miserable hour on the phone talking with them from NZ a week before his flight. Today, they would not let him board due to his "medical condition", that they previously knew about, and his CPAP machine was previously approved. They were rude to him, and acted as if it was his fault. They did help make accommodations for my husband to fly on Air New Zealand....which leaves 7 hours later. When my husband inquired about an upgrade on the ANZ flight, a economy premium seat, to have a more private seat and get rest, the response from the man at the AA desk was "Why would we do that? It isn't our fault you use a CPAP." Extremely rude, unknowledgeable, unhelpful, demeaning, and unnecessary. The Air New Zealand people had to go back to AA because the ticket was done wrong, and they were fed up, evidently it had been done wrong recently already with several other people. Adding insult to injury, the AA flight left, then the airport was shut down due to weather. So his ANZ flight is possibly delayed. (He still sits there as I write this) Because they treated him so poorly, we will never fly AA again. Horrible service. Hard to get a hold of on the phone, many transfers on the phone, dropped calls, and then this. rude and so unprofessional. Lack of communication within their company.
To anyone with sleep apnea that uses a CPAP, and are brave enough to attempt to use it on a long overnight flight, avoid American Airlines like the plague. On the other hand, on the way to NZ, Air New Zealand was very helpful and he was able to use it, no problem, allowing him some rest, and probably making it an easier flight for all. :)
