United Announces New Ways Its Accommodating Customers With Wheelchairs

29.09.2023 - 15:43 / travelandleisure.com / Linda Jojo

United Airlines is launching a new search feature to ensure that wheelchair users will be accommodated and will also waive a change fee for a passenger that needs to change their flight.

The airline plans to introduce a new digital filter on its website next year to allow wheelchair users to search for a flight based on the size of their chair, according to the company. When it launches, customers will be able to enter the exact dimensions of their wheelchair and see a list of results prioritizing aircraft that can accommodate it.

United said since the size of the aircraft cargo hold door can vary, some aircraft are better equipped for motorized wheelchairs.

«By offering customers an easy way to know if their personal wheelchair fits on a particular airplane, we can give them the peace of mind they deserve when they fly with us,» Linda Jojo, the executive vice president and chief customer officer for United, said in a statement. «Plus, collecting this information ahead of time ensures our team can handle these special items with proper care and attention.»

In addition, United said it would cover the fare difference if a traveler is forced to book a higher-fare flight because a lower fare one won’t accommodate their particular wheelchair. The two flights must be for the same route on the same day.

Travelers will have to complete a form after they travel to receive the refund.

United will also examine how it handles instances where a wheelchair is damaged with a six month pilot program at George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport. The airline will look at the time between when a customer arrives and when United either returns their wheelchair to them or provides a loaner if their chair was damaged.

United has been working to improve accessibility on its aircraft, including adding Braille to about a dozen of its planes on both individual rows and seat numbers as well as inside and outside lavatories. The airline hopes to retrofit its entire mainline fleet by the end of 2026.

The new search feature comes months after the Department of Transportation (DOT) finalized a rule requiring bathrooms in new single-aisle aircraft to be wheelchair accessible. The rule will go into effect for new planes ordered within 10 years or delivered in 12 years, but airlines won’t be required to retrofit existing planes unless a lavatory is replaced.

Last year, the DOT published the first-ever bill of rights for airline passengers with disabilities, which outlined basic rights like airlines not refusing transportation due to a disability.

United is not alone in making strides to accommodate wheelchair users. Earlier this year, Delta Air Lines unveiled a new seat prototype to allow travelers who use a powered wheelchair to