United Airlines is taking steps to make it easier for people with disabilities to find wheelchair-accessible flights. (Thinkstock)
In a precedent-setting move, major airlines plan to offer travelers with disabilities the ability to filter flights based on accessibility on their websites.
United Airlines has announced that it will become the first airline to offer passengers with disabilities a quick website feature to see which flights are wheelchair accessible for different types of chairs.
Starting early next year, individuals will be able to input the exact dimensions of their wheelchair, and the website will prioritize flights on aircraft with cargo bay doors large enough to accommodate the specified size.
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“Providing an easy way for customers to find out if their wheelchair will fit on a particular aircraft gives them peace of mind when they fly with us,” said Linda Jojo, United’s executive vice president and chief customer officer. “Additionally, collecting this information in advance helps ensure our teams handle these special items with the care they deserve.”
The change is the result of a deal reached with the U.S. Department of Transportation following a complaint from Engracia Figueroa, a disabled passenger whose motorized wheelchair broke during a United Airlines flight in 2021. Figueroa died about three months later, with her lawyers arguing it was from injuries she suffered while being forced to sit in an ill-fitting manual wheelchair for hours after getting off the plane.
United Airlines is providing more clarity about whether it has flights that can accommodate specific wheelchairs, and has pledged to refund travelers who have to choose a more expensive flight option because of the size of their wheelchair.
The airline also said it will pilot a program at Houston Intercontinental Airport to provide designated seating in the terminal for passengers whose wheelchairs are damaged or delayed during flights, and to reimburse passengers for travel expenses if they wish to wait somewhere other than the airport.
Under an agreement with the Department of Transportation, United will solicit feedback from all passengers who check wheelchairs to help inform the airline’s procedures going forward.
“Everyone should be able to travel safely and with dignity, and I’m pleased to see United Airlines working to improve its service for wheelchair users,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
According to United’s agreement with the Department of Transportation, between 2019 and 2022, US airlines mishandled 32,640 wheelchairs and scooters on domestic flights, or about 1.45%. United had the third-best record, with an average wheelchair mishandling rate of 1.2%.
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