TravelAge West
Search Sponsored by

Explore TravelAge West

Destinations

Back
  • Africa & Middle East
  • Asia & South Pacific
  • Caribbean
  • Central & South America
  • Europe
  • Hawaii
  • Mexico
  • USA & Canada

Travel Types

Back
  • Family
  • Adventure
  • Cruise
  • River Cruise
  • Tour Operators
  • Luxury
  • Hotels
  • Culinary
  • Romance
  • Wellness
  • Sustainability

Directories

Back
  • Hotels
  • Cruise
  • Job Seeker Center

Interactive

Back
  • Click & Win
  • Geo Quiz
  • Slideshows & Video

Professional Development

Back

Industry Insight

  • Business Features
  • Interviews
  • Events
  • Opinion
  • Tech
  • Podcasts
  • Coronavirus and Travel
  • Need to Know Research

Education

  • Certifications
  • Digital Guides
  • Fams
  • Thought Leadership
  • Advertiser Spotlight
  • Webinars
  • Immersive Family Experiences

Events

  • Global Travel Marketplace
  • GTM West
  • WAVE Awards
  • Future Leaders in Travel Retreat

Get Us in Your Inbox

I accept the T&C and Privacy Policy.

Search TravelAge West

Clear Field
Emma Weissmann
Emma WeissmannDigital Managing Editor

Share

  1. Home
  2. Industry Insight
  3. Opinion

Airline Passengers With Disabilities Have a New Bill of Rights

Jul 15, 2022
Airlines  
Air Travelers Bill of Rights_HERO
Air passengers with disabilities now have a Bill of Rights with 10 listed protections.
Credit: 2022 Svitlana/stock.adobe.com

What: The Airline Passengers With Disabilities Bill of Rights Protects Travelers With Disabilities

This month, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a Bill of Rights for travelers living with disabilities and choosing to travel by air. The 16-page document, which highlights 10 fundamental rights for air passengers under the Air Carrier Access Act, was released earlier this month as a way to “empower air travelers with disabilities to understand and assert their rights, and help ensure that U.S. and foreign air carriers and their contractors uphold those rights.”

Why It Matters: The Bill Represents a Huge Step Forward for the Aviation Industry

Air travel should be accessible, reliable and safe for everyone, and this community of travelers is no exception. Although the Bill of Rights is a summation of existing law (and does not introduce any new rights), it will prove to be a valuable tool and resource for travelers living with disabilities by empowering them to advocate for a more inclusive air travel experience.

Additionally, it will provide U.S. carriers (or foreign carriers flying to and from the U.S.) a much-needed a framework to follow and uphold to ensure that these consumers are treated with respect. Travel advisors working with clients who have disabilities should include this bill with a customer’s final travel documents and be well-versed with its contents in order to step in and advocate on a client’s behalf.

RELATED: Are Emotional Support Animals Still Allowed to Fly? Airline Protocols for ESAs

Fast Facts: What’s Covered Under the Bill of Rights

- The creation of this Bill of Rights was mandated under a 2018 reauthorization of funding for the Federal Aviation Administration.

- Under the Bill, an individual with a disability is defined as someone who has a physical or mental impairment that permanently or temporarily affects life activities including walking, hearing or breathing.

- The bill is a living document; it may change or evolve as regulations change.

- The Bill of Rights consists of 10 fundamental rights for travelers:
1. The Right to Be Treated with Dignity and Respect

2. The Right to Receive Information About Services and Aircraft Capabilities and Limitations

3. The Right to Receive Information in an Accessible Format

4. The Right to Accessible Airport Facilities

5. The Right to Assistance at Airports

Get Us in Your Inbox

I accept the T&C and Privacy Policy.

