The largest US airlines, which has accounted for the majority of refund complaints, avoided fines, and an official stated that no other US carriers are being investigated for potential fines.
According to federal officials, Frontier Airlines and four foreign carriers have agreed to refund above $600 million to travelers whose flights have been canceled or significantly delayed since the outbreak began.
The US Department of Transportation said the same airlines were fined more than $7 million for moreover delaying refunds for so long that they violated consumer protection rules.
The largest US airlines, which accounted for the majority of refund complaints, avoided fines, and an official stated that no other US carriers are being investigated for potential fines.
When the pandemic struck the United States in early 2020, consumers flooded the agency with more than thousands of complaints about their inability to obtain refunds. It was by far the most common type of complaint.
“When Americans buy airline tickets, we expect to arrive safely, reliably, and also affordably, and our main job at DOT is to hold airlines accountable for these mere expectations,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.
According to the department, Denver-based Frontier Airlines will refund $222 million and pay a $2.2 million civil penalty.
According to the Transportation Department, TAP Portugal will refund $126.5 million and also pay a $1.1 million fine; Air India will refund $121.5 million and pay a $1.4 million penalty; Aeromexico will pay $13.6 million and a $900,000 fine; Israel’s El Al will also pay $61.9 million and a $900,000 penalty; and also Colombia’s Avianca will pay $76.8 million and a $750,000 fine.
“We have more enforcement actions and also investigations underway, and there may be more news in the form of fines to come,” Buttigieg said during a press conference.
Other U.S. airlines, on the other hand, will not face fines because they responded “shortly after” the Transportation Department reminded them in April 2020 of their current obligation to provide quick refunds, according to Blane Workie, assistant general counsel for the Transportation Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection.
“There are no pending cases against other US carriers.” On the same call as Buttigieg, Workie stated, “Our remaining cases are against foreign air carriers.”
United Airlines had the most refund-related complaints filed with the DOT in 2020, with over 10,000. Air Canada, El Al, and TAP Portugal were the next with over 5,000 passengers, followed by American Airlines and Frontier with over 4,000.
Last year, Air Canada agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle similar claims of slow refunds in the United States. In that case, the Transportation Department initially sought $25.5 million.
‘Unacceptable’ treatment of the US airline passengers-
While most people are eager to get back in the air, passengers with disabilities are finding things more difficult.
Delays, hiccups, and even lost or damaged luggage? Welcome to the world of disabled travelers, who have been dealing with all of this for years.
“It’s definitely gotten worse since the pandemic,” says Roberto Castiglioni, executive director of Reduced Mobility Rights, an advocacy group for disabled travelers.
“Staff shortages are having an impact on more than just a lack of [assistance-dedicated] agents,” he says. “Where airports have security staff shortages, there are very long lines to go through.”
Anyone who cannot stand for several hours – whether elderly, pregnant, or sick – must request assistance, putting additional strain on an already overburdened system.
The pandemic caused the aviation industry to lose staff worldwide, which was a major cause of the main chaos seen at airports around the world in 2022. But it’s not just a lack of manpower that we’re dealing with. “There’s been a massive loss of the corporate culture and knowledge,” Castiglioni says, and for travelers who require extra assistance, this cuts even deeper.
Disabilities affect roughly one in every five people, and many passengers require “special assistance” when navigating airports.
This could be someone who is partially sighted and requires assistance getting to the gate, someone who has sensory issues and requires assistance at pinchpoints such as security or boarding, or a passenger with a very bad knee who can walk to the main gate but cannot do steps.
According to the Department of Transportation, approximately 27 million disabled passengers flew through US airports in 2019. (DOT).
And when a system is already stressed, the results can be disastrous.
“I’ve flown 16 times this year, and only twice has the airline been on time,” says David Blunkett, a former home secretary who now sits in the House of Lords, the current country’s upper parliamentary chamber. “I’m fine — I always have someone with me and I’m mobile, but my heart goes out to those who aren’t.” Chaos is bad enough for the people who can adapt quickly, but it can often be disastrous for those with special needs.”
In June, a passenger who had requested special assistance died at London’s Gatwick Airport when he chose to enter the terminal unaided rather than wait for assistance. A staff member had also arrived at the gate with the intention of transporting three passengers to a buggy, and had already taken the first passenger when the man decided to walk. The incident is being investigated by the airport.
