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Reading about the Hilton Hotel problem spurred me on to ask what we can do
about our dilemma.

We hope to be flying Air New Zealand from Honolulu to Aukland which is a nine
hour all night-flight.

I asked for bulkhead seats when we made the reservations because of Paul's
P.D. The answer has been the usual party line that all airlines give, that
is, "the bulkhead seats are reserved for parents with small children or
children traveling alone." We are not ones to usurp the seats of any wee
folk. On the other hand we had hoped for more understanding from the airline.
Business class seats are impossibly expensive (currently about $4000 per
person round trip). We were also told that the first three rows of seats are
reserved for the disabled. I can't believe that the first three rows are
further apart than other coach seats so don't understand the reasoning there.
I also doubt that an international airline would come under the ADA rules and
regulations.

Someone told us that the seats on Air NZ were a 32inch pitch. I can't find my
clipping on seat pitch. Does anyone have information on that? We did call a
travel agent named Janice Perkins 630-469-7349, who speciallizes in helping
people with disabilities.  She was very helpful but neither Air NZ nor
Quantas would budge. Janice who has post-polio syndrome told me she has given
talks lately to Parkinson groups. Maybe she would write a book or put out a
video. Her only advice was to take a pill and enjoy it as much as possible,
which we shall do.

Continental Airlines (who does not go to NZ) will reserve a bulkhead seat for
us provided we arrive in a wheel chair. We did that last time we traveled
from Honolulu to California and were much less tired than when sitting in
regular coach. So we like them!

Does anyone have any advice?

Jan cg for Paul 63/4+