Airlines come under scrutiny constantly for their treatment of disabled individuals. This week it was the turn of Easyjet who received criticism from the Guardian for its refusal to carry mobility aids which could not be split into parts each weighing less than 60kg, due to health and safety regulations for its baggage staff. A trailblazer report into the accessibility of the Tourism industry for disabled customers found “More than half of young disabled people feel that the inaccessibility of aircraft has a major impact on their choice of holiday destination.” They identified the main areas where airlines could improve their service to accommodate disabled individuals as:
• “Provide better staff disability awareness training.”
• “Give the customer the option to add a marking to their ticket to identify them as a disabled individual so staff can see additional service may be required in the event a disability is not visible.”
• “Find a method that will permit a wheelchair user to travel in their own wheelchair on the aircraft.”
• “Allow passengers to pre-book luggage assistance.”
As airlines operate internationally you would assume that they cannot be challenged for disability discrimination, this is not true; British airports are covered by the Disability Discrimination Act and must operate in a way that complies with this but once onboard a flight there is no further coverage by British law. European law covers flights travelling to and from Europe and those which operate domestically within the EU, however the EU guide to this law only lays out guidelines in relation to treatment of access requirements the airlines actual legal duty boils down to the following; an airline can only refuse a disabled individual from flying if allowing them to do so would break safety rules, if you are refused a booking the airline is legally required to provide you with reasoning for this course of action. This leaves us back where we have started, with little insight into the practicality of flying as a disabled individual.
The rest of this article will delve into this area revealing the actual conduct of airlines in relation to the requirements of different disabled individuals concentrating on British Airways, BMI, Easyjet and Ryanair four of the biggest airlines operating out of the United Kingdom’s airports. It should be noted that these details are correct at the time of publishing but are likely to change as such you should always ensure you have discussed any access requirements you have with your airline well in advance of flying to ensure no difficulties arise. The following information has been compiled through information on the four airlines respective websites and through verification with their customer service teams.
In relation to personal assistants all of the four airlines recognise an individual as requiring a personal assistant if they require assistance to complete any of the following tasks:
• Lift yourself
• Reach an emergency exit unaided
• Unfasten your seatbelt
• Retrieve and fit a life jacket
• Fit an oxygen mask
• Use a toilet
• Communicate with staff in relation to safety issues
• Deliver any medical requirements on flight
However, all four airlines charge the full price of an additional seat for a personal assistant to join you on your flight.
Practice in relation to mobility aids for wheelchair users vary across airlines with British Airways and BMI providing the simplest rulings. British Airways will endeavour to fit any mobility aid in the cabin if possible but will allow up to two mobility aids (with no limits on their description) in the hold free of charge. BA also state that any aircraft used on flights over five hours have adapted toilets and carry an onboard wheelchair. BMI will not carry any non-folding mobility aid but any other will be carried free of charge as long as notice is given over 48 hours in advance of flying. This is where simplicity ends, Ryanair will carry only mobility aids operating on a dry or gel cell battery and these must be collapsible to smaller than the following dimensions 81cm X 119cm X 119cm (height x width x depth). They also require a notice period of over 36 hours and will not accept more than four passengers with reduced mobility on any flight. Easyjet as revealed will by the Gaurdian will only carry mobility aids over 60kg (excluding battery) if it can be collapsed into parts weighing less than 60kg each and require two days notice for these. They also state that groups of three or more wheelchair users must check before booking through their call centre if it will be possible to accommodate them on a flight. For all airlines ensure you bring with you the instruction manual for your mobility aid, remove the battery and cover the battery connections to avoid short circuiting.
Service and Guide dogs are allowed on flights free of charge by all of the airlines listed however the routes on which these dogs are allowed to fly are different for each airline and are also limited by DEFRA so ensure you check their website before flying to avoid the quarantine of your companion, Easyjet fair worst in allowed routes only carrying service dogs on internal UK flights and internal EU mainland flights. This is not the end of the story, all airlines require your pet to travel through the PETS Travel Scheme and Easyjet state they will only provide free travel if there is room available at the front of the plane and dependant on the dogs size otherwise an additional seat must be purchased. Easyjet will also only recognize service dogs if trained by the following organisations: Support Dogs; Guide Dogs for the Blind Association; Hearing Dogs for Deaf People; Dogs for the Disabled or Canine Partners. Ryanair put a limit at a maximum of four service dogs on any flight and BMI require a seven day advance notice period. BA were the only airline to offer free travel for service dogs as unaccompanied pets in the hold on flights where DEFRA do not permit them to be carried in the cabin.
For individuals who require oxygen tanks onboard flight British Airways also fair best as they are the only airline to offer oxygen supplied on flight free of charge, they will carry your own oxygen cylinders in the hold provided they are empty. Easyjet will allow you to carry two of your own cylinders in the cabin provided they are smaller than the following dimension 500mm x 25mm (height x diameter). Both Ryanair and BMI will charge £100 per flight for an oxygen supply with Ryanair limiting this supply to 2 hours if high flow (4L per minute) is required or 4 hours for low flow (2L per minute), Ryanair will also only allow one such passenger per flight.
As a summary of this information British Airway unsurprisingly provide the best assistance to disabled passengers with BMI coming second. Although Easyjet shows initiative in certain areas providing options better than other airlines in other areas this is let down such as in the carrying of mobility aids and service dogs. Ryanair have come out at the bottom of the pile and have even added a fifty cent (euro) levy, clearly visible in the breakdown of its “tax and charges” small print on all customers to pay for the accommodation of wheelchairs on its flights. It would seem that for many disabled individuals the difficulty in understanding the regulation or additional costs still bar them from the advantage of low cost air travel.