Flying with a disability? 7 insider tips for a smooth trip
If air travel is stressing you out, imagine what it’s like for the disabled. A physical, mental or emotional impairment can turn an already difficult environment into one that’s overwhelming.
Laurel Van Horn, research director at Open Doors Organization, a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to improving accessibility in travel and tourism, says flight delays, cancellations and frequent gate changes are causing problems for people with restricted mobility and for those with hearing loss who cannot hear the announcements.
“Once you miss a flight,” she adds, “you can’t easily get another since many are full or overbooked.”
Tell me about it. After two decades in a major airline’s customer relations office, I’ve seen many situations where the airlines made a mistake. But I’ve also seen a few where better communication or realistic expectations on the part of the customer could have prevented quite a few problems.
So what, exactly, can you do to help?
1. Choose the right airline or flight.
Minimizing the number of connections is the best step you can take to prevent problems. One time on, one time off the plane. Seems logical, right?
If a non-stop flight isn’t an option, I suggest flying Southwest Airlines. Maybe it’s because their product is so simple. Maybe it’s because they don’t have all of those complicated mega-hubs some of the other airlines use. Maybe it’s because they hire people with the “Southwest Spirit.” I don’t know, but they usually (not always) seem to get things right.
You can see which airline does or does not fare well on the Department of Transportation’s monthly Air Travel Consumer Report.
2. Ask for the right thing and do it ahead of time.
Most airlines around the world use something called Standard Interline Passenger Procedures codes to help define and communicate various services customers need while traveling. For customers with disabilities, there are varying levels of assistance, and having the “right code” will help the airline plan for how they can best assist you – things like having a special wheelchair that will fit down an aircraft aisle positioned at the right gate, for instance.
If you don’t tell them what you need, you’ll probably run into problems. At the same time, a good airline agent will ask additional questions to clarify when somebody only says “I need a wheelchair.” See how this is a two-way street?
And it wouldn’t hurt for you to ask what your wheelchair code is so you can jot it down for next time. Put it with your frequent flier number so you have it for the next time you make a reservation. The general choices are usually WCHR, WCHS or WCHC depending on your needs.
3. Don’t trust the Internet unless you really know what you’re doing.
It’s OK to book your flights on the Internet. Doing so lets you avoid those fees airlines charge nowadays for making reservations with a human being. When it comes to wheelchair and other assistance requests, however, I recommend you call and speak with someone. They won’t charge you for that. See my previous section about clarifying questions.
4. Mind the commuter planes.
The importance of asking ahead of time, and being clear about your needs, goes double for situations where you’re flying into a domestic airport that doesn’t use a jet bridge for deplaning, or if you’re on the type of plane that boards with stairs. In those cases, the airline has to position a mechanical lift device or a ramp to help you get on or off. Sometimes, those lifts or ramps are owned by airport authorities and not the airlines themselves, and they are shared between airlines, so giving as much advance notice of that need is critical to your smooth travels.
By the way, the airlines are supposed to tell you if you’ll need to use stairs to board or deplane during your trip.
At one major connecting hub, the airport authority’s lift used to be located two miles away from the terminal used for commuter operations, and it only traveled at 1 m.p.h. You can see how long it would take to get to you, and if your reservation had only had the basic “needs a wheelchair” WCHR code referenced above, you’d be waiting quite a long time.
There’s a Department of Transportation discussion of these wheelchair codes and commuter aircraft here.
5. Communicate your needs clearly.
If you’re in the airport, and you feel forgotten, chances are you have been. Speak up! No right-minded airline employee is going to intentionally leave a disabled customer stranded, but agents are only human and they have thousands of things on their minds besides you. Expect them to be helpful, but don’t expect them to have superhuman powers.
Also, you should expect to have to wait a few minutes – maybe as many as ten – for assistance. There are countless people who need help, and a finite number of people to give the help.
6. Do your homework before you leave.
If you have an out-of-the-ordinary situation, such as an emotional support service animal or an assistive device other than a standard cane or walker, figure out ahead of time what you’re going to need to do to transport it.
Don’t wait until the day of departure. Call the airline or call the United States Department of Transportation’s Disability Hotline. Research your situation on the Internet. But don’t just show up without warning with an out-of-the-ordinary situation and expect everything to go smoothly.
For example, in the case of an emotional support animal, there is an excellent guidance document on the subject from the Department of Transportation on the Internet. It tells you everything you need to know about supporting documentation requirements. After clicking the link above, scroll down until you see the May 9, 2003 title “Service Animal Guidance.”
7. If something goes wrong, complain.
I worked in customer relations for a long time. There is power in complaining, if it’s warranted. If the airline you’re flying is customer-focused, it will pay attention, as long as you complain intelligently.
For a disability complaint, do not call the airline. Write to it.
The airlines are required to provide a “dispositive” reply to any written complaint received within 45 days of the incident. That means they have to investigate what happened and provide a substantive, written answer. If you call them, in most cases all they really have to do is say they are sorry and move on.
If you really want them to stand up and take notice, you’ll write directly to the Department of Transportation. The DOT will make them research the situation fully, respond to you directly, and answer to them with their research and their written reply. If the DOT finds that there is a pattern of violation of the Air Carrier Access Act, they can levy hefty fines on the airlines, as they have done on a number of occasions. That’s the law.
Lastly, if you are in the airport and are not happy with something, ask to speak with a Complaint Resolution Official, or CRO. The airline is required to have one of these on duty at all times it is operational. This person should understand the regulation and either be able to resolve your situation, or respond to your situation appropriately. (But if you talk to one of these people, my suggestion is to follow up in writing with the Transportation Department regardless so people can be held accountable.)
These tips will help those of you with disabilities have a more enjoyable experience when traveling by air. Armed with the right preparation, and a little knowledge of what to do if something goes awry, you can take steps to ensure a flight that’s as smooth as possible.
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2 Responses to “Flying with a disability? 7 insider tips for a smooth trip”
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David Burns writes a very interesting article. He seems to have helpful, clear and easy to understand information. Very helpful and thought provoking, but all on a positive note. Great information and I will continue to look for his information.
Marcia Lamb
I will be travelling with someone who uses a wheelchair early next year - fortunately, right now there’s non-stop service on a big jet so there should be minimal difficulty.
I’ve never seen an airline web site that told you if the airport had a jetway or stairs to board and unboard. and there’s no assumptions to be made here - taking a nonstop flight on Delta from Atlanta to Burlington, Vermont, on a 50-seat plane, guess which airport had a jetway and which had stairs? BTV knows that regional jet service is their mainstay, so they are very accomodating. Delta’s commuter plane gates at Hartsfield-Jackson have the same layout as when those gates belonged to Eastern.