The Intersection of Travel and Disability
One customer says she was subjected to absurdly strict treatment regarding the items she was bringing into the cabin of her overnight flight from Toronto to Paris this month — namely, a set of crutches. Read More.
Our Takeaway: This dismissive attitude is not only harmful to the travel industry’s reputation, it’s completely unjust and removes the ability of the mobility impaired to travel via air. You cannot charge for the ability to walk.
Our Takeaway: The new Wheelchair Securement System unveiled at an annual trade show in Germany gained spectacular credibility once Delta Airlines announced its support.
TravelAbility provided part of the funding that helped advisory board member John Morris’ travel to the Hamburg Aircraft Interiors Show so he would be the first to test drive the securement system in real time.
Here’s what he found:
Delta Flight Products, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines that was established to re-think aircraft interiors, announced it was backing the Air4All wheelchair securement system on commercial jets — the company plans to unveil its design prototype at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany next week. Chris Wood, my friend and colleague in accessible travel advocacy, is a partner in the Air4All seating product. Last year, he spoke to me about his design innovation — you can watch our conversation here and read my initial reporting on Air4All here. With the announcement that Air4All will debut in Hamburg, I decided that I needed to be there — critical reporting on this product, its advancements, features and opportunities for improvement should come from within the disability community. I look forward to seeing, touching, and testing the Air4All system myself, and sharing my insights with each of you. Read More.
Our Takeaway: Plus-size travelers, especially woman activists believe that they are marginalized and discriminated against by airlines and other suppliers and hacks alone will not be enough.
As society continues to put a greater emphasis on the need for inclusive and accessible travel for all people, the aviation industry is taking small steps toward change. There is still work that needs to be done, however, especially when it comes to size inclusivity. Aircraft cabin features including seats, aisles and lavatories make it glaringly obvious that there is a disparity when considering accessibility for plus-size travelers. Although this lack of consideration can be frustrating, influencer KirstyLeanneTravels gave her followers a simple, yet effective strategy to obtain a second plane seat at no extra cost. In a video posted to her TikTok, Kirsty approaches a flight attendant and asks, “Do you know if there are any two seats next to each other free?” The flight attendant tells her that once all travelers have boarded the aircraft, she will check. The TikTok then pans to Kristy on the plane sitting in the extra seat she asked for. Read More.
Our Takeaway: While this was a survey to determine the true average passenger weight in order to calculate the amount of freight, they will be able to accommodate, we hope this is just a one-off event. If this catches on, privacy litigation can’t be far behind.
Airline passengers are well accustomed to weighing their luggage and keeping bags light ahead of departure, but many travelers flying with one airline will soon be asked to step on the scales themselves. Yes, you read that correctly — passengers themselves will be weighed. Throughout the month of June, all Air New Zealand passengers travelling internationally from Auckland airport will be asked to step on the scales to participate in the airline’s passenger weight survey. Read More.
Our Takeaway: Please share these hard-to-find insightful tips with anyone you know that has a family member with epilepsy and fears traveling this summer.
People with epilepsy can and do travel using every mode of transportation. However, it may require extra planning, such as ensuring you have enough medication and requesting accommodations if needed. This article will discuss the challenges of traveling with epilepsy, how to prepare, and how to make your trip go smoothly. Read More.
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