When Advance Notice Can Be Required
Airlines may not require passengers with disabilities to provide
advance notice of their intent to travel or of their disability
except as provided below. Nonetheless, letting the airline know
in advance how they can help you will generally result in a smoother
trip.
Carriers may require up to 48 hours advance notice and one hour
advance check-in from a person with a disability who wishes to receive
any of the following services:
Transportation for an electric wheelchair on an aircraft with
fewer than 60 seats;
Provision by the carrier of hazardous materials packaging for
the battery of a wheelchair or other assistive device;
Accommodations for 10 or more passengers with disabilities who
travel as a group;
Provision of an on-board wheelchair on an aircraft that does
not have an accessible lavatory for persons who can use an inaccessible
lavatory but need an on-board chair to do so.
An airline that uses a “block seating” approach to
provide special seating for passengers with disabilities is free
to require 24 hours advance notice for such accommodations. See
the “Seating” section later in this booklet.
Carriers are not required to provide the following services or
equipment, but should they choose to provide them, they may require
48 hours advance notice and a one hour advance check-in:
Medical oxygen for use on board the aircraft;
Carriage of an incubator;
Hook-up for a respirator to the aircraft's electrical supply;
Accommodations for a passenger who must travel on a stretcher.
Carriers may impose reasonable, nondiscriminatory charges
for these optional services.
Where a service is required by the rule, the airline must ensure
that it is provided if appropriate notice has been given and the
service requested is available on that particular flight. If a passenger
does not meet advance notice or check-in requirements, carriers
must make a reasonable effort to accommodate the requested service,
providing this does not delay the flight.
If a passenger with a disability provides the required notice but
is required to fly on another carrier (for example, if the flight
is cancelled), the original carrier must, to the maximum extent
feasible, provide assistance to the second carrier in furnishing
the accommodation requested by the individual.
It must be recognized that even when a passenger has requested
information in advance on the accessibility features of the scheduled
aircraft, carriers sometimes have to substitute a different aircraft
at the last minute for safety, mechanical or other reasons. The
substitute aircraft may not be as fully accessible—a condition
that may prevail until the retirement of the last of the aircraft
that were in service before the implementation of the Air Carrier
Access rules.
|
