Air Canada Listens...and acts

[Kip Powick]

Toronto Star.............

When Twitter spoke, Air Canada listened.

The airline found itself in the eye of a social media storm after breaking a terminally ill boy’s $15,000 wheelchair on a flight to New York City Wednesday.

Air Canada first told his family he might have to wait until Monday to get his chair back. But by Thursday afternoon — after a massive social media outburst sparked by his blogger aunt — the airline returned his fixed chair and offered him a free trip to Disney World.

Tanner Bawn, 10, of Vancouver, has muscular dystrophy and is immobile without the electric wheelchair.

The airline took the chair apart for shipping and couldn’t put it back together because it was damaged by the time they arrived in LaGuardia Airport in Queens, N.Y., on Wednesday.

“We know Tanner’s No. 1 personal wish is to go to Disney World, so we’ll be making that happen for him and his cousins,” said Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick, who said the company is sorry for what happened and will investigate the incident further.

The boy’s aunt, Toronto-based blogger Catherine Connors said she was overwhelmed when Air Canada broke the news about Disney World.

“I kind of burst into tears a little bit,” she said. “It’s definitely a heart-burster because it was the wish that triggered the wish list.”

Tanner, who may not live to see his 12th birthday, has a 13-item list of wishes he hopes to fulfill before he dies. First on his list is to take his cousins Emilia, 4, and Jasper, 2, to Disney World.

After an afternoon spent in front of television crews and in interviews with other media, the smiling blond told the Star he was looking forward to a trip to the big New York Toys 'R' Us and maybe getting a hot dog.

“I'm happy to have my chair back,” he said. “I had a long day.”

Asked what he thinks of all the attention, Tanner said, “It's kind of embarrassing.”

Tanner is in New York for a charity run called “Tutus for Tanner,” a muscular dystrophy fundraising event organized by Connors, who blogs regularly about Tanner’s condition.

At the same time, hundreds of bloggers — many of whom have become actively involved in Tanner’s cause through his social media savvy aunt — were heading to New York this weekend for the annual BlogHer conference.

In a 30-hour Twitter fundraising campaign earlier this week, many of those people helped raise $25,000 to renovate Tanner’s house so that he can die at home.

On Thursday many tweeted outrage on his behalf under the tag #tutusfortanner.

Air Canada has also offered to make a donation to the home renovation fund.

Connors said she’s happy the airline made things right. “But there’s a part of my heart that still really hurts,” she said.

“If I hadn’t been with Chrissie (Bawn, Tanner’s mother) and Tanner, if it were any other kid without a vast social media network behind them, it wouldn’t have turned out this way.”

Connors tweeted her thanks Thursday afternoon.

“Tanner has his chair back,” she said. “Thank you Internet. Heart explodes

[Specs]

Don't mean to be insensitive but if they're that fragile then why bother accepting them at all if the airline needs to disassemble them before flight and then reassemble them at destination. When these things are ordered and built, the seating and back position are fairly significant as is the placement of the controller, headrest, palmrest, legrest, etc. When purchased new it's usually an OT or technician that makes the adjustments. How on earth is a ground agent supposed to do that?

[J.O.]

The only thing that bothers me about this story is the inference that Air Canada only reacted because of an internet **bleep** storm. Air Canada and its employees consistently have a big heart when it comes to special needs children, usually with minimal fuss and fanfare. Call me sentimental, but I believe they would have come through for this boy even without all the attention.

[Don Hudson]

J.O.

they would have come through for this boy even without all the attention.

Thanks, much appreciated JO.

Of course they would have looked after this child and his family. I guess AC's problem is, (other than the fact that they can never win when it comes to the Canadian "news" media), as always, doing it without fanfare or bragging.

The implication in the "story" that the CTV let stand and did nothing to correct was that Air Canada employees would have ignored the problem "if it hadn't been for tweeter, twitter or whatever the over-the-fence gossip site is. Nonsense.

The CTV coverage of the item is atrocious "journalism" and grossly out of proportion to the event.

The other fact about is this story is, sadly, that Air Canada has been flying kids and their families for free for decades, (crews donate their time and the flights often go very senior), who are otherwise unable to travel due to illnesses, some of them terminal, in Air Canada's "Dreams Take Flight" Program. What about that, CTV? The Program never, ever gets a mention by the media. Even here, no mention has been made of this program to balance the crap that CTV and other media dish out.

[Don Hudson]

An automated "personal" response from CTV News to my letter of complaint. I could tell my feedback "was important" to CTV.

In fact, it is impossible to contact anyone at this organization; they have fortressed themselves against their viewing public. Their "contact" web page is nothing but advertising for more of their programming. I can ask questions about recipes, find more of the same kind of stories, send them my videos and pictures and ask for transcripts of their programming but insofar as viewer/customer satisfaction with their programming goes it is absolutely impossible to communicate with this arrogant, insular organization.

Here is their "Contact Us" web page. It is Orwellian in its name and intent, and a complete waste of time because they don't want "contact" at all.

How do I work this tweeter thingy?...

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(This dumb link sends the viewer back to this page).

Thank you again for the time and care you took in writing to us,

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[moeman]

Did you not find this info Don, or was there something else you were looking for?

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[mo32a]

The other fact about is this story is, sadly, that Air Canada has been flying kids and their families for free for decades, (crews donate their time and the flights often go very senior), who are otherwise unable to travel due to illnesses, some of them terminal, in Air Canada's "Dreams Take Flight" Program. What about that, CTV? The Program never, ever gets a mention by the media. Even here, no mention has been made of this program to balance the crap that CTV and other media dish out.

I would have to take issue with that Don.

I have seen many newspaper and television stories about the Dreams take Flight program and all state categorically that it is Air Canada doing it.

[ChicoChico]

I would have to take issue with that Don.

I have seen many newspaper and television stories about the Dreams take Flight program and all state categorically that it is Air Canada doing it.

I would have to take issue with that Mo32a,

I wrote the Calgary Herald a letter to take issue with the last Dream Flight article in the paper. A fine print mention on page three that Air Canada employees were involved - no mention they were all volunteers as I recall. The article had several photos including shots of the Aircraft that cleverly avoided showing the AC logo or Maple leaf.

Typical with the media in Canada in general and in Calgary especially.

The media IS biased against AC - ho-hum...

Chico

PS No answer from the Herald.

[mo32a]

Well all I can respond to that is I don't live in Alberta, and don't read their papers.

But I have seen articles in other papers and on the national and local news broadcasts.

[boestar]

Global TV and sometimes CITY cover the event in YYZ generally and the coverage of the event is good. Mentioning that AIR CANADA is not in the forefront but is mentioned. AC does not Overtly advertize the event but does a hell of a job.