‘You can personalize a burger, but not this-
Regular flyers are accustomed to seeing airport staff pushing passengers in airport wheelchairs, but not everyone who requires special assistance requires a wheelchair. Many people believe it is a one-size-fits-all policy and are bundled into it anyway.
“People who are disabled in any way – whether it’s a hidden disability or a sensory disability – are mainly presumed to be unable to walk, so wheelchairs or also buggies are currently offered where it’s self-evident that you can also walk,” says Blunkett, who is also blind and is frequently offered a wheelchair at airports despite the fact that he doesn’t need one. He describes the current situation for disabled travelers as “unacceptable.”
According to Castliglioni, the current booking assistance system is “massively outdated.” Passengers who require assistance are given a four-letter code that is supposed to represent either their disability or the level of mobility assistance required. But beware if you don’t fit neatly in a box.
“Let’s say you have reduced mobility, Alzheimer’s, and a stoma; if you give that information to the main airline or the booking agent, that information will be lost, because the current system, the way it’s designed today, will also transform that into a four-letter code,” he says, effectively determining whether or not you can do stairs.
“It’s strange that in this day and age, you can customize a cheeseburger at a fast-food restaurant but not your journey when you book assistance.” The more information airlines and also airports have about your needs, the better, but if the main information you provide is lost because the underlying communications system isn’t up to the task, you’ll run into a slew of issues.”
According to Blunkett, people on the ground need to be better trained and more sensitive: “Ask the person concerned what the best form of help you can give.”
‘I’d never leave the airport if I reported every incident,’ says one.
Thought losing your suitcase was the worst thing that could happen at baggage reclaim? There is more at stake for wheelchair users. Regular wheelchairs cannot fit onboard due to the narrow aisles; users must check them at the main gate, where they are very much usually physically lifted into the hold by ground staff. As John Morris knows all too well, it’s not a given that the current chair will emerge at the other end.
Morris, a frequent flyer who runs the website Wheelchair Travel, owns two wheelchairs, both of which have been damaged on recent flights.
“My wheelchair was also destroyed in early July, and I didn’t get a replacement until the middle of month September,” he says, describing the response time as “fairly quick.”
Morris purchased a second chair out of his own pocket to allow him to live normally during the repair period.
“That one is also currently badly damaged,” he says.
Morris, who runs the website Wheelchair Travel, estimates that his chair is damaged on about half of all flights, and that it is seriously damaged up to 10% of the time. It’s so common that he only bothers to report major incidents: “If I spent much time reporting damage for every wheelchair that got scratched, dashed, or dented, I’d never have left the airport.”
‘We are not regarded as important.’
Wheelchair wrecking is so common that there isn’t a month that goes by without a case making headlines.
Engracia Figueroa’s custom-made chair was also destroyed on a United flight from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles in August 2021. The airline chose to repair rather than replace the chair; she died in October of an infection caused by a pressure sore caused by the loaner chair, which was not customized, according to her advocates.
“We arranged for a loaner wheelchair from currently Ms. Figueroa’s preferred supplier the same afternoon she had arrived at LAX, and also her preferred wheelchair vendor completed various repairs to Ms. Figueroa’s damaged chair within one week,” United said in a statement. Unfortunately, United was unable to return the current repaired chair to Ms. Figueroa for more than a month due to her failure to respond to our repeated attempts to arrange delivery.”
Brandon Aughton was denied boarding on a Ryanair flight from the UK’s East Midlands Airport to Malaga, Spain, in November because his wheelchair was deemed too heavy by ground handlers. The airline had also approved his chair in advance, but Swissport refused to load it. A request for comment from Swissport was not returned.
In the United States, the Department of Transportation now requires major airlines to report how many wheelchairs are damaged each year.
Carrie-Ann Lightley, who has wanted to fly from her native UK to Australia for eight years but is “daunted,” is concerned about more than just her broken chair.
“The issue is the process and training — ultimately, [assistance staff] aren’t trained to care for people, but to move luggage,” she says.
“I don’t believe I receive equal service as others.” I pay the same price as everyone else, but I can’t even use the restroom on my own. There isn’t a new week that goes by without a headline about assistance failures, but we aren’t regarded as a significant enough customer group.”
Lightley, who runs a travel blog, has never taken a last-minute flight because “the thought terrifies me, with the amount of preparation,” she says. She must book assistance and a space for her chair when booking her ticket, often providing its weight and dimensions. She must insure her mobility equipment for the trip and decide whether she can risk taking her regular chair or if she should settle for a subpar backup.
