Man Stuck on Plane for an Hour as Delta Misplaces Wheelchair

• A wheelchair-bound individual had to endure an hour-long wait on a plane after Delta misplaced their wheelchair.
• Lawrence Simmons, the affected passenger, expressed frustration and pain during the ordeal.
• Delta acknowledged the violation of regulations pertaining to the treatment of disabled passengers.

A passenger with limited mobility had to endure a lengthy wait on a Delta flight as the airline failed to locate their wheelchair.

Lawrence Simmons, a 28-year-old individual, flew from Los Angeles to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport on June 12.

Upon arrival, Simmons was informed by the crew that his wheelchair was missing. While Delta made efforts to find it, other passengers and cleaning staff maneuvered around him inside the plane.

Simmons, who had recently broken one of his legs and was traveling with his sister and mother for a hospital appointment, experienced anger and pain during the waiting period.

Ultimately, the wheelchair was located in the baggage reclaim area and brought to the gate.

In a letter dated June 15, Delta apologized to Simmons for the incident, acknowledging several miscommunication errors that caused the delay in retrieving his wheelchair. The letter condemned the unprofessional behavior of the agent and flight attendant involved.

Furthermore, Delta admitted to violating Federal air travel rule 14CFR part 382 at the Atlanta airport. This regulation requires airlines to support disabled passengers and provide accessible services without any additional charges.

Despite the family spending nearly $2,500 on their tickets (including taxes and fees), which should have covered the assistance required by Simmons, Delta offered him a $500 travel credit voucher and provided his mother and sister with $200 vouchers each.

A Delta representative expressed sincere apologies for Simmons’ unfortunate experience and assured ongoing efforts to rectify the situation. Delta intends to improve the travel experience for individuals using wheelchairs or scooters by collaborating with their Advisory Board on Disability and cross-divisional process teams.

Last year, there was another incident involving a disabled passenger who felt humiliated and objectified after Ryanair, a European budget airline, lost her wheelchair. She, too, had to wait on the plane while staff performed cleaning duties around her. According to the Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report, over 11,000 wheelchairs were mishandled by US airlines in 2022.