The ACAA prohibits discrimination of passengers with disabilities - I can’t be denied a seat on a plane - but that’s about where the protection ends. What governs the skies is the lesser-known and comparatively toothless Air Carrier Access Act of 1986. How is it that so little effort has been spent to ensure people like me feel welcome and comfortable when flying? Trains and buses are accessible - why not airplanes? Turns out the Americans With Disabilities Act does not apply to aircraft - which explains why I can roll into public buildings but not on to a jet. ![]() But what would really make me feel included would be to stay in my own chair, to roll down the jetway and on to the aircraft, lock down in the cabin and relax. At a minimum, airlines could be required to use universal storage cases to protect power wheelchairs and mobility scooters, or tie-down straps to secure these expensive devices in the cargo hold. And, yes, disabled travelers have been dropped or critically injured when improperly transferred. Upon landing, I get to do it all again, in reverse. Fellow passengers may or may not be looking on. Once aboard the aircraft, they will push me down the aisle, stop at my row and transfer me into my cabin seat. Airline personnel - strangers with vague and questionable training - will lift me out of the Quantum and transfer me into the “aisle chair,” a diminutive wheelchair used for boarding and deplaning. ![]() To visit my daughter, I have to give up bodily autonomy. Imagine handing over your prescription eyeglasses and squinting anxiously the whole flight only to have them returned with cracked lenses and a broken frame. Some wheelchairs are so mangled they pose a safety risk for users or are rendered inoperable. Business How airlines trick you into paying moreĪirlines use behavioral economics, which combines psychology with traditional economics, to exploit biases that drive us to pay more than necessary.
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