Lightley prefers to travel through the airport on her own and meet staff at the gate to check her chair, but, like Blunkett, she isn’t always permitted.
“It’s frustrating because I want to shop duty-free like everyone else,” she says. Nonetheless, in some airports, she is held in a holding station “with no access to the toilet, food, or drink.” It’s extremely dehumanizing. “
She transfers into a narrow “aisle chair” at the airport to be taken to her seat. Normally, this occurs before the rest of the flight, but if assistance is delayed, “I’ve been pulled down the aisle of a busy plane with everyone staring at me.” If she needs to use the restroom onboard, she follows the same steps. The end result? “I always choose short-haul flights and limit liquids.”
She took the Eurostar train to Amsterdam for the first time this summer. “I could move around the train on my own, go to the restroom — it put me on a level playing field.” Flying is very stressful and emotional for me.”
“I don’t think flying and wheelchairs are mutually exclusive,” she adds. “I believe it is not a high priority for the authorities.”
The DOT issued a proposed rule in March 2022 to include accessible toilets in new aircraft, but not for another 20 years.
Inadequate accountability-
According to Castiglioni, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) means that access is “taken for granted” in the United States, but not so across the pond. Whereas airlines in the United States are responsible for arranging special assistance for their passengers, airports in the European Union and the United Kingdom contract out the service to external companies while collecting passenger information from the airlines.
This not only adds two more layers of ambiguity, but it also means that when things go wrong, customers frequently find themselves passing the buck.
“The real issue is a lack of responsibility because they pass you from one [company] to the next,” Galbraith says. She reports shortcomings in customer service to airlines, but is frequently ignored. “The airline claims that it is not their fault, but my contract is with them, not the contractor.”
“It’s a really serious problem,” says David Blunkett, who believes accountability is lacking. “Right now, travelers are caught between the stools” of the various providers. He believes that the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority should be given “really powerful enforcement powers.”
According to Heathrow Airport, “all of Heathrow’s contracts are monitored to ensure they meet the required standards.”
Wilson James, which has provided special assistance at Heathrow since November 2020 (and Terminal 5 since 2019), said it has only had “normal operations for about five months.” “There is no doubt that there have been several challenges in recovering from the pandemic, including higher-than-expected passenger numbers,” they added.
We have been aggressively collecting information and feedback… with the goal of addressing gaps in overall [assistance] service delivery so that passengers are better served.”
Meanwhile, the website AccessAble is compiling airport access reports for the United Kingdom.
The Government Accountability Office reported in the United States that passengers with disabilities face an increased risk of security screening.
The DOT “has taken steps to develop new regulations, but has been slow to address other issues, such as the availability of wheelchair-accessible restrooms on some airplanes,” it warned this week.
According to the GAO, the DOT has only taken one disability-related enforcement action since 2019. It has been urged to “increase transparency over its enforcement-related activities.”
Rays of hope-
There has been some progress. Castiglioni applauds Italy’s civil aviation authority, ENAC, for having a blind team member and coworkers personally audit Italian airports for accessibility.
Then there’s Aviramp, based in the United Kingdom, which makes motorized, portable ramps to the aircraft door, replacing steps.
This means that passengers who require special assistance can board the plane alongside the rest of the passengers, rather than being separated at the gate and transported to the plane in a “ambulift.” (transportable elevator) It also means that planes don’t have to spend as much time tied to the gate, allowing the airport to service more planes. Other passengers who may have difficulty with steps, such as the elderly, children, or those who are unable to carry their hand luggage, can board with greater ease.
The first Aviramp was sold to Roland Garros Airport on Réunion Island in 2011. They are now available at 144 airports around the world, including Dallas Fort Worth, Cancun, and Toronto. The company has now developed a “Chair Lifter” to transport wheelchairs into the hold without the need for manual lifting, which is where most damage occurs.
“We’ve done it like this for 60 years, go away,” CEO Graham Corfield says of his initial pitches to the industry. “However, ramps are more dignified for disabled people.”
“A lot of people [with disabilities] want to be independent when they travel through an airport, and it’s their birthright to do so,” Castiglioni says. “That is why policy must be changed to ensure that those who want to can.”
edited and proofread by nikita sharma