6. The Right to Assistance on the Aircraft

7. The Right to Travel with an Assistive Device or Service Animal

8. The Right to Receive Seating Accommodations

9. The Right to Accessible Aircraft Features 

10. The Right to Resolution of a Disability-Related Issue

What They Are Saying: This Is One Step Toward an All-Inclusive Air Travel System

“Today’s announcements are the latest steps toward ensuring an air travel system that works for everyone,” said Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation for the U.S. “Whether you’re a parent expecting to sit together with your young children on a flight, a traveler with a disability navigating air travel or a consumer traveling by air for the first time in a while, you deserve safe, accessible, affordable and reliable airline service.”

Tell Us What You Think! forum

Related Content

wheeltheworldaccessibletraveltrips

Have Wheelchair, Will Travel: Wheel the World Offers Accessible Trips That Don’t Skimp on Adventure

  • Most Read
  • Most Shared
  1. Which Cruise Lines Require COVID-19 Vaccinations?
  2. Why Are So Many Flights Being Canceled?
  3. 5 of the Best Swimmable Los Cabos Beaches
  4. Travel to These Top 'Crazy Rich Asians' Filming Locations in Singapore and Malaysia
  5. 3 Free Hula Shows on Kauai
  1. Why Are So Many Flights Being Canceled?
  2. The U.S. Has Lifted its COVID-19 Testing Requirement for Air Travelers
  3. 6 Tips for Better Cybersecurity While Traveling
  4. An Inside Look at “The Real Love Boat,” Filmed on Regal Princess
  5. Airline Passengers With Disabilities Have a New Bill of Rights

From Our Partners

More Stories Like This

USTOA Announces ‘Future Lights,’ Up-and-Coming Leaders of the Tour Industry

USTOA Announces ‘Future Lights,’ Up-and-Coming Leaders of the Tour Industry

'Micro-cations' Are Rising in Popularity

'Micro-cations' Are Rising in Popularity

The U.S. Travel Association Will Prioritize Sustainability Through Its New Coalition

The U.S. Travel Association Will Prioritize Sustainability Through Its New Coalition

This Wyndham Program Is Designed to Increase the Number of Black Hotel Owners

This Wyndham Program Is Designed to Increase the Number of Black Hotel Owners

Editorial: Flight Cancellations and Delays Are Hassles This Summer — But Temporary Ones

Editorial: Flight Cancellations and Delays Are Hassles This Summer — But Temporary Ones

Why Business Travel Is Struggling to Make a Comeback

Why Business Travel Is Struggling to Make a Comeback

Asta Legislative Day 2022_HERO

ASTA’s Legislative Day Sees a Record Turnout

Virtuoso Survey Says Affluent Travelers Will Pay More for Sustainable Travel

Virtuoso Survey Says Affluent Travelers Will Pay More for Sustainable Travel

Editorial: What to Make of the National Travel and Tourism Strategy

Editorial: What to Make of the National Travel and Tourism Strategy

I Tested Positive for COVID-19 and Got Stuck Traveling Abroad — Here’s the Problem with Testing for Re-Entry

I Tested Positive for COVID-19 and Got Stuck Traveling Abroad — Here’s the Problem with Testing for Re-Entry

TravelAge West

About TravelAge West

  • About Us
  • Contributors
  • Sales Team
  • Contact Us
  • My Profile

Advertise

  • Advertise With Us
  • Media Kit
  • Upload Ad Material
  • Digital Ad Specifications
  • Reprints
  • Subscribe to Print

Stay Connected to TravelAge West

Get Us in Your Inbox

I accept the T&C and Privacy Policy.


Northstar Travel Group

Northstar Travel Group

  • Travel Weekly
  • Travel Weekly Asia
  • Travel Weekly China
  • TravelPulse
  • TravelPulse Canada
  • TravelPulse Quebec
  • Meetings & Incentives
  • Travel Technology
  • Corporate Travel
  • Hotel Investment
  • Data Products
  • AGENTatHOME
Copyright © 2022 by Northstar Travel Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. 100 Lighting Way, Secaucus, NJ 07094-3626 USA | Telephone: (201) 902-2000
Load Carousel Here
Load Video Here