Future travel plans are up in the air for Tim Kubash after he was kept from boarding a WestJet flight, due to the battery in his wheelchair, on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The Salmon Arm man has used a wheelchair since suffering a that resulted in damage to his vertebrae. He was recently in Victoria for the BC Golf Superintendents Association conference (Nov. 30 to Dec. 2), where he gave a presentation on barriers in the industry experienced by people with disabilities.
B次元官网网址淪o I gave a talk based on my incident and any related golf course scenarios where thereB次元官网网址檚 perhaps barriers in golf greens,B次元官网网址� said Kubash. B次元官网网址淩ick Hansen told me when I met with him that perhaps it was my role now to break down any barriers in my industry to people with disabilities.B次元官网网址�
On Saturday, Dec. 3, Kubash showed up at Victoria International Airport expecting to catch his WestJet flight back to Kelowna. He said he checked in his baggage and went on his merry way, not anticipating another barrier heB次元官网网址檇 soon face.
B次元官网网址淚 guess the policy is the person taking your check-in has to ask you what type of battery you have in your wheelchair. The individual there didnB次元官网网址檛 do that,B次元官网网址� said Kubash.
While Kubash said the battery that powers his wheelchair is approved on WestJetB次元官网网址檚 website, that misstep at check-in and a lack of staffing led to a last-minute decision by the pilot that prevented him from boarding.
B次元官网网址淭hey needed to call some department to give them the authorization to let me on,B次元官网网址� said Kubash. B次元官网网址淗aving that not being a service available on a Saturday, it was left to the pilotB次元官网网址檚 discretion whether I could fly.
B次元官网网址淗e took the cautious route, which IB次元官网网址檓 not blaming him for. He was doing his due diligenceB次元官网网址� I donB次元官网网址檛 fault anyone on the ground with this or in the air. Where I do find fault is middle management, upper middle management, they should have policies in place to make sure this doesnB次元官网网址檛 happen.B次元官网网址�
Kubash wasnB次元官网网址檛 able to depart until the following day. He was told to keep his receipts, that WestJet would compensate him for lodging.
B次元官网网址淭hey gave me a $15 food voucher in the airportB次元官网网址�,B次元官网网址� said Kubash. B次元官网网址淚 had to phone the care aid that was helping me through that week. Thank God she had time to help me, otherwise I would have really been in a tough spot. So thereB次元官网网址檚 another added cost there.B次元官网网址�
As of Tuesday, Dec. 6, Kubash had not received a personal call or apology from WestJet. However, the company did offer an apology via Victoria-based chekNEWS, saying it takes full accountability for the error. WestJet said its airport team used to verify dangerous goods information B次元官网网址渨asnB次元官网网址檛 operating correctly,B次元官网网址� and was unable to check/verify the wheelchair battery in time for KubashB次元官网网址檚 departure.
The ironies of the incident didnB次元官网网址檛 escape Kubash, who shared via Twitter what he was going through on Dec. 3.
B次元官网网址淗a. On the International day of disabled persons @westjet denies me boarding on my return flight home because of my wheelchair. Not good Westjet. You really could have done better,B次元官网网址� Kubash tweeted.
Ha. On the International day of disabled persons denies me boarding on my return flight home because of my wheelchair. Not good Westjet. You really could have done better.
B次元官网网址� Tim Kubash (@TimKubashGroup)
In another tweet, Kubash said WestJet had B次元官网网址渇umbled the ball,B次元官网网址� costing him a day out of his life.
B次元官网网址淪uitable compensation? How about your CEOB次元官网网址檚 daily salary. IB次元官网网址檓 the CEO of my company. My time is as important to me as it is to them. It think that is fair.B次元官网网址�
Asked if he would continue to fly WestJet, Kubash said he has a flight booked in December.
B次元官网网址淯nless this gets resolved, IB次元官网网址檓 not sure,B次元官网网址� said Kubash. B次元官网网址淭hey haveB次元官网网址檛 even reached out to me yet. IB次元官网网址檓 going to wait and see whatB次元官网网址檚 going to happen with that. IB次元官网网址檒l have to decide whether IB次元官网网址檓 going to try that again.B次元官网网址�
Prior to his accident, Kubash enjoyed a decades-long career in the golf industry, in recent years serving as the turf care superintendent for the Salmon Arm Golf Club. Currently, heB次元官网网址檚 the CEO of the Tim Kubash Group (named, he explained, in tongue-in-cheek fashion after the Jim Pattison Group), which offers turf-care oriented services and products for the golf industry.
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