With recent developments like the FAA’s roadmap for wheelchair seating on airplanes and significant fines imposed on airlines for mistreating disabled passengers, do you feel that accessible travel is finally being taken more seriously? How quickly do you think the tourism industry will implement meaningful changes in accessibility?
alliejay5 Comments-
I believe it will be a VERY long time until us wheelchair travellers will be able to travel just like any other person, i.e.. just book a ticket and turn up☹️
1-
@9patty I don’t think it’s fair to the airlines to just buy a ticket and show up without any advance notice. They’re not ‘superpeople’. There’s a lot that happens behind the scenes for us and all the other passengers to fly safely. For example, our chair’s weight must be reported so the plane isn’t too heavy with our equipment, other passengers’ luggage, other cargo, and food and drink.
Don’t forget that the ADA says “reasonable accommodations”. “Reasonable” is there for a reason.
I don’t have any issues having to make arrangements ahead of time for my wheelchair. The thing that still puzzles me is how often I provide the information ahead of time and fill have to do it again when I get to the airport. I find few airlines have streamlined the flow of this information. Have others had similar experiences?
-
@alliejay I have flown with Singapore Airline and British Airways and found Singapore Airline much better for people with a disability sadly😢
-
@Patty it definitely varies by airline too!
