air transat
Wilf & Joan
True facts: January 17, 2004, flight to Puerto Vallarta from Edmonton, a
lady in business class, bulkhead seat with infant wall bed feature (that we
understood would be installed after the flight starts). She not being a
seasoned traveler waited. After about 30 minutes staff did get her a hot
coffee and while still holding the infant and coffee, the worst thing ever
dreamed about happened, the baby kicked the very hot coffee out of her
hands, scalding both with first degree burns. The baby from his thigh to his
toe nails on right foot, mom on top of her left thigh.
Because of Air Transat LACK OF CUSTOMER CONCERNS AND SERVICE this accident
happened. The baby seat was requested when the seat booking was made - 3
months before and confirmed with the book-in staff at Edmonton International
Airport on January 17.
The holidays were truly destroyed by this incident, a special holiday paid
for by Mom and Dad ( mom and dad, daughter, son -in- law and their 5 month
old son) had to plan their daily outings around trips to see a Doctor
and/or hospital for re-dress of the burns. On the second last day of their
holidays, the mother was allowed to go into the pool with her son.
The intensity built up as we approached the return flight home. Our
daughter was somewhat terrified of getting on the plane with her son and we
could all understand why. Someone at Air Transat got the message for on the
return flight the bulkhead baby bed was installed as soon as the seat belt
sign went out. Mother and son, back in Edmonton now, seeing their own Doctor
Air Transat caused all (5) of us undue anxiety and suffering during this
holiday. We are now checking into what options we have.
I have sent two emails to a director in Air Transat and have not received
even acknowledgment from them.
S Viemeister
> After about 30 minutes staff did get her a hot
> coffee and while still holding the infant and coffee, the worst thing ever
> dreamed about happened, the baby kicked the very hot coffee out of her
> hands, scalding both with first degree burns. The baby from his thigh to his
> toe nails on right foot, mom on top of her left thigh.
>
Why on earth would anyone holding an infant, accept a cup of very hot
coffee? I doubt she was forced to take it! I'm sorry that the two of them
were burned, but I don't see that the airline is at fault here.
Jordan
Why not sue while you're at it? Would you, at home, have poured
yourself a nice hot cup of coffee and stuck it directly infront of you
while holding a baby? I don't see how this is Air Transat's fault at
all. They forgot about putting a seat in, that is not a crime.
cj
mother who has her hands full in the first place. Their primary job is
to ensure the safety of the passengers. It comes down to common sense,
the flight attendants should have at least average intelligence to
know that it is an accident waiting to happen, and either have
accommodated the mother and baby properly or suggested something cold to
drink.
Of course the mother isn't an innocent victim either by accepting the
coffee with the infant in her arms, but the coffee could have easily
been dumped on a fellow passenger and who would that passenger blame?
Likely the airline for not taking proper precautions.
Unfortunately, there is not a minimum tolerance on intelligence for
females who have children.
Jordan
>I would question why would a flight attendant offered hot coffee to a
>mother who has her hands full in the first place. Their primary job is
>to ensure the safety of the passengers. It comes down to common sense,
> the flight attendants should have at least average intelligence to
>know that it is an accident waiting to happen, and either have
>accommodated the mother and baby properly or suggested something cold to
>drink.
>
>Of course the mother isn't an innocent victim either by accepting the
>coffee with the infant in her arms, but the coffee could have easily
>been dumped on a fellow passenger and who would that passenger blame?
>Likely the airline for not taking proper precautions.
>
>Unfortunately, there is not a minimum tolerance on intelligence for
>females who have children.
Are you kidding me? Who is the flight attendant to say how or what
someone is allowed to drink. Take some responsibility for your actions
people.
nobody
> the flight attendants should have at least average intelligence to
> know that it is an accident waiting to happen, and either have
> accommodated the mother and baby properly or suggested something cold to
> drink.
The older atilla-the-hun flight attendants may have the experience to know not
to bring scolding host liquids anywhere near a baby. But a young inexperienced
upstart may not.
Both may have the basic training on how to open doors in case of emergency and
how to push people onto the chute if the hesitate, but it is their in-flight
experience that teaches them about possible incidents.
I bet that FA will never again serve hot coffee or tea unless the baby is
secure and out of reach in case of turbulence or other distraction.
I'd put that one in either of "Transat doesn't have adequate training of the
FAs on how to serve coffee" or "Transat FAs are much younger with much less
experience" (or a combination of both)
root
> Because of Air Transat LACK OF CUSTOMER CONCERNS AND SERVICE this accident
> happened.
What a crock of shit. Next time you go trolling, come up with some
better bait.
Olivers
(snip-ped, terrible tale of woe...)
Real sorry, but "First Degree Burn" are by definition the equivalent of
sunburn, even with a infant not of substantial concern, responsive to time
and drugstore remedies.
....but then, there's the far more serious (and potentially abusive) feat
of "elective travel" (in the same category as elective surgery - in a
Mexican tropical coastal resort at that) with an infant. Puerta Vallerta
is a pretty civilized place these days compared to my first visit in 1957
or so, but the flight from Edmonton is a long haul for an infant who is
then being dropped into an environment where a host of new "bugs" to which
the little nipper has no inherited or built in immunity sit waiting to
attack with the dreaded Montezuma's Revenge or the equally debilitating
Aztec Quick Step.
A suggestion for "next time" - if your rash and ill-considered judgement
has not ruined all the times to come....
Send the young mom & dad to the tropics to revel, booze, slip beneath the
sheets and revisit the pre-partum passions, leaving the bambino home with
Granny and Gramps to cuddle and coddle. On their return, hand over the
liddle monster, and Gran and Gramps board the big silver bird to laze among
the rum drinks, recovering from their ordeal.
I can vaguely recall that a vacation with my or her parents was the last
thing my wife wanted 5 months after the birth of our first in 1967. We
drove down to Saltillo to recover in the old Ruiz Gallindo, not Puerta
Vallerta or tropical, but cooler with better food and drink.
TMO