Panic attack before flight

[air1]

I suffer from ptsd and panic attack so I got flight insurance to protect me from losing money.I got Delta’s flight insurance and before flight three days, they were discussing how a former federal whistle blower was saying how it wasn’t safe to fly doing holiday, as day was getting closer my attacks got worse, I cancel my flight but Deltas Allianz insurance said my panic attacks weren’t cover-under the policy. As a veteran I am disappointed and asking for help from the Hadit community about what should I do. I. Appealed their decision. Thanks 

[GBArmy]

You said you have PTSD and suffer from panic attacks, etc. I noticed from your profile that you don't have any s-c disabilities. Are you working on them or have you been denied? Are you receiving medical/professional help? I hope so; if not, ask for help and there are plenty of veterans on this blog that can help you thru the process. Now, as for your flight insurance policy, like everything we buy it is always "Buyer beware." Did you read the fine print on the contract. It doesn't count what a sales clerk told you verbally; it's about what is in the policy. It more than likely won't cover that type of claim. It may list types that they will expressly cover, like illness, but if you consider that the high anxiety that comes to many people when it comes to flying, if they covered everyone who said that they decided it was too stressful, they would go broke. The only advise I can offer is to read it thoroughly and, if you think it is worth the effort, take them to (small claims) court and/or seek legal advise. But get some help with your MH situation air1.

[broncovet]

Ask your  PTSD doc to prescribe something for panic attacks and take it about an hour or so before you fly.  Ativan is a famous one.  

Also, here is what I found out dealing with companies.  I had huge problems with AT and T.  It was a biling problem, where I was billed for a phone which I had returned.  

Three differnt customer service reps could not or would not help.  So, I bought "one share" of AT and T stock.  About 35.00.  Then I contacted "shareholder" services and told them I was concerned about my investment because of poor customer service.  

The President of the company's Secretrary called me and fixed my billing issue immediately.  She also refunded "late charges" because I would not pay for a phone that I had returned to the company.  And she offered to do that.  I mean that customer service was definately "top notch".  It saved me a 900 dollar phone bill plus about 3 late charges, for about 950 dollars.  

Therefore, my advice is to buy a share of Delta Airlines, contact shareholder services and tell them your problem.  

Customer service on many companies is just plain horrible, and that is the only way to fix it that I have found.  

This method, which I sometimes call the "teenager" method, also works at VA.  You just need to understand the teen mentality:

"When Mom says no, Ask Dad.  When Mom and Dad say no, ask Grandpa.  When Mom, dad, and Granpa say no, ask your teacher or principal."

The VA is not a unified body, and when one Veteran unfriendly employee says no, just call a different department on a different day, and you could well get your yes.  

It works especially well with VA because the "right hand" does not know what the left hand is doing at VA.  

There are about a million employees at our government, and they have a large variety of "Veteran friendlieness" all the way from despising Vets, to well, giving Vets anything they need. 

You need to find a Vet friendly employee, and the only way to do that is keep trying until you find one.  Once you find that Vet Friendly employee, then remember their name and phone number or office, and go see them whenever you have a problem "even if" its not about their department.  

Just say, "I know this is not your department, but I have a problem with......., so do you know someone in that department who can help?"   Often they do.  

     Someday, VA may have "all" Veteran friendly employees (employees who are not "Veteran Friendly" should be fired, after all, why should Vets deserve poor customer service at VA, when many get great customer service at McDonald's.).   

    As an example, I have been to McDonalds and sometimes the food is sub par..you know, French fries are cold or dried out, hamburger is dried out, etc.  Just go to the counter and tell them and they IMMEDIATELY replace the defective food with a fresh one.  I have never had a problem at McDonalds customer service so shouldnt Vets deserve that, too???

 

Edited December 29, 2019 by broncovet

[vetquest]

I once flew to Connecticut and back for medical testing.  I called the airline and told them I was disabled and got my trip approved.  The flight there went fine, while flying back the desk agent would not let me on the plane with my medical equipment.  They said it was dangerous.  I had a long drawn out conversation with  a supervisor I was allowed to board the plane but they announced over the intercom that they were delayed due to a passenger issue as I was walking on the plane.  It was not a comfortable situation.

I wrote to the Airline and explained my situation, they apologized for the issue and gave me two free flights for my wife and I.  A letter to the company has much more impact than calling on the phone.  I would try to send a letter and explain what happened. 

[Buck52]

I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE INSURANCE AT THE TIME I BOARDED A FLIGHT IN DALLAS, MY SON AND SPOUSE WAS WITH ME  AND I HAD A SEVERE PANIC ATTACK ABOUT THE TIME THE PLANE STARTED TAXING TO THE RUNWAY,  THE STEWARDESS  ASK WHAT WAS WRONG  MY SON AND SPOUSE  MENTION TO HER I  WAS A DISABLED VETERAN AND HAD CHRONIC PTSD AND WAS HAVING HIGH ANXIETY PANIC ATTACKS...SO THEY TURN THE PLANE AROUND AND WENT BACK TO THE GATE ME AND MY FAMILY  DE-BOARDED  THE PLANE  NEVER AGAIN WILL I DO THIS.

I WAS REFUNDED MY PLANE TICKET $$

[Oceanbound]

Flying is very safe at any time of the year. Flying is more safe than driving. Remember bootcamp they wouldn't allow you to read the news, because most of it is fake or an advertisement. Books on the other hand ARNT fake--just non-fiction or ficiton. For good reason, for reasons like this. ". As a veteran" wrong you are simply a passenger, THAT wanted to fly from point A to point B, then read or heard  someone's bullshit story/article about how the world was going to end in 1999 and than you cancelled your flight due to some no name joe blow spewing something to, GET THIS, BECOME FAMOUS and get his 15 minutes of fame. Well you gave that dude his 15 minutes of fame. And now you have to pay the piper for cancelling your flight when no one else made you cancel the flight.

FLYING IS VERY MUCH MORE SAFE than driving, eating, using Microsoft products instead of Linux/FreeBSD.