A doctor who attended to a sick patient multiple times and then gave up her business class seat for that same patient so that the flight would not have to divert claims she has not even been offered a thank you from American Airlines, let alone been made right for her sacrifice.
Doctor Gives Up Business Class Seat For Sick Patient She Was Asked To Treat Onboard American Airlines Flight
Dr. Erin Nance is an orthopedic hand surgeon and operates a social media platform aimed at helping women deal with chronic health issues. She and her husband were flying to Europe on American Airlines and about an hour into the flight, a flight attendant asked if there was a doctor onboard.
She volunteered and was brought back to economy class to attend to a passenger, who had fainted. The female passenger returned to her seat, appeared stable, and so Nance returned to her seat. But less than hour later, Nance was summoned again to attend to the same woman. This time, the woman was lying down on the floor outside the lavatory and claimed she could not get up.
As the captain prepared to divert to Nova Scotia, Nance offered to let the woman lie down in her business class seat. In fact, she and her husband volunteered to move to economy class out of compassion for the sick passenger and to avoid a diversion.
She was placed in the last row of economy class in seats that did not recline.
@littlemissdiagnosed @delta would never…still waiting for a response @American Airlines
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished?
After the flight, she asked American Airlines for a refund or “a future business class experience” and was instructed to fill out a customer service form online, which she did. But a month has passed and she has heard nothing back.
View From The Wing wonders, “The doctor did volunteer her seat! It’s the right thing to do, she thought. Maybe she shouldn’t be compensated for that?” and I agree…to an extent.
Ultimately, American Airlines does not owe her anything legally. But it really is just the latest example of no good deed going unpunished. Let’s review:
- Nance cared for the sick passenger…twice
- Nance offered up her seat so that the plane would not have to divert
- That saved AA tens of thousands of dollars, at a minimum
For all who find her actions (in demanding compensation) tacky, I find it far more tacky that American Airlines did not promptly reach out and properly thank her.
I guess she should be happy the patient did not sue her?
Why is it that doctors (and nurses) are expected to volunteer their time for free onboard?
CONCLUSION
A doctor shares of helping a sick passenger on an American Airlines transatlantic flight and then giving up her business class seat so the patient could rest and the flight would not have to divert.
If there is truth to her story (and I see no reason to doubt it), then American Airlines should make this right…doctors should be encouraged to step forward when called, not disincentivized from doing the right thing.
This could have been such an easy PR win for American Airlines…
