gah sorry the thing cut me off damn computer. I will­ try and more sense now. I am 19 in a wheelchair and ­ been lucky enough to travel on quite a few planes­ while i am still able to. At first I thought he was­ unreasonable because as with most airlines I thought­ they allowed him to take his wheelchair to the gate­ and transfer there in this case it would have been the­ airline in the right as this is done for security and­ there would have been no way to sit in his chair on the­ plane anyway so why make a fuss putting others at risk.­ However what i dont think the article shows is they­ took it away at check in desk with his luggage which­ would have been hours before the flight. This I have­ had and it is very painful to sit through which is why­ most chair are specially adapted for specific people­ especially since there is a only a airplane chair­ waiting for you once it is over again not exactly­ comfortable. I think what he did was very very extreme­ and he probably should have handled this better as many­ people go through the same thing and do not react the­ way he did but at least now the airline is improving. I­ agree it was a budget flight so you cant expect too­ much as far as service but still needs to improve. As­ far as the comments on here not all disabled people are­ complaining all the time or want sympathy, or special­ treatment these are ignorant and general perceptions ­ As for people that are mad about people in wheelchair­ skipping queues it is airline policy so that they can­ check the wheelchair and get it into the plane on time­ the same also goes for pushchairs.

I have been really confused because I think that if­ they had asked him transfer to a airline chair at the­ gate than yes it was unreasonable of him because it is­ only for a short period and being in a sit on the

As I'm not disabled I have no idea whether the­ alternative offered is acceptable or not. At least the­ actions have stimulated a debate as to the best­ approach that will be respectful of everyone and cause­ minimum disruption to both the disabled person and the­ able-bodied, whilst still ensuring security is properly­ catered for.

The question of being offered an aisle­ wheelchair before entering the plane seems, however, to­ be beyond question by everyone.

Y did Jetstar just allow him to go to the gate with his­ chair then transfer as they do with children with­ pushchairs? Or do children with pushchairs carry arms­ and drugs???? is it such an issue! The guy is not­ faking and with Jetstars wheelchair he would have­ become dependant on someone else! I can totally see his­ point of view, i know there are rules but sometimes­ they r just stupid rules and to make a stand i applaud­ him !!!

so glad people are sticking up for the airline - I­ thought everyone would get all PC and support Kurt.­ Kurt is wrong on this one. They offered alternatives­ and he didn't take it. He made the situation­ embarrassing for himself. Twit.

I have been injured the afghan campaign, so i do know­ what it feels like, but at the end of the day, their­ chairs are modified for use in airplanes, so why was he­ trying to be so full off himself, is it due to the fact­ he is an athlete, double gold winner, who wanted to­ make a statement.

I am a paraplegic and am with Kurt 100% on this one.­ When you can't use your legs your chair becomes an­ extension of you body. The majority of reputable­ airlines will allow you to stay in your chair until you­ reach the airline door, whereupon you transfer to an­ aisle chair (what Kurt was offered at checkin)and taken­ to your seat. No problem, I'm fine with that and­ I'm sure so would Kurt have been. What he was­ objecting to was being made to sit in a chair designed­ for the aisles of a flight cabin (inadequate for­ anything else) for 2 hours before getting into the­ plane, when on any other airline he could have taken­ his own chair to the cabin door. There is no reason why­ Jetstar could not have done this. Many wheelchair bound­ people have specific cushions that reduce the risk of­ pressure sores that can kill, so there is a health­ issue here as well. At first I also thought his­ reaction was a little petulant until I learnt more of­ the details. His actions were not selfish but done to­ highlight an unnecessary lack of customer service.
I­ object to people accusing him of using the disabled­ card to get special treatment because he's famous.­ What a load of @#$%. Don't give an opinion on­ something you know nothing about. Thanks for­ 'feeling sorry' for us 393. Ask me if I'd­ rather be in a wheelchair or ignorant and I'd­ choose the wheels anyday. I feel sorry for ignorant­ people.

airline was stupid for apologising. they gave him an­ acceptable alternative so why did he have the arrogance­ to think he was above the rule? his life is likely­ very difficult and i really sympathise and support­ steps taken for improving mobility options for all, but­ really, Kurt...!

Rules are rules and it applies to all, regardless you­ are a gold medalist or a bin man. He is just arrogance­ not to accept that. Otherwise opportunists can use all­ sort of excuses to sue the airline for some cash. ­ Well done Jetstar.

