Hanoi - A Vietnamese man is suing the country's budget airline for charging him a wheelchair service for his disabled wife to board a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, state media reported Monday. Pacific Airlines is refusing to pay the man's claim of 25 dollars, half the fee he was charged, because it would "create a bad precedent," a spokesman told the English-language Vietnam News.
Ho Chi Minh City resident Pham Van Tan said the airline did not inform him of any extra fees for disabled passengers when he purchased tickets for the flight for himself, his wife and their 6-month-old daughter.
However, when it was time to board the plane in mid-August, they found that passengers had to climb stairs to enter the plane from the tarmac. Later, Tan said, the airline demanded 50 dollars for helping his wife into the plane.
Tan said he was suing out of principle.
"I want [Pacific Airlines] to be more responsible to its passengers, especially people with disabilities," Tan told the Vietnam News.
No court date has been set for the case, filed August 16 in Tan Binh District Court of Ho Chi Minh City.
Reached by telephone Monday,Pacific Airlines' general director Luong Hoai Nam confirmed the case but refused to comment although he had earlier told the Vietnam News that the regulation was clear and could not be altered.
Vietnam does not have strong laws requiring equal access for disabled people, according to Trinh Minh Hien, head of the Ministry of Transport's legal department.
"Existing regulations just vaguely mention that service providers are to serve the disabled 'whole-heartedly and kindly,'" Hien said by telephone, adding that she believes more regulation is needed.
Budget-airline passengers the world over complain of fine-printed, last-minute fees for such things as excess baggage.
