🧵 The ableist clusterfuck at Austrian Airlines continues

[meganl@mas.to]

🧵 The ableist clusterfuck at Austrian Airlines continues.
Because I have mobility disabilities and had gone through their rationing and policing process around that, they would not let me add a return trip to my booking myself using the online tool, as abled people are allowed to.
They required me to call an Austrian (in Austria) phone number although neither of my cell phones have international calling plans to enable that.

I wasted so much time having to email, call, etc #Disability #Travel

[meganl@mas.to]

The last I knew, many days late and much more expensive, a guy tried calling me, left no message numerous times, then when I made an expensive no-plan call to reach him, told me he could book me on a worse flight for more money.

I said "No thanks" because their delays meant I had had to pay train reservations and hotel reservations for an alternate plan I could count on.
I just now discovered HE BOOKED ME ON THAT FLIGHT ANYWAY.
Now I have to chase them again trying to get them to change it.

[meganl@mas.to]

I am already running low on time to plan and pack and now I have to spend MORE UNPAID TIME dealing with this bullshit that comes about because ABLED PEOPLE ALWAYS VIEW US AS "SPECIAL NEEDS" and design separate but unequal systems for us.

This is what lack of inclusion & representation do - systems are designed that either by accident or by design completely steam roller you. Why would you design "accessibility" without having that led by disabled people?

#Ableism #Disability #Travel

[meganl@mas.to]

And yet abled people do this all the time. Sometimes it's on purpose, very consciously upholding separate but unequal as part of systemic ableism.

Sometimes it's just ignorance...which comes from a separate but unequal system that literally segregates disabled people from abled people, perpetuating ignorance (at best) and horrendous myths.

But there's nothing about my disability or access needs that intrinsically made it impossible for me to rebook my flight online -

#Ableism #Travel

[meganl@mas.to]

I already paid extra for a Business Flex ticket, the most expensive tier they offer....partly so I could get booking flexibility. Instead, I got "special needs" segregation and less flexibility than abled Economy travelers buying flex got.

#Ableism #Travel #Disability

[joewynne@mindly.social]

@meganL An outrageous situation! Sorry that you have to deal with all this for a process that should be routine and consistent.