Hi Ive been in a wheel chair, Fractured spine and I had­ to learn to walk again. My point is that a compromise­ has to be reached you can only help a slim line of­ average so if someone falls outside the average then­ changes have to made. As far as I know all wheel chairs­ can be fixed to locks fitted to the floor not only of­ aircraft but taxes as well. No extra room has been made­ for the ever growing populace of the world from the­ average 5feet 8 inches to 6feet plus the average has to­ bee the base line for all things individual sizes­ cannot be accomodated. Mr Fearnley was right and also­ wrong

I am a differently abled person,also had bad experience­ with one airline. I came from Phillipine to Sri Lanka­ with Transit at Thailand. While checking in,I was told­ the wheel chair will be put in with other laggages and­ handed over at Sri Lanka Air port. Unfortunately it was­ unloaded at Thailand. I came to know this only at­ katunayake Air Port. I made a complaint, came out by­ walking long distance and bought a New weel chair in­ Colombo and went home. After one week I came back and­ collected the missed wheel chair

And one more thing: budget airlines ARE KNOWN to reduce­ your comfort to save your wallet!

If he wanted to make a point (where he, as an Olympic­ champ, could make it where others can't), I think­ he has done pretty well. There's always place for­ improvement on the treatment of customers (like being­ more carefull with things like wheelchairs in loading­ them together with the other luggage, letting people go­ closer to the plane with their own wheelchair, better­ quality airport wheelchairs etc.) and I think he got­ people focused again.

But if he was doing it because­ he thinks he should be treated special since he's a­ Olypic champ: you're wrong dude!

In the end­ (before boarding) he should probably have to change his­ wheelchair anyway because of place or safety­ restrictions on the plane.

And as for discomfort: try­ being in airplane seats for a transatlantic flight with­ my close to 2 meters (6'6"). No place for my­ knees even with the seat in front of me in upright­ position. I don't get any special treatment. Just­ maybe if there's place they put me just behind the­ emergency exists. You won't here me complain.­ Flying is going from A to B. As long as A and B give­ you sufficient comfort, and people do their best to­ help you in between, you should be okay.

Auke

"Australian budget airline Jetstar apologised­ after making a Paralympic champion check in his­ wheelchair before catching a flight "???
Mr­ Fernley was not MADE to check in his wheelchair. it was­ pointed out that his particular chair was not suitable­ for the inside of the jet! Mr Fernley chose to drag­ himself through the departure lounge, he was not forced­ too. He was offered the facility of a regulation size­ wheelchair which would need to be handled by a member­ of the ground crew. Mr Fernley obviously found this too­ embarassing!

Fact : Qantas / Jetstar fly many hundreds­ of disabled people on an anual basis across Australia­ AND overseas without complaint, indeed they are often­ praised for their help.

Fact:: The wheelchair Mr­ Fernley was offered is designed to fit in position­ inside the jet with minimum disruption to the ergonomic­ requirements of the flight. In the event of an­ emergency it is designed to be fixed in place to­ minimise disruption of an evacuation, not to be rolling­ around the inside like a loose canon, blocking ­ emergency exits.

Fact: Mr Fernley's wheelchair is­ not compatible with the inside of a jet and its­ fixtures, making it (and him) a liability in the event­ of an emergency.

Mr Fernley's wheel chair had to­ travel as hold luggage and as such needed to be ­ checked in at the departures desk, rather than him­ being wheeled hundreds of metres through the airport to­ the jet and back!!. Mr Fernley was offered a service­ that hundreds upon hundreds accept every year. As I see­ it, Mr Fernley did not want to be wheeled around in an­ UNCOOL wheelchair in case he was mistaken for a­ 'basket case'!! In the event of an emergency,­ somebody would have needed to manhandle him fron the­ jet, again with all its consequences.

As a workplace­ health and safety officer I would suggest that if Mr­ Fernley wanted to become a potential liability, putting­ other passengers at extra risk during an emergency, in ­ another workplace he would ha

But surely if he just completed a "gruelling 60­ mile crawll" then a little ride arond the airport­ isn't going to do himany harm is it? or am i­ misisng something?
He's quite happy to be disbaled­ when it suits yes?

Disabled or not we all have to go through that...­ Taking off one's shoes etc. not nice but necessary.­ So there was no need for all this drama...

I think Kurt was in the wrong. I don't understand­ why the airline had to apologise. The airline­ DIDN'T in any way force him to drag himself onto­ the plane - he chose to do it because, like a small­ petulant child, he couldn't get his own way and use­ his own wheelchair. I feel sorry for disabled people­ but sometimes some of them don't do themselves any­ favours - it reminds me of a news story I saw on TV a­ few years ago - a demonstration by angry disabled­ people in central London calling for equality and­ better understanding of their issues. They had chosen­ to block a street in Central London and when the police­ arrived and told them they would have to move to the­ pavement, some of them refused and after several more­ warnings were arrested. (as able-bodied people blocking­ a road and causing horrendous traffic congestion would­ have been) Of course they and their supporters then­ cried foul and said how disgustingly the police had­ behaved. The irony was of course that they WERE being­ treated equally but it seems that some disabled people­ only want equal treatment when it suits them. At other­ times they're quite happy to get special treatment.­ A bit hypocritical